A 125 -year -old chocolate bar which was part of a batch given to the soldiers by Queen Victoria must be sold at auction in June – and could seek up to £ 400.
Chocolate, which is in its original box and still has part of its aluminum packaging, was allegedly sent to British troops fighting in the Boers War in South Africa in 1900 to stimulate morale, said a auction house in Bristol.
The bar has “a bit of a puff”, according to Andy Stowe from Auctioneum.
Lucy McCourt, militaria expert from the auction house, said: “It would have been a rare treat in 1900 and the desire necessary not to eat it would have been substantial enough.”
The queen ordered manufacturers JS Fry & Sons, Cadbury Brothers Limited, and Rowntree and Company Limited to produce special boxes in 1899, said Auctioneum.
The boxes carry the words “I wish you a happy new year”.
At the end of 1900, more than 120,000 boxes were distributed to soldiers.
Mr. Stowe said BBC Radio Bristol: “There is a bit of a puff, but otherwise it looks ok.
“I wouldn't eat it but it looks good given its age.”
The tin would have been sent to soldiers who fight in the Boers war (Auctioneum)
Stowe said that if most of the chocolate bars were consumed immediately, some were sent home to expensive beings or hospitals for injured soldiers.
“It's incredibly rare,” said Stowe. “If you are thinking of more than 125 years of what this box has crossed – there have been several world wars, it has probably traveled a few times on the Atlantic.”
He said that the chocolate bar, which is evaluated between £ 250 and 400, called on bidders who “might want an important element in social history” or just a “point of discussion during a dinner”.
“He also calls on militaria collectors, so he actually has a very wide attraction,” he added.
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