Description

Possibly save the humble piece of saved hardtack or tin cup, here is one of the most quintessential representatives of the CW soldiers most cherished and coveted simple pleasures in life. Many years ago I found myself able to purchase a lot of vintage tobacco items which included a box of twists all in virtually the same condition as you see this one now. Some were thinner and twisted a bit differently, but all have worm holes, surface flaking off, and so dry they could stop the rain. I toyed with the idea of shellacquing one once to stabilize it but never got up the courage to risk the sacrifice. They are still stable enough to stay together and retain their integrity for the most part if handled with care and as they are now as light as a feather. Quite a few, like this one still had the little string tie where the end of the twist was bound, although most of the tobacco past the tie is now gone.  Very old store stock, from a bygone era.  We also purchased some of our collection of CW era tobacco packages with labels. While the labels and packages are datable, I cannot definitively say on the twists as the old cardstock box was unmarked and twists just stacked in and the lid tied back on. Impossible to find – unless you’re in a museum and you won’t get any closer to the real thing. We even reproduced them with this as the model for many years. Time to let go of a few. No price comparison – actually priceless, even without better provenance. This seems so much more than fair for a fantastic display piece with incredible character, virtually impossible to find.