WWI Unofficial Princess Mary Tin - Type II

WWI Unofficial Princess Mary Tin - Type II - This tin has been designed after the original WWI Princess Mary tin, in silver-plated heavy gauge brass, with the lid independent of the base. The original issue with the head of Princess Mary in the centre, has been substituted on this tin with the year "1914", surrounded by a laurel wreath, with the flanking "M" monograms on either side having been deleted. The decorative cartouche above the laurel wreath, originally inscribed "IMPERIUMBRITANNICUM" has had the inscription deleted and is blank, but the sword and scabbard on either side remain. The cartouche on the bottom row is inscribed "CHRISTMAS 1914", flanked by bows of battleships ploughing through high seas. The corners feature small roundels naming Britain's Allies: Belgium, Japan, Montenegro and Servia (Serbia), while France and Russia appear on the left and right sides respectively, each superimposed on three furled flags or standards. The bottom is marked with the Royal Sheffield manufacturer's insignia, the tin measuring 88.5 mm x 129.5 mm x 27 mm deep. It exhibits light contact overall, with minor spotting on the bottom, dent-free, a truly impressive collectible from the Great War, near extremely fine.  Footnote: This is a commemorative copy of the original issue, which was made available after the war, to be purchased by those who did not qualify for the original gift. The first design, Type I, was a close copy, but was soon changed following complaints from Buckingham Palace on the use of the Princess' image and royal cyphers, along with "IMPERIUM BRITANNICUM". The overall lid design is not embossed but is relatively flat in design and is a much-simplified version of the original,