This corrugated or “bull’s eye” style canteen in nicely marked “R.H. Gratz & Co. Philada.” on the spout. Robert Gratz had experience in metal work manufacturing gas meters and initially partnered with Code and Hopper to supply smooth-sided canteens in 1861. He formed a new company under his own name in 1862 and produced 5-ring corrugated canteens under contracts from July 1862 to July 1863. His July 1862 contract was the first to specify the canteens were to be corrugated, and his contracts starting August 11, 1862, were among the first requiring the maker’s name on the spout, further narrowing this date of this one.

Gratz supplied his canteens uncovered to the Philadelphia Depot, where they were strapped and covered using one of the many different types of army cloth that could run from brown and gray to reddish brown and even dark blue when they dug into their supplies of uniform cloth. See O’Donnell’s excellent book on canteens for details. This one uses a gray cloth that shows brown staining from the raised corrugated rings underneath, but shows only one hole just above the bottom bracket on one side. It has been fitted with NY Depot style stopper with chain in place of its original string, perhaps an improvement by a soldier who got tired of replacing the string or losing the stopper. The sling is a modern replacement by a collector for display. We see a couple modern stitches reinforcing the seam on one shoulder.   [sr] [ph:m]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS.

THANK YOU!