At the bottom of the veterans box, an original 1872 model "meat can" mess kit...U.S. army experimental, done in by end of 1873....super super rare...first attempt to get the raw meat out of the oil cloth and into a can, that could be (notice the handle doesn't attach to bottom) hung from the haversack. I'm guessing that since the vet served at concord naval weapons station (his 37 mm engraved round read "concord air base") in Northern California....it could have been laying around the supply room as a left over from the 1872-1873 Modoc (Indian) war in northeastern California/ southern Oregon.

hi mike
i just want you to know this i have had many unusual civil war/indian war items but never anything like this indian war meat can . great looking oddity thats for sure if i never seen one in fifty years what does this tell us rare rare. god bless you just made or day thanks for showing us guys have a very nice day andy militarynut

Never saw anything like that! Neat piece!

COOL!