Original U.S. WWII Sterling Silver Cigarette Case Gifted by General Douglas MacArthur & Wife to Friend with Provenance

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a tremendous cigarette case with some outstanding provenance, presented on Christmas Day, 1924 to Mr. Charles Walter Howard by General & Mrs. Douglas MacArthur. In Manilla, P.I. in 1922, MacArthur & his wife were best man & maid of honor at the wedding of Howard and his bride, Mrs. Nina Durand Howard. The set includes some of Mrs. Howard’s personal documents, including her Motion Picture Employee ID card from her time starring in films such as “Remember Pearl Harbor” and “The Desert Song”.

The cigarette case is monogrammed on the face with CWH for Charles Walter Howard, and the back is engraved:

TO MR. C.W. HOWARD
FROM HIS FRIENDS
GENERAL & MRS. DOUGLAS MACARTHUR
XMAS 1924

The interior shows honest period wear, and the interior is stamped STERLING / 1511234. The retention clasp is stamped:

ELGIN AM. MFG. CO.
STERLING SILVER
MADE IN U.S.A.

Also included are Mrs. Howard’s social security card, Motion Picture Employee ID badge, a photo of her with two older individuals, possibly her parents, and a myriad of newspaper clippings. One particular clipping shows a photo of Mrs. Howard, and goes into detail about MacArthur’s presence at her wedding as best man. 

When Mrs. Howard was married to the late Capt. C.W. Howard in Manila in 1922, General MacArthur and his wife stood beside the young couple as best man and maid of honor. She also treasures several gifts presented to her and her husband by the general.

The case itself measures roughly 3 x 4 x ¼”.

This is a tremendous one-of-a-kind offering that could still be used! Comes ready for further research and display!