Original British War of 1812 Era Wooden Canteen with Period Over-Painted Unit Markings

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Prior to 1810, a British artisan-inventory had developed a system of machinery by which he could cut and form all of the component pieces of wood, as well as assemble them into finished canteens, thereby cutting the time and expense of hand-coopering, as such had previously been made. The mass-produced water bottles were made with oak faces or sides, with flat staves cut and inlet with grooves, allowing them to function similarly to the shaped staves made by traditional coopering, all held together by iron bands. This new methodology was a boon to the Quartermaster General, who needed to acquire tens of thousands of water bottles on an annual basis to equip British and allied troops in the field.

This is a gorgeous Napoleonic era canteen marked on the side with the following designation:

II
B
4*

We are unsure what the markings indicate, but it is likely a unit marking, possibly for Company B, 2nd Regiment of Foot, 4th platoon? Under the 4* is a previous over-painted marking, 213.

The canteen is in fair condition and displays very well, but due to its age and the way that wooden canteens react without water, the individual panels of the canteen’s construction have all shrunken somewhat, and many of them are loose, and one appears to have some breakage near the bottom. The canteen displays very beautifully overall.

This is a tremendous example, ready for further research and display!