WWII Jan Smuts Comforts Tin + 11 Vintage Tins, Shadow Box

The centerpiece of this curated shadow box is a Christmas 1940 gift tin issued to South African troops by the South African Gifts and Comforts Committee — bearing the embossed portrait of Field Marshal Jan Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa and one of the most consequential Allied statesmen of the Second World War. The lid reads "Greetings from South Africa / Groete van Suid Afrika" with the bilingual inscription "We rely on you and are grateful / Ons vertrou op jou en ons is dankbaar." Originally filled with Cadbury or Bournville chocolate, the 1940 edition was historically notable as the first Committee tin to feature a South African leader's portrait rather than the British monarch's — making it the rarest and most sought-after in the series. The Imperial War Museum holds the 1943 version in its permanent collection.

The remaining eleven tins span tobacco, pharmaceutical, personal care, food, and military categories assembled from Britain, Egypt, Ireland, and the United States. Tobacco tins include the yellow-and-gold Ed. Laurens "Le Khédive" Egyptian cigarette tin (awarded Exp. Paris 1889, Extension Suisse), Murray's Mellow Smoking Mixture in deep navy with pineapple trademark (Murray, Sons & Co., Belfast, est. 1810), the elaborate chromolithograph Khedive Exquisit Egyptian cigarette tin, and the Army Club Sandhurst Size by Cavanders Limited England — a brand founded in 1775 whose tins were carried by British troops through two World Wars. The balance of the collection includes White Rose Orange Pekoe Tea Balls, Elastoplast First Aid Dressings (6d, British Made), Morny "June Roses" Brilliantine Cristallisée (London), The Laurel Ladies Boudoir Safety Razor (Made in England), Flint Brand Typewriter Ribbons by KeeLox Mfg. Co. (Rochester, NY), Boots Compound Senna Laxatives (Nottingham), and an OXO Cubes tin in the bold red and black geometric litho design. All twelve tins are velcro-mounted in a glazed hardwood shadow box — ready to hang as delivered.

CONDITION

Very Good. The shadow box frame is clean and structurally sound; glass is intact with no cracks. The Smuts Comforts tin shows surface patina consistent with its age and wartime origins. Remaining tins display varying degrees of light scuffing, minor oxidation, and label rub — graphics on the majority remain legible and visually strong throughout.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall (Shadow Box): 16.25" H × 18.25" W × 5" D
• Smallest Tin: 1" × 1.75" × .75"
• Largest Tin: 4.5" × 7" × 1.25"
• Quantity: 12 tins
• Mount: Velcro (removable)
• Glazed Front: Yes
• Tins Included:
  • South African Gifts & Comforts Committee — Jan Smuts portrait, Christmas 1940, bilingual English/Afrikaans
  • Ed. Laurens "Le Khédive" Egyptian Cigarettes — yellow/gold litho, Exp. Paris 1889, Extension Suisse
  • Army Club Sandhurst Size — Cavanders Limited England, military crest, "The Firm of Three Centuries"
  • Murray's Mellow Smoking Mixture — "Murramell Brand" Reg'd, Belfast, Original
  • Khedive Exquisit — chromolithograph Egyptian cigarette tin, Arabic script, palm trees
  • White Rose Orange Pekoe Tea Balls — navy, gold script, Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.
  • Elastoplast First Aid Dressings — 6d, British Made, antiseptic self-adhesive
  • Morny "June Roses" Brilliantine Cristallisée — London
  • The Laurel Ladies Boudoir Safety Razor — silhouette cameo, Made in England
  • Flint Brand Typewriter Ribbons — KeeLox Mfg. Co., Rochester NY, Black Record H.T. Special
  • Boots Compound Senna Laxatives — Nottingham
  • OXO Cubes — red/black geometric litho, "Keep the Lid Closed"