Original U.S. WWII P-38 Lightning Trench Art Brass Ashtray - Shell Dated 1942

Original Item: Only One Available. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is a World War II–era American piston-engined fighter aircraft. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. Allied propaganda claimed it had been nicknamed the fork-tailed devil  by the Luftwaffe and "two planes, one pilot" by the Japanese. Like all deactivated ordnance, this piece is NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXPORT.

This is a great WWII P-38 Lightning trench art ashtray, made entirely from brass artillery shells & ammunition. The P-38 is removable and sits at a great angle on the top of the cartridge, but it moves around a lot. The base of the piece is a U.S. 75mm M18 shell dated 1942, with a small plate attached in the center with a .50 Caliber round screwed in. There were originally three small slots to rest cigarettes, but now there are only 2, one having broken away long ago. 

The set measures 8 1/2” tall at the tip of the wing, with a 3 3/8” base diameter. 

Comes ready for further research and display.