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FASCINATING SEALED GOLD WWII ESCAPE & EVASION KIT

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:4,500.00 USD Estimated At:9,000.00 - 11,000.00 USD
FASCINATING SEALED GOLD WWII ESCAPE & EVASION KIT

WITH XRAY. S#1811. This exciting find dates back to WWII as a life saving solution designed by the U.S. Navy to assist pilots downed over enemy territory in reuniting with friendly forces. There were two primary Escape and Evasion kits, often referred to as "Barter Kits" developed, one for the European Theater and the other for the Pacific. Each kit contained around 1 oz. of gold in items that could be bartered for their return to safety. The European kit offered here was encased in a sealed rubber block measuring 4.5"x3.5"x.75". These kits contained approximately .90 oz. of gold and typically consisted of gold coins and rings. The rubber case is embossed "IF FOUND RETURN TO COMNAVAIRLANT (ONAL 34) NORFOLK, VIRGINIA" on both sides with the S# 1811 in electric pencil. The rubber is extremely dense yet remains pliable. Coin denominations were typically half and 1 pound gold sovereigns with 20 and 10 franc gold coins. The kit designed for the Pacific Theater typically contained gold rings, a gold embossed pendant, a short gold chain and a multi-jeweled Swiss calendar watch. This kit unlike the European contained approximately 1.08 oz. of gold and was housed in a plastic container that was much easier to open. After the war these kits were put in storage where they sat undisturbed until 1979 when the price of gold started making notable gains in value. The price of gold had risen from approximately from $25. per oz. at the time of their design to as high as $900 per oz. during this period. When the Defense Property Disposal Service offered these kits to be available by public auction they immediately caught the attention of the numismatic collectors. Four auctions were held in 1979 and 1980 by sealed bid with minimum bids tied directly to current price of gold. At the time of the first auction in 1979 gold was at $256.50 per oz., climbing to $900 before settling back to $508 by the 3rd auction in 1980. The kit available in this event, housed in rubber presented enough of a challenge to open that the Defense Dept. provided detailed instructions to gain access utilizing 2 suggested methods. The first method uses acetone while the second suggested liquid nitrogen. Literature outlining both methods are included in this sale. Perhaps the most exciting part of this extremely collectible WWII artifact is the fact it is still sealed and unopened so we went the extra mile and had it X-rayed to show exactly what it's contents are. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: historical literature and new X-ray. (02-16291/JZ). $9,000-11,000.