RARE PRINCESS MARY'S CHISTMAS FUND ASPREY TINDER LIGHTER

Very excited to present for sale an Asprey Tinder Lighter, a wonderful and fabulously rare iterm from the items that formed part of the Princess Mary 1914 Christmas gift fund.  And is The MOST unobtainable item from that gift box. ( Asprey's are a high class jewler)

As matches were strictly forbiden to be used within the trenches, due to the possibility of being seen by the enemy.  So  the top flint  on the lighter body to produce small sparks that would be blown onto the. on to the fiberous wick/fuse line.  This would then smoulder allowing cigarettes and pipes to be used from a discreet place like a dugout.

The exciting thing is that almost none of these made it to the troops in France as it was discovered that it was impossible to obtain these special flints needed ( ironically they were produced in Austria and Germany !) So the result was that production was stopped. This is why the item is so rare.

This like the few of the others that have come on the market it does not have the flint, but it is in excellent condition. A full lenght wick and nice clear stamps

At the top plate that holds the flint fitting to the top of the tube, as  shown in the picture.  Where it is soldered to the main shaft the silver solder has not completely gone all around during its manufacture.  But is secure and will not come off, as  I have had a jeweler look at it and he said it was secure.  This fault is as it was made, and has not happened from use as the item has never been used.

If you require any more close up pictures then please ask