TOPIC:

A short while ago I could not resist this Queen Victoria chocolate tin when it came up for auction. I have seen many tins but not many in as pristine condition as this one. Well, the lid at least becasue thats all that can be seen.

It has clearly been in its frame for a very long time - the backing paper is torn here and there but still retains the tin in place.

The question being - is it empty, or not! Do I leave it as it is for another 125 years, or. . . . take a peek inside!?

Owen

Hi Owen,

I don’t know what the right answer is but I have a number of chocolate tins with chocolate in various forms of decay.

What is rare and special is the condition of the tin; yours looks excellent.

There does not seem to be much corrosion on the lid and the small “copyright” writing is still visible.

Whatever you do preserve the tin itself as it’s a lovely example.

Many thanks for your thoughts - I hadn't appreciated the small (c) writing. I am acutely aware of the old saying "curiosity killed the cat".

Perhaps the appeal going forward will be the same - do I? / don't I? The frison of not knowing being more than the disappointment of finding "it was empty, ah well". As you say, the contents, even if they have survived, will be decayed. My thoughts are not just about the original Fry's Chocolate contents, but what the then owner might have sealed into the tin . . . as a sort of time capsule.

I would think the weight would indicate if it is filled with the original contents, and if it is something else, a gentle shake might indicate medals or coins etc etc.
Cheers, John

I, personally, would leave well alone. I think it is highly unlikely that there is any chocolate in the tin, and anyway the frame is part of its history and what has kept it in such fine condition. I think if the original owner had refrained from eating the contents, he would have wanted to be able to open the tin to show friends and family the chocolate the Queen had gifted him. Incarcerating it would be an odd thing to do. The same goes for any “time capsule”.

As John says, a non-invasive approach might be to give it a gentle shake. If there is anything remaining in the tin you should be able to feel/hear it move about.

Neville

I vote leave