Item:
ONSV24MYS016

In stock

Original U.S. WWII Unopened Case of Lucky Strike Cigarettes - 10 Sealed Packs of 20 Cigarettes - Pre-1942 Packaging

Regular price $1,795.00

Item Description

Original Item. Only One Available. This is a phenomenally rare sealed case of 10 packs of Lucky Strike cigarettes, still wrapped in plastic and never opened. There are tears in the covering but not enough to have opened the case, so it is still technically sealed. The brand was first introduced by R. A. Patterson of Richmond, Virginia, in 1871 as a cut plug and later a cigarette. In 1905, the company was acquired by the American Tobacco Company. The green packaging indicates Pre-1942 production. There should be ten unopened packs of 20 cigarettes, for 200 total. 

In 1917, the brand debuted the slogan "It's Toasted" to tout the manufacturing method of toasting, rather than sun drying, the tobacco, a process claimed to improve the flavor of the product. In an attempt to counter that popular campaign, competitor Camel went in the other direction, claiming that Camel was a "fresh" cigarette "never parched or toasted.

Beginning in the fall of 1944, Lucky Strike was also a sponsor of comedian Jack Benny's radio and TV show, The Jack Benny Program, which was also introduced as The Lucky Strike.

The brand's signature dark-green pack was changed to white in 1942. In a famous advertising campaign that used the slogan "Lucky Strike Green has gone to war", the company claimed the change was made because the copper used in the green color was needed for World War II. American Tobacco actually used chromium to produce the green ink, and copper to produce the gold-colored trim. A limited supply of each was available, and substitute materials made the package look drab.

The white package actually was introduced to modernize the label and to increase the appeal of the package among female smokers; market studies showed that the green package was not found attractive by women, who had become important consumers of tobacco products. The war effort became a convenient way to make the product more marketable while appearing patriotic at the same time.

This example is a green label, and it is assumed the ten packs inside are green, meaning it’s pre-1942 manufacture, perfect for a WWII case of Lucky Strike cigarettes. This is a great example, ready for further research and display with any WWII display.

Idiot Clause - the contents of this pack are pre-1945 manufacture and are NOT suitable for consumption. They are being sold as novelty collector pieces only. Even though some people on YouTube have tried.

  • This product is not available for international shipping.
  • Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon

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