125-YEAR-OLD CHOCOLATE BAR DISCOVERED

A special tin of chocolate made one-hundred-and-twenty-five years ago has been discovered in Bristol and is set to sell for hundreds of pounds at auction in June.

In 1899, during the Boer War, Queen Victoria decided to send a gift tin of chocolate to the troops serving in South Africa. It was intended that every serving soldier and officer should receive one of these tins which carried the inscription 'South Africa 1900' and in the Queen's handwriting 'I wish you a happy New Year'.

The Queen commissioned the country's three principal chocolate manufacturers, J S Fry & Sons, Cadbury Brothers Limited and Rowntree and Company Limited, to undertake the production of these special tins. By the end of 1900 over 120,000 tins had been produced and distributed to soldiers.

Each tin contained half a pound of ‘vanilla chocolate’ and featured an embossed roundel showing Queen Victoria to the top. The tins were made with rounded corners in order that they could easily fit into soldier’s pockets. Whilst many were opened and eaten, a few weren’t. Some soldiers opted to post the tin home to their children or loved ones, others traded them with fellow soldiers for tobacco.

Now, those surviving tins of uneaten chocolate can command high prices at auction.

‘This is a remarkable survivor,’ says Militaria specialist Lucy McCourt. ‘This would have been a rare treat back in 1900, and the willpower required to not eat it would have been quite substantial. It just goes to show how coveted this tin of chocolate must have been.’

The tin is expected to sell for over £250 when it goes up for auction in June. ‘It’s incredibly rare,’ adds Lucy, ‘and it’s surely the ultimate collectable for anyone with a sweet-tooth!’

The tin (and its rare contents) will be listed for slae in our June Militaria & History auction - full details to be released soon.