This is a good example of the army issue mess cup, used by every soldier, cavalry, infantry, or artillery, from the Indian Wars through the Spanish American War. This measures roughly 4” x 4” and is made of tin-coated iron sheeting, holding about a quart of liquid, and provided with a large, ear-shaped handle with an impressed “U.S.” This shows lots of the original tin surface, showing as a gray, mixed with brown of the iron, and silver-gray of the solder. This does not show any deep rust, we see just a few small spots of superficial thin red that will clean, and no pinprick holes, just normal wear and scratches from use and storage. These were descended from the late Civil War cups (Hedren’s Type 3) that used rivets to secure the top of the handle to the cup, as was done at its bottom, rather than wire, along with more general use of solder as well as crimping to secure the seams. Firmly securing the handle like that may seem too much, but since the cup might actually be used for cooking or boiling over a campfire in the field, It was a wise precaution.

This would make a good addition to a collection of army mess gear of the period or to complete a display of field gear. For further details we recommend Hedren’s “Army Tincups on the Western Frontier” in the Summer 1992 issue of the Company of Military Historians Journal.   [sr][ph:L]

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