Civil War Soldier’s Patriotic Match Safe, as in books and museums

This is another nice item being offered; it is a Civil War soldier's match safe. It is brass with a hinged-lid and measures approximately 3” x 1”. On the sides are the patriotic spread eagle, however much of it has worn off from use. On the bottom of the match safe is a ribbed area used for striking the matches.

There is an almost identical example of this piece in Time/Life “Echoes of Glory – Arms and Equipment of the Union”. That one is pictured with a package of Cavendish tobacco, which I also have available on the website (see pictures). There is another very similar one at the Gettysburg NPS Battlefield Museum (see pictures).

Although today we don't think much about it, to the Civil War soldier in the field, it was an everyday necessity to have dry matches, for campfires, candles, tobacco, etc. In my book “The Civil War Soldier – His Personal Items”, I show a similar match safe from my personal collection, that was also dug at Antietam. Also, in the book I  ago into more detail about the importance of matches to the Civil War soldier (see pictures).

A match safe is truly a necessity for any Civil War collection, just about every soldier had one. I had quite a few dug examples over the years which validates their use. This was a common item sold by camp sutlers. It would go great with a Civil War soldier’s personal effects display.