| Place | Africa: South Africa |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL23561 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Paint, Tin |
| Maker |
Hudson Scott & Sons Ltd. Unknown |
| Place made | United Kingdom: England |
| Date made | c 1900 |
| Conflict |
South Africa, 1899-1902 (Boer War) |
Queen Victoria gift tin : South Africa 1900
Description
Commemorative tin with hinged lid. The lid has been painted red with a gold and blue border. The edge of the lid is also painted in gold. The centre of the tin has an embossed image of Queen Victoria in gold. To the right of the Queen's image is her cypher, and to her left the text 'SOUTH AFRICA 1900' in blue and yellow. Under the cypher and text is printed a message in cursive script from the Queen, 'I wish you a happy New Year Victoria R'. The tin originally contained Cadbury's chocolate.
History / Summary
This commemorative tin originally contained chocolate. It was given to the troops serving in the Boer War as a New Year gift from Queen Victoria. The three major British chocolate manufacturers, Fry, Cadbury and Rowntree, all Quaker owned companies, produced the chocolate tins. Initially they were reluctant to support the war effort because of the Quaker pacifist ethic, but were persuaded to change their minds. The three companies' tins vary slightly in appearance. The tin shown here is a Cadbury's tin, manufactured by Hudson Scott. It is slightly smaller than the other two company tins. In addition each type of tin is printed in a different shade of blue, with the borders of differing widths, and the Queen's medallion in the centre is not the same.