Circa 1810-1830 Militia Cartridge Box With Original Paper Cartridges

Finds like this don’t come around much any more. Here is an original American militia cartridge box dating somewhere between 1810 and 1830, and perhaps earlier, loaded with its original cartridges. The body of the box is about 9 inches long, flat on the bottom with tombstone side panels about 3 ¾ inches tall. The flap is about 9 ¼ inches wide, squared off along the bottom, which hangs about an inch below the box. A flat iron hook riveted to the flap engages a flat iron hasp on the bottom of the box. The block inside measures about 8 5/8 inches by 2 ¼ by 2 ¼
inches with a concave central portion at the back to more closely fit the body. There
are two belt loops on the back to for carriage on a waist belt. Attached to the center front of the flap is stamped brass eagle head. An old inventory number “396” in red is on the top front of the box and on the inside of the flap. The blocked is set up for twenty-four .69 caliber cartridges arranged in two rows of ten along the front, with a third row at either end to hold two more at either side of the concave back section of the box. The front of the box shows that it once had a semicircular pocket of the front for tools or flints.
Still in their holes are about eighteen of the original paper-wrapped string-tied cartridges. Some have opened and spilled their powder. About half seem to be fully intact, but we have not tried to draw them for inspection. They seem to be placed ball down and are fragile. We have chosen to display them just as found and that
would be our suggestion for any collector.
The leather has not had any dressing or preservatives applied. The exterior of the leather is quite good. The face of the body of the box shows cracking to the surface and one spot of bare wood in the area where the pocket was once sewn.
This is a very seldom offered chance to acquire and untouched, out-of-the-woodwork cartridge box with its original rounds still inside just as it was put away two hundred years ago.