South Wales Borderers table top matchbox

[Jerry B]

Not sure if this should be in this section, but as it has a nice "cap" badge on it this seemed the best place.

A large table top match box with a bronze badge to the SWB on it, it could be a cap badge as it is on two blades that might have been cut off or it is made especially for fitting to the box. It matches a known variation of the OSD cap badge.

Maker marked to Finnigan's LTD, 18 New Bond St and could date from pre WWI to t1929 when they also bought another shop next door. They also had shops in other cities. It is circa 16cm's in length.

[harryamb2]

v/nice Jerry.

[Jerry B]

v/nice Jerry.

Thanks Harry. I am pleased to get it as it is not the sort of item you see very often, well made and to a regiment I collect.

[Wagriff]

I definitely like it as well! Is the long cut out on the side the striker plate?

[big ned]

Nice item Jerry, I could easily imagine it on the mantlepiece of the Sergeant's/NCO's mess.

[Jerry B]

Hi William,

Yes it is. The matchbox is maker marked and I'll add a pic of that later today.

The makers Finnigan's were gold and silversmiths and with a Bond st address were not sellers of cheap tat.

Hi Ned, yeh, NCO's mess sounds about right, good quality but perhaps not officers as I would expect for them it would be silver.

[Jerry B]

The matchbox seems to suggest an early date as the makers were specialist in lighting, Gas, Oil, Electric.

[Danmark]

Lots of matches would fit in there Jerry - we tend to forget how big smokers they were back then!

Would they have been WAX matches then ( makers label ) but then the side striker would indicate safety matches?

Dan

[Jerry B]

Lots of matches would fit in there Jerry - we tend to forget how big smokers they were back then!

Would they have been WAX matches then ( makers label ) but then the side striker would indicate safety matches?

Dan

Dan, as they are Vesta's I assume they were "normal" matches rather than safety matches as such which use a striker that is more like emery paper whilst this has the sand paper striker, if that makes sense, though in the early days I suppose these would have been classed as safety matches compared to what went before.

Certainly during both world wars the troops nearly all smoked and during WWI they had special fund raising events to send tobacco products to the front line and if you read any of the period accounts from either war they often mention smoking and how much they looked forward to getting their ciggy ration.