Zippo style metal cigarette lighter with attached rank badge and coin

c. 1939
Overview

Zippo style metal cigarette lighter, featuring a raised gold-colored metal crown on the lid and an inset copper-toned coin on the body.
The Crown is a King's Crown military rank badge. The coin features a person riding a camel.with some foreign numbers or letters on the lower edge.
The item shows significant patina and rust, indicating its age and material composition. This is most noticeable on the lid.
There are regular gradations marked into the sides and edges of the metal casing

Historical information

The metal case with rounded corners and edges is typical of Zippo lighters manufactured after 1935. The brass Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) rank badge dates to between 1930-1942.
Although Zippo lighters were generally made from solid brass, during World War Two cases were temporarily made of steel due to wartime brass shortages.
Lighters such as this one are commonly referred to as trench art, due to the addition of the military souvenirs - badges, buttons and coins - and their use during wartime by servicemen and women.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-119-RoW00838
Item type
Collectibles
Domestic Objects
Ephemera
Souvenirs
Material
Brass
Copper alloy
Metal
Steel
Width
37 mm
Height or length
57 mm
Depth
15 mm
Keywords
Cigarette Lighter
Trench Art
World War Two
Coin
Badges & Buttons
Souvenirs
History - Social
Year
Primary significance criteria
Artistic or aesthetic significance
Social or spiritual significance
Comparative significance criteria
Interpretive capacity
Last modified
Thursday, 16 April, 2026
Completeness
94
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Recollections of War

Metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin
Metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin
Angled view of metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin
Angled view of metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin
Metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin - lid removed
Metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin - lid removed
Metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin - lid removed reverse
Metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin - lid removed reverse
Right side view of metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin
Right side view of metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin
Left side view of metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin
Left side view of metal lighter with attached rank badge and coin

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