English Gift-Shop Tins
A National Cigar Museum Expose´
© Tony Hyman
These small tins look like they should be cigar tins, but they’re not. The designs are copied from widely available 1920’s era cigar labels but they were made in England in the 1980’s and sold empty in gift shops as novelty items for $3.95. They are NOT old, NOT cigar and NOT advertising. They are properly called “fantasies” not reproductions, as no original tins like these existed. There are two different bottom marks, one of which is illustrated here. They are available by the millions and of no interest to collectors.
English reproduction tins
OCEANIC and DAN PATCH cut plug tins have also been made within the last few decades. Both could be called “reproductions” as they are reasonably accurate approximations of tin boxes made about 100 years ago.
The lack of proper government markings on the bottom is a giveaway
as to their recent origin.
