1890’s Blue Coat Cigars Box

The empty box for “Blue Coat” cigars, with colorful lithographic labels on the interior lid and on one end of the box. Circa 1890, the labels depict an army corporal of the Spanish-American War period with a rifle on his shoulder, a bayonet on his belt, and a wide brimmed hat (which, curiously, appears to have crossed swords insignia on the front). The box is 8 1/2 inches wide by 5 inches tall by 5 1/4 inches deep. The interior lid notes that these “Blue Coat” cigars sold for the eminently reasonable sum of two for five cents. There is little doubt that the silver gray smoke of more than one “Blue Coat” cigar was wafting through the air of Bradenbaughs Museum in Philadelphia during one of the scintillating performances of the immortal Little Egypt. The box lid is slightly warped upwards, and the box otherwise exhibits the expected signs of age, but overall it is complete and intact and makes a very good appearance.