Rare 1915 Dunhill Sterling Silver Pipe Tobacco Cartridge Case - WWI - J H Hillcox

A exceptionally rare and great quality sterling silver and gilt self filing pipe tobacco cartridge case hallmarked Birmingham 1915 by renowned maker James Henry Hillcox. Stamped internally with retailers mark ALFRED DUNHILL DUKE ST SW and REGISTERED DESIGN No RD558482. This highly collectable WORLD WAR ONE period case opens to reveal a gilt interior divided into 4 sections (8 in total). In 1910 Alfred Dunhill patented a breakthrough packaging system called the “Self-Filling Tobacco Cartridges”. These were pre-measured, paper wrapped cylinders of compressed pipe tobacco (resembling miniature shotgun shells) that a smoker could push directly into a pipe bowl without needing to manually rub or pack the leaf. Because loose tobacco was difficult to manage in trenches and on active military campaigns, Dunhill heavily marketed these cartridges to officers during the Great War. These pocket cases were custom made to dispense the cartridges while on the move. A absolutely stunning and historically significant piece.