Revolutionary War Wood canteen, with connection to the 20th Continental Regiment (SOLD)

This is another nice early piece coming out of a 60-year collection of French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812 artifacts. Being offered is a Revolutionary War canteen made of maple wood with lathe turned deep rings on top and bottom. It has a slightly oval shape measuring 5 ¼” x 4 ¾” and is 3 ½” deep.

There are carvings on both sides of the canteen. One side has the soldier’s initials “A W”. The other side has “X X”, which stands for the 20^th Continental Regiment, a unit of the Connecticut Line in the 1776 establishment of the Continental Army. It was often referred to in records as Durkee's Regiment, after Colonel John Durkee, its commanding officer for most of its existence.

The regiment was posted in New Jersey during the early stages of the New York and New Jersey campaign. The regiment retreated with George Washington's army in late 1776, and then participated in the Battle of Trenton. Some of its men chose to overstay their enlistment and also saw action in the Battle of the Assunpink Creek and the Battle of Princeton in early 1777. This size canteen could have been carried in a haversack. There are similar examples in The Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution (see pictures).There are also examples in the Valley Forge Museum (see pictures).

The canteen remains in very nice condition, having its original untouched patina. This collection began in the late 1950s and was created by private acquisitions and closed museums. The collector meticulously displayed and cataloged every piece along with any available provenance.

This is the first time it has been on the open market, and it is truly a great piece of early American History. It definitely merits a place in an advanced collection or museum. As with all the pieces in this esteemed collection, a Certificate of Authenticity will be included. As with all items on the website, a very friendly layaway is available.