This is a nice Mann’s Patent leather cartridge box with its unique finger-pull metal tin.

The box, a different style ammunition holder, was a leather accoutrement carried by many Federal infantrymen during the last part of the Civil War.  Referred to as the Mann’s Patent box, it was introduced in December 1863 by Colonel W.D. Mann of Detroit, MI, and was designed to replace earlier accoutrements.   This accoutrement had a set of leather straps or slings that enabled the box to be worn on the upper front of the trooper and thus it acted as a counterbalance to the other equipment worn by the soldier.  The new equipment combined the cartridge box, pistol box and cap box in one rig and enabled the soldier to carry more than double the amount of ammo as held in the old boxes.

The leather of this cartridge box is very good condition, very strong and smooth, with only a few surface scuffs.   Leather on bottom and sides is also excellent.  In place of the oval US brass box plate on the outer flap is a large, handsome, deeply embossed, double-bordered oval with 1” high embossed letters “US” inside. Within the border is stamped, “COLONEL MANN’S PATENT REISSUED JUNE 7^TH 1864 / E. GAYLORD MAKER-CHICOPEE, MASS.” Very lightly stamped to the left of this is a script “US” and rectangular sub-inspector’s stamp. Box outer flap has the original leather closure tab that is strong and complete and fits tightly onto the original pear-shaped brass finial at the bottom of the cartridge box.  Outer flap also retains both end-pieces, a.k.a. “ears”, strongly stitched in place. Leather tool pouch is very strong and complete.  Box has a 1 3/8” wide, leather strip or loop stitched and riveted to the backside enabling it to be used as a waist belt. Leather carry strap appears to have been cut off.  All black leather is in very good condition with a few tiny areas of scattered surface wear.  The metal cartridge tin wears a mottled, dusky gray coloring and is in fine original condition.  It has a finger-pull ring centered on the tin frame for raising the lower level of cartridges. This superb, maker-marked accoutrement is a rare and excellent leather specimen most sought after by the Civil War collecting field.  [jet]

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