Details
I’ve found a lot of history on this cigar box, so please bear with the lengthy description as its history is amazing.
This box was manufactured in the First Revenue District of Pennsylvania, which historically covered Philadelphia and surrounding communities. This region was a powerhouse for American cigar production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This U.S. Internal Revenue Service assigned specific IDs to registered tobacco facilities. This cigar box was made in Factory Number 495, indicating the exact building where these Cuban Scouts cigars were rolled, packaged and tax-paid.
The top stamp on the back of the box states, “These cigars herein contained were manufactured to retail at no more than five cents each and are so tax paid.” This statement dates this box to the 1910s to 20s, confirming it’s an authentic piece of early 20th-century Americana.
The large 250 on the tax stamp indicates that this box was originally packed with a wholesale quantity of 250 cigars loose in “bundles”, rather than the standard individual consumer box of 25 to 50. It held budget friendly cigars for country stores or tobacconists that were purchased by farmers, laborers or working-class citizens looking for a cheap daily smoke.
At five cents per cigar, this pricing structure strictly places the box’s lifespan around 1910 (pre-World War I era). As inflation hit during and after the war, the true “sub-two-cent” bulk cigar vanished from the American market.
This box measures about 12.5” x 9.5” x 3.25” in size.
It shows significant wear, fading in some stamped areas and scuffs. The inner wood and graphics are clean, as is the box bottom. And the tax stamp is still intact. Please review all of the photos so you can get a better idea of the condition of this 100+ year old cigar box.
It’s a well documented display piece of early 20th-century tobacco history and a nice addition to any collection.
NOTE: please read the full description and view all photos and measurements as we want to meet your expectations. I’m happy to answer any questions prior to purchase as all sales are final. Thank you for visiting the Dade City Wild Fern