Russian WW1 Leather Flask or Cigar Container
Anyone know any more information on this piece? I picked it up in an estate sale. It appears to be an old flask or cigar container from Siberia. It say made by a German prisoner of war 1918-19 on it. Also has AEF inside a triangle and an S under it. I wonder if it has any value to it. Anyone know?
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JUST a Question But if made by a German while a POW in Russia. Why would all the writing be in ENGLISH[?] 0 -
"AEF" stood for the American Expeditionary Force. Some American troops were sent into Russia during the confusion/chaos of the revolution. One may have come in contact with a German POW and paid/traded for it. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
JUST a Question But if made by a German while a POW in Russia. Why would all the writing be in ENGLISH[?]
Don't mix logic into this. Also, why would there be any German prisoners of war in Vladivostok? That city is thousands of miles away from the farthest reaches of the Eastern Front in WWI and the Russians did not ship prisoners that far. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended hostilities between Germany and the new Soviet Union, was signed in March 1918, about six months before the USA sent in troops and started meddling in Siberia. I'll also add that the thing looks pretty darned good for being nearly 100 years old0 -
It seems Woodrow Wilson sent the AEF to Vladivostok Siberia to protect
American supplies from the Bolsheviks. And help evacuate a Czech army
from that region of Russia also. This was after WWI ended and US involvement in Siberia ended in 1920.
So it seems it came back with American Expeditionary Force. The front says "Souvenir of Siberia" so the Russians had tourist traps?
These mysteries end up dying when the owner departs this world.
Value would be to a collector in military personal effects during WWI0 -
So if originated in Russia why is it in Latin Script rather than Cyrillic? 0 -
Were it for cigars I think it would have "fingers" inside - individual compartments to hold the cigars. I have quite a few and they all have this feature even though it may not be evident from the outside. 0 -
Unless I see it in my hands and can tell other-wise, you got a "new" tourist "artifact".
The stamping of "made by......" is a give-away that it is a fake. JMHO0 -
That is the way it seems however I did buy it from a WWII vet who claims it was his father's who served in WWI. He said his father was in Siberia during this time. Don't know if it's true but it seemed convincing. 0
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