✅ SOLVED PROP. OF U.S. GOVT. What is it?

[BareBones]

Hello fellow treasure hunters. I don't know if I'm just getting older or what, but this is the first time I can remember ever being stumped as to what something is.

I got this in a box of items from an auction and frankly I'm have no idea what it is. I can only guess, any ideas?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[DCMatt]

What size is it and what does it look like from the top?

DCMatt

 

[BareBones]

It's 6 1/2" long. I have been trying to upload the other pics I took from different angles, but those two were the only ones that would upload. I keep getting a failure message for the other pics when I try and upload them.

 

[Joturkey]

If they wont upload you may have to crop them down.........too large perhaps.

 

[BareBones]

Ok, here are two more pics.

 

[Dihren]

Is the brown in it just a powder? Can it be wiped off?

 

[BareBones]

It's just some surface rust.

 

[packerbacker]

butt kit

 

[DCMatt]

I think packerbacker is correct. I found an old ebay listing for one. It says WWII clip-on ashtray. It had been well used.



DCMatt

 

[BareBones]

That's what it is, an ashtray.

I thought possibly a mosquito coil holder, not too far off.

They were actually from the US Post Office, which fits since there were some postal related items in the box as well.

Thanks guys. I never would have guessed an ashtray would be marked property of US government?


[TABLE="width: 920"]
[TR]
[TD]Vintage metal clip-on ashtray stamped PROP. U.S. GOVT. on the handle, 6 5/8" long. I think that these were used by the United States Post Office. The clip works well. The bowl of the ashtray has residue from cigarettes being put out and a little rusting.



[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[NOLA_Ken]

OK I have to know.... How were these things used?

 

[BareBones]

Well to me it was fairly obvious that this thing clipped onto a table, but what it's intended purpose beyond that was unclear to me. The u shaped post in the center of the cup holds the cigarette and the cup collects the ashes. very straight forward when you know what it's use is, but I'm still having trouble getting past the notion that the U.S. Government felt not only compelled to provide ashtrays for Postal Workers, but also to go as far and mark them "PROP. OF U.S. GOVT."

My guess they were used in the mail sorting rooms from another reference I found on the WEB, but I'm not a smoker.

Either way it's an interesting piece of antiquated postal equipment that I have no idea of the value either.