Welcome to right this moment’s Photo of the Day! This small rubber case represents one of many cooler items of navy survival gear – a U.S. Navy “barter equipment” full of gold cash and rings meant to assist downed pilots escape from hostile territory. What makes this one particular is that it’s nonetheless sealed with all its worthwhile contents inside. These kits have been critical enterprise. Every contained about .9 troy ounces of gold (value over $2,000 at right this moment’s costs) and needed to be signed out and in like a weapon. If a pilot used it throughout an escape, they needed to account for each piece upon return. This explicit equipment is marked “IF FOUND RETURN TO/COMNAVAIRLANT (CNAL 34)/NORFOLK, VIRGINIA” and bears serial quantity “918.” It’s the Atlantic variation, which usually contained a mixture of British Sovereigns, half Sovereigns, and French Francs, plus three gold rings. The x-ray confirms all that stuff continues to be in there. The COMNAVAIRLANT (Commander, Air Drive Atlantic) designation dates this to the Nineteen Fifties or later, although comparable kits have been used throughout WWII. In contrast to fashionable survival gear which focuses on instruments and provides, these kits acknowledged the common persuasive energy of gold – whether or not bribing guards, paying for transportation, or shopping for silence from potential informants. This equipment survived till 1980 when the Protection Logistics Company auctioned it off in Columbus, Ohio. The included documentation traces its journey from authorities property to collector’s merchandise. Given what number of of those kits have been opened and their contents scattered, discovering an intact instance like that is unusually uncommon.
“Unopened U.S. Navy Atlantic Escape and Evasion ‘Barter Equipment.’” Rock Island Public sale Firm, https://www.rockislandauction.com/element/4094/344/unopened-us-navy-atlantic-escape-and-evasion-barter-kit. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
Author | TheFirearmBlog
Author | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Previous soul, licensed gunsmith, revealed writer, avid firearm historical past learner, and appreciator of outdated and distinctive weapons.
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