GERMAN WWI “GOTT MIT UNS” SOLID BRASS POCKET MATCHBOX HOLDER WITH EMPIRE CROWN
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:19415990 | Featured Refinements: Antique Match Safe |
GERMAN WWI “GOTT MIT UNS” SOLID BRASS POCKET MATCHBOX HOLDER WITH EMPIRE CROWN . Condition is Used. Shipped with USPS First Class Package.
The early matchstick was unsafe and special pocket containers for storage wereneeded. These utilitarian containers evolved in time into decorator and novelty items, which became useful as advertising vehicles for merchants and manufacturers alike – and in this case, to show patriotic loyalty to the German Empire. The phrase... “Gott Mit Uns” was first used in Germany by the Teutonic Order and later in the 17th century as a “field word, ” a means of recognition akin to a password. In 1701 it was a commonly used phrase in heraldry in Prussia and later by the German military during the periods spanning the German Empire (1871 to 1918) and the Third Reich (1933 to 1945.) In 1871 a new model for a State Crown was created based upon the Crown of the Holy Roman Empire. The model was stored in Berlin until it disappeared during WWII. It has never been found, and no crown was ever made. The likeness of the crown continued to be used as a patriotic symbol, and the motto was later added to the design used on belt buckles – and evidently, match box holders. Offering for sale a vintage WWI (soldier carried?) wooden stick match box holder. The container measures 2-3/8”x1-5/8”x7/8” and fits the typical box of stick matches perfectly. The ends are open to access the matches by pushing a “drawer” out of the sleeve and striking the match on the rough surface on the side of the match box. This piece has dual historical significance – first as a WWI-era artifact, and secondly, as a unique example of a match box holder for the tobacciania collector. It also appears that the circular crown and inscription might have been taken off a German soldier’s belt buckle and soldered onto the holder – there appears to be perhaps traces of solder around the circumference of the crown. I am selling other advertising match safes and match box holders from my collection. Check eBay for additional listings. All are top quality. Photos accurately show product condition. Payment via PayPal only. Shipping to continental US only via USPS First Class Package & insured.
The early matchstick was unsafe and special pocket containers for storage wereneeded. These utilitarian containers evolved in time into decorator and novelty items, which became useful as advertising vehicles for merchants and manufacturers alike – and in this case, to show patriotic loyalty to the German Empire. The phrase... “Gott Mit Uns” was first used in Germany by the Teutonic Order and later in the 17th century as a “field word, ” a means of recognition akin to a password. In 1701 it was a commonly used phrase in heraldry in Prussia and later by the German military during the periods spanning the German Empire (1871 to 1918) and the Third Reich (1933 to 1945.) In 1871 a new model for a State Crown was created based upon the Crown of the Holy Roman Empire. The model was stored in Berlin until it disappeared during WWII. It has never been found, and no crown was ever made. The likeness of the crown continued to be used as a patriotic symbol, and the motto was later added to the design used on belt buckles – and evidently, match box holders. Offering for sale a vintage WWI (soldier carried?) wooden stick match box holder. The container measures 2-3/8”x1-5/8”x7/8” and fits the typical box of stick matches perfectly. The ends are open to access the matches by pushing a “drawer” out of the sleeve and striking the match on the rough surface on the side of the match box. This piece has dual historical significance – first as a WWI-era artifact, and secondly, as a unique example of a match box holder for the tobacciania collector. It also appears that the circular crown and inscription might have been taken off a German soldier’s belt buckle and soldered onto the holder – there appears to be perhaps traces of solder around the circumference of the crown. I am selling other advertising match safes and match box holders from my collection. Check eBay for additional listings. All are top quality. Photos accurately show product condition. Payment via PayPal only. Shipping to continental US only via USPS First Class Package & insured.
