The Model 1872 Meat Can
The 1872 Meat Can was an answer to the problem of transporting uncooked meat without staining the haversack. It is made of tinned iron. The can measures 6 ½” x 5 ¼” and approximately 1 ½” wide with a folding handle on top and a circular handle on the side which was un-attached at the bottom. The lid has a lip that goes slightly into the can and stays closed with friction. On each side of the can is a square indentation with the corners missing and a “US” in an oval.
Not many were produced as the post-Civil War army was significantly smaller and a new mess kit, the M-1874, entered production that was issued in much larger numbers, making this a considerably rare piece.
*Cover photo courtesy of Jacob Benicewicz. Photos courtesy of International Military Antiques.
American Militaria Reference
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