Revolutionary War Tinderbox, ca. 1760 – 1790, as in museums and books (SOLD)

This is another nice piece being offered, it is a Revolutionary War Tinderbox, circa 1760 – 1790. It is made of tinned iron with a candle sleeve on top and is complete with the interior damper/snuffer. It has a diameter of 4 1/8” x 2” tall (not including handle and candle sleeve).

Tinderboxes would have been carried by all soldiers, American and British – it was their only means of starting a fire. The inner loose lid not only smothers or quenches the smoldering tinder when the operation was over but enables you to burn and smother a fresh rag from an already existing fire.

A candle socket upon the lid made the apparatus a tinderbox and candlestick combined, which gave a permanent, transportable light, that could be used for a variety of purposes before you lit the fire. The tinderbox would have to be close to freshly laid twigs so the flame communicated to the kindling with the lighted tow. They fell out of general usage when friction matches were invented.

In “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution”, there is one of these boxes shown (see pictures). There is also one on display at “The Revolutionary War Museum” in Yorktown, Virginia (see pictures). The tinderbox is in very nice and solid condition.