WWI Marking Outfit
Q: I recently bought this wooden case, which is 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 3 inches high. The letters on top say "Marking outfit for stamping metal." Inside there's a paper sticker that says "William Feversham, 1st Sarg't, Co. C, 74th Inf., U.S.A." The tools inside the case include a solid brass stamping block with a brass thumbscrew and four cutout areas marked "spoon-fork," "knife," "tag," and "meat can." There are also three metal patterns stamped with the same words. The other tools include a hammer, a miniature screwdriver, and small stamps that include the letters of the alphabet and 10 numerals. Can you tell me what this was used for and how I can research Feversham's military history?
A: You have a World War I marking kit. Before the war, the U.S. War Department issued an order making round aluminum tags the U.S. military's standard identification tags. The tags were individually made, not mass-produced. Marking kits were first issued by the War Department in 1907. Some were specifically made for marking identification tags, and some were made for marking eating utensils as well. You probably think the kit belonged to a soldier named William Feversham, but the name was just a sample provided to show how an identification tag should be stamped. Many kits like yours show up for sale online. Prices vary according to the type of kit and what it includes. Yours is not a rare type and would sell for under $100.
