Rare ‘sealed’ World War II-era U.S. Navy Atlantic Escape and Evasion ‘Barter Kit’, 3.75″ x 4.5″ x .75″, issued to pilots and aircrew of the European and Pacific theaters for use in case of an emergency landing or bailout in an unfriendly or primitive area overseas. The airmen would have used the kit’s contents to barter with local civilians in exchange for aiding escape and evasion in difficult situations. Being of high value, the kits were designated as a controlled item and each had its own serial number, this example is identified with the etched number, “1945.” This particular sealed example is the Atlantic version and is accompanied by an X-ray photo of the kit that reveals the inner contents and matching serial number. The Atlantic kits contain approximately .90 troy ounces of gold, which consists of five coins and three rings as follows: French 20 Franc, French 10 Franc, British Sovereign, 2 British Half Sovereigns, and three wedding band rings (two at 20K and one at 9K). Both sides of the hard rubber case feature raised text: “If Found Return To / ComNavAirLant (CNAL 34) / Norfolk, Virginia." This kit and others were won at auction in February 1980 when the U.S. Department of Defense auctioned them after the emergence of sundry WWII leftovers. In fine condition, with some scratches and scuffs to the case. Includes a copy of the paperwork from the DOD Auction, which features information that lists variants of contents that these kits continued. This is an exceptionally rare kit that has value for both the gold and historical context in which it was used. Additionally, sealed examples are extremely rare as these ‘barter kits’ are not resealable.
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