c. 1893, Original duPont de Nemours & Co. Tin

GunsGunpowder Cans Produced by E.I. duPont de Nemours

c. 1893, Original E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co. Tin of “SMOKELESS POWDER for Shot Guns,” Wilmington, DE, Choice Very Fine+.
Empty round tin can measures 4” x 3.25”, with original green paint still present. Both of the original printed labels are intact with only a bit of mild foxing. The top label explains that the powder was manufactured by “E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co.” in Wilmington, Delaware, “PATENTED Aug. 22nd 93”, while on the bottom are instructions for loading the powder. A few small spots where the paint has rubbed off, but the finish retains a very nice luster.

Smokeless powder was one of the great military breakthroughs of the late 19th century. No longer was a soldiers’ field of vision obscured after firing a round; no time was wasted trying to find the target at which he had been aiming. The use of smokeless powder by American forces was one of the deciding factors in the Spanish-American War.