December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
The British Ordnance-issue cartridge box issued with a "stand of arms" from the Tower was a simple affair, unchanged in form since the early 18th century, being a curved block of black-painted poplar or beech drilled to hold 18 rounds of musket or carbine cartridges. Originally, a gilt-embossed royal cipher was stamped on the flap, but with increased production in the Revolutionary War, this nicety fell by the wayside. The flap was merely nailed to the back of the box and two leather belt loops similarly attached to its front for attaching it to a narrow belt of tanned leather with a sliding frog to hold a bayonet scabbard. However, in 1774 all British troops under Generals Gage and Howe were ordered to alter their cartridge boxes so that they could be slung over the shoulder by a narrow belt and this was accomplished by nailing two loops with harness buckles to the underside of the block, taking the belt loops off the front and affixing them horizontally at the top ends of the rear of the box, as seen with this altered box. The vacant holes from the loops can be seen on the front of the box. Purchased from Mike Kvietkauskas in 2016. Block dimensions: 8 5/8 x 3 1/4 x 2 inches. CONDITION: Good to very good, the flap leather slightly turned up at the bottom corners, one buckles missing from underside, as well as leather keeper button for flap originally attached to center bottom.