A VERY RARE ANTIQUE "WW1" PRINCESS MARY'S 1914 CHRISTMAS GIFT BOX TO THE TROOPS

IN NOVEMBER 1914, AN ADVERTISEMENT WAS PLACED IN THE NATIONAL PRESS INVITING MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO A 'SAILORS & SOLDIERS CHRISTMAS FUND' WHICH HAD BEEN CREATED BY PRINCESS MARY, THE SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER OF KING GEORGE V AND QUEEN MARY. THE PURPOSE WAS TO PROVIDE EVERYONE WEARING THE KING'S UNIFORM AND SERVING OVERSEAS ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1914 WITH A 'GIFT FROM THE NATION'. THE RESPONSE WAS TRULY OVERWHELMING, AND IT WAS DECIDED TO SPEND THE MONEY ON AN EMBOSSED BRASS BOX, BASED ON A DESIGN BY MESSRS ADSHEAD AND RAMSEY. THE CONTENTS VARIED CONSIDERABLY; OFFICERS AND MEN ON ACTIVE SERVICE AFLOAT OR AT THE FRONT RECEIVED A BOX CONTAINING A COMBINATION OF PIPE, LIGHTER, 1 OZ OF TOBACCO AND TWENTY CIGARETTES IN DISTINCTIVE YELLOW MONOGRAMMED WRAPPERS. NON-SMOKERS AND BOYS RECEIVED A BULLET PENCIL AND A PACKET OF SWEETS INSTEAD. INDIAN TROOPS OFTEN GOT SWEETS AND SPICES, AND NURSES WERE TREATED TO CHOCOLATE. MANY OF THESE ITEMS WERE DESPATCHED SEPARATELY FROM THE TINS THEMSELVES, AS ONCE THE STANDARD ISSUE OF TOBACCO AND CIGARETTES WAS PLACED IN THE TIN THERE WAS LITTLE ROOM FOR MUCH ELSE APART FROM THE GREETING CARD. THE LID IS EMBOSSED WITH THE COUNTRIES NAMES THAT INCLUDED BELGIUM, JAPAN, FRANCE, SERVIA, MONTE NEGRO AND RUSSIA. THE BOX MEASURES 13cm x 8.5cm x 3cm HIGH.

LINK: museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/1329146/tin-princess-mary-s-christmas-gift-1914

LINK: www.kinnethmont.co.uk/1914-1918_files/xmas-box-1914.htm

PLEASE VIEW THE PICS VERY CAREFULLY FOR MORE DETAIL AND THE GENERAL CONDITION; WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET! PLEASE VIEW OUR SHIPPING OPTIONS OR COLLECT IN EDENVALE AT NO CHARGE! WE CAN ALSO QUOTE ON A COURIER SERVICE (good rates) DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR. PLEASE NOTE THAT PROPS ARE NOT INCLUDED AND ARE FOR VISUAL EFFECT ONLY.