NEW YORK DEPOT CANTEEN

$395.00 ON HOLD

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 2024-1380

This regulation Civil War canteen is complete with brown cover, stopper and shoulder strap, and shows a small “P” carved on the neck by its owner. This uses a short chain to retain the stopper, a trademark of canteens passing through the New York Depot, supplied by different makers answering advertisements for contracts, inspected, then sent back for covering addition of the strap, then shipped out by the depot.

This is the “smooth-sided” version sent in by the New York suppliers, versus the “bullseye” corrugated canteens taken in by the Philadelphia Depot after a certain point. (These were actually thought better by the government with complaints that process of stamping the corrugated canteens actually weakened the metal.) The cork stopper has a flat tin cap on top and flat metal nut with no washer on the bottom end of the pull ring. NY used brass for some of these nuts, but other metal as well. This shows some corrosion and is likely iron. One link of the chain is fastened around the finger loop of the stopper on one end and through a small hole on an upper strap bracket on the other end.

The strap is full length, solid, but rather than leather or sewn cotton, both used by the NY Depot, is a thick web, 7/8” wide, indicating it replaced a broken or missing strap, likely during the war since is shows some dirt, stains and fraying to the edge. It is overlapped and stitched down at two points- one on either side just under the side bracket. One is likely the original join of the ends. The other might be to fix a break or be intended to have a bolster under each of the two shoulder brackets. Both sides show indentations under the cover at the center of the canteen. On one side this is fairly small, about 3” in diameter. The cover on that side shows some small darker stains, but only one pencil point moth nip. The dent on the other side is a bit broader and less well defined. It also has just some small stains and one pencil point moth hip showing the metal, but some small wear spots on upper and lower right edge showing some of the weaving. The seams are tight.

The New York Depot seems to have regularized the use of the chain in mid-1862 and did not require maker markings until August 1864. We see no markings on this other than what may be a “P” carved on the neck by a soldier, so we would date the manufacture between those two points.

Canteens were a vital piece of gear for a soldier and like his haversack were regarded faithful companions with a good deal of sentiment by veterans with actual  field service.  [sr][ph:L]

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