Interesting collectible - WWII American Escape Kit with 5 Gold Coins + 3 Rings

The item below is pending auction on Proxibid today. Have never heard of such escape kits issued by the US Govt, but in hindsight, makes sense. Very elaborate, imho. Total of about 0.9 troy oz of gold, sealed in a kit, for a downed pilot, as an example, to use as barter if needed during escape and evasion from the enemy.

Current owner, who purchased the kit in 1980 at a Defense Logistics Agency sale, had to have X-rays taken to verify the contents (to the best he could, I guess, considering how specially sealed the kit is).

https://www.proxibid.com/WW2-AMERIC...ERIFIED-CONTENTS-RARE/lotInformation/76275595

 

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This may be the dumbest question of life, but how would they get it open if pilot is down in bad territory without acetone? Or I could be I interpreting it incorrectly. Very interesting history.

 

Ravello,
If it's not too much trouble please share what his item sells for.
Regards,
J.T.

 

Will try. Some auctioneers don't reveal the final sale price, but hopefully, this one (Ace) does. I'm going to bid on the 1866 half dime (AU details) that is also being offered, so I'll definitely be monitoring the auction.

 

More interesting info about the escape and evasion kits.

 

I remember this from a pawn star episode a little while back,pretty cool neat invention.

 

Thank you! Very interesting.

 

My wife also saw it on Pawn Stars. We've been trying to determine which season/episode, but no luck. Meanwhile, I've become sidetracked watching other episodes of Pawn Stars on YouTube as a result of the search, lol.

 

Here's a clip in reference to dwiz's post. The movie was Dr. Strangelove. It was a cold war satire about (picture Slim Pickens saying this) "new-cleeea combat toe to toe with the rooskis"

 

Back in the day, Gold was held at $35 an oz. Of course, back then, $35 was worth a lot in trade.

 

They likely sealed them so they could not be pilfered. Once the pilot was down it would not matter how he got it open. He could smash it open with a rock. Besides, whoever he offered it to would probably be happy to take it and turn him in anyway.

 

The successful final bid was $2500. That does not include the 15% buyers premium nor the 8.375% sales tax (combined 23.375% extra), nor the shipping cost (unspecified), so the buyer is paying about $3100 for the kit.

 

The Southeast Asia kit (vs the Atlantic kit sold at the auction) sounds like it was a better deal (about 1.08 troy oz of gold in form of a bracelet link and 2 rings) and a Swiss calendar watch (no coins). I guess it boiled down to: Europeans preferring coins, rings, but not a Swiss watch which they could readily get; Asians saying to Hell with gold coins, just give me gold in less refined bartering form, and I want that Swiss watch.

 

I love that movie. He was a real patriot