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Vintage Portal Main >> Articles >> Militaria
U.S. Military Metal Stamping Kit
The United States has faced many wars among many different countries all
around the world. In order to properly prepare American soldiers for war,
many items needed to be packed and taken with the soldiers out to the
battlefields. One of the pieces that were needed to accommodate the soldiers
were metal stamping kits.
Military issued metal stamping kits came in handy for the American soldiers.
Some of the military metal stamping kits that are now available for sale
come from the World War I period. The metal stamping kits were most often
used to stamp dog tags. The dog tags had the soldiers name on the tag,
there is also the date of birth, as well as the soldier's religion. The
soldiers wore the dog tags around their necks so their bodies could be
identified if they died during battle. Each letter of the alphabet, as well
as numbers, were in each kit. Each letter and number had its own individual
stamp. The stamp, created of solid metal would then be hammered into the dog
tag or any other form of identification. The metal stamping kit was also
used for other things for the soldiers, such as tags for ones belongings,
etc.
The US metal stamping kits came in wooden boxes. The wooden boxes often had
hinged lids, and could be locked shut with two separate snap locks. This
was to make sure that the individual stamps did not fall out of the wooden
carrying case. The technical term for each stamping piece is called a "die".
The wooden box had individual holes to keep the dies separate and from
banging against one another, which could result in damage to the die over an
extended period of time. It also made for a safer transport when military
companies were moving from one location to another.
US metal stamping kits are now seen as a valuable piece of American military
history. Due to the limited amount of metal stamp kits, as well as pieces
that may be missing from the kits, the prices of the kits can vary greatly.
Some kits may be sold for just over $100.00, while other kits may be sold
for hundreds of dollars, again, depending on their condition. Militaria
collectors appreciate these pieces of military history, and would not find
their collection complete without a military metal stamping kit.
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