Rectangular embossed brass box with hinged lid, designed and distributed as part of the Princess Mary Christmas Gift Fund during the First World War. The lid features a relief profile of Princess Mary within a wreath, with decorative borders and national symbols of Allied nations.
These tins were presented to members of the British, Colonial, and Imperial forces serving overseas at Christmas 1914. Each originally contained a selection of small gifts, such as tobacco, cigarettes, a lighter, chocolate, and a greeting card — the contents varying by the recipient’s service or preferences (non-smokers, nurses, etc.). The initiative was funded by public donations and served as a gesture of goodwill and morale during wartime.