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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Shangas, post: 10096461, member: 360&quot;]It was really common (especially in older times) to mark products with the name of the reigning monarch of the time. For example, public mailboxes in the UK are still made with the Royal Cypher on it. So, V.R., E.R.VII, G.R., etc, etc. </p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;W.R.&quot; would definitely be William Rex (King William/William IV). </p><p><br /></p><p>Anybody well-up in their English history will know William IV reigned from 1830 - 1837, so that would date this box to the second quarter of the 19th century, and NOT Edwardian (1901-1914). So this box is damn near 200 years old. </p><p><br /></p><p>Apart from that - it&#039;s a military box (or could be). </p><p><br /></p><p>The flat top, the brass edging, and the flush &quot;campaign&quot; handles on the sides means that it was made to be carried around, packed, unpacked, transported and used out in the field on military or explorative campaigns (hence &quot;campaign&quot; handles). </p><p><br /></p><p>The whole idea behind campaign handles was that, by closing them flush into the box sides/lid, the box was easier to stack and store with all the other luggage and trunks and cases. Stuff like this was used by army or navy officers while out traveling or on campaign somewhere, or during wartime. </p><p><br /></p><p>Alternatively, the box could&#039;ve been used by one of those intrepid, Victorian explorer chappies, with their khaki pith-helmets, safari jackets and shotguns, and who needed a compact, easily packed-up box that didn&#039;t take up too mush space inside his wagon during his trip to Africa or whatever.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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