How much is this 1914 Christmas tin gift from the Royal Family worth? DAN HATFIELD replies

My grandfather passed away 30 years ago at the grand old age of 99. 

When he passed we took many of his boxes of items from his home and moved them from his attic to ours. 

We didn’t really go though said boxes however now is the time for us to downsize and whilst my husband and I were clearing out the attic we came across this wonderful box. 

It appears to be a gift from the Royal family to my grandfather. Can you tell us more about it? Is it worth much? Shiela, Rotherham.

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET YOUR MODERN TREASURE VALUED BY DAN.

History tin: We unearthed this 1914 gift from my grandfather’s belongings

Dan Hatfield, This is Money’s expert valuer, says: Every week, my inbox fills with photos of items unearthed from lofts, garages and those dusty corners of our homes we’re guilty of ignoring. 

I’ve become the one stop shop for the downsizer, the de-clutterer and the ‘just before I throw it away can you tell me what it’s worth-errer’. 

I get thousands of requests like this. Most of the time it’s what you’d expect: forgotten knick-knacks, inherited odds and ends and keepsakes that once meant the world to someone but have long since been shoved in a brown cardboard box, left to gather dust or worse, end up at the tip.

And yet, hidden among that clutter, there are often treasures. Sometimes they’re worth money, sometimes they carry history, and every so often they’re a bit of both. 

Imagine how many of those objects have been lost forever because someone didn’t look closely enough before they chucked it out.

That’s exactly why I love my job. I get to rescue the things that matter, peel back the layers of time and give forgotten objects their voice back.

So, when your email landed in my inbox asking me to uncover the story behind something that had been tucked away, untouched, for generations, it put a big smile on my face and a spring in my step.

And what a wonderful piece of history you happened to stumble across. 

Not just any old tin, but something that’s lived through a world war, travelled across continents and carried with it a message from royalty to your grandfather on the front line. 

Imagine the action it saw, the danger it dodged to end up back in old Blighty. It’s a fascinating capsule of social history.

Just weeks after the outbreak of the Great War, 17-year old Princess Mary, the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, was so moved by the bravery and sacrifice of those serving that she proposed a simple but powerful idea: to give every man and woman wearing the King’s uniform a Christmas present from the nation, a reminder that their country hadn’t forgotten them.

The mood at home was resolute. The public threw themselves behind the idea and the Princess Mary Christmas Gift Fund was born on 14 October 1914. 

This wasn’t funded by the Crown. Ordinary people, schoolchildren, factory workers, shopkeepers, aristocrats, all dug deep despite their own wartime hardships. 

By Christmas, some £162,000, around £18million today, had been raised. A huge national effort at a time when everyone was already sacrificing so much.

The collective effort of a grateful nation paid off and 2.6million tins were produced.

Full set: Tins with all of the items still attached some 111 years on are hard to find

What makes the tin so special

The official gift took the form of a small rectangular gilt brass tin. It’s beautifully made, just a few inches across, compact enough to slip into a tunic pocket. 

On the lid sits a raised portrait of Princess Mary framed by laurel wreaths, flags and the royal monogram M on either side, with the words Christmas 1914 embossed along the edges. 

It has a solid, weighty feel, a keepsake built to last, not a throwaway gesture to be used during Christmas week and then tossed aside.

The contents varied depending on who received it, but the standard set for British and Imperial troops included: a pack of 20 cigarettes in distinctive gold or yellow paper, a packet of loose pipe tobacco, a bullet-shaped brass lighter made from a spent cartridge, a Christmas card with festive greetings and a photograph of Princess Mary.

For non-smokers there was a writing set and sometimes chocolate. Naval personnel, Gurkhas and nurses had their own variations.

Inside every tin was a message card:

‘With our best wishes for Christmas 1914. May God protect you and bring you home safe. Mary R. George R.I.’

This was a was a direct message from the King and Queen to every soldier. At this time loyalty to the Royal Family was unwavering. This would have meant so much to those receiving it.

Best wishes: The tin contains a note from the Royal Family

Treasures born of war 

These little tins are hugely sought after by collectors and it’s not hard to see why. They represent the best of humanity in the worst of times. 

A nation united, giving what little it had to bring comfort and joy to those on the front line.

Despite millions being made, many never made it home. Countless tins were left behind in the mud and chaos of the trenches, lost or destroyed during the fighting. 

We must also remember that they were actually used during the war. 

Soldiers carried them in their tunic pockets, lit their cigarettes from the bullet lighters and held onto the royal cards as tiny reminders of home. 

Those tins that did survive were often repurposed for tobacco, sewing kits or personal mementos. 

Over time, their contents disappeared, cigarettes smoked, lighters lost, cards misplaced.

That’s why complete examples, exactly as they were handed out on Christmas Day 1914, are far rarer than the production numbers suggest, and why collectors prize them so highly.

How often they appear and why yours stands out

Yes, these tins do appear on the market. Empty tins crop up regularly at fairs and auctions. 

Partially complete examples are far less common. But complete sets, with the original tobacco, cigarettes, card and lighter all present in good condition, are genuinely rare. 

Only a handful surface each year through reputable militaria auction houses.

Which is why your find is so exciting. Yours is complete and the condition is remarkable for something that’s not only survived one of the most brutal wars in history but also more than a century of storage. 

This isn’t just a keepsake. It’s a piece of living history. 

This obviously meant a lot to your grandfather. To have kept it safe, unused and brought it home is touching, humbling and beautiful.

So what’s it worth

Empty tins on their own typically fetch around £20 to £100, depending on condition. Partially complete examples can bring in £150 to £300.

But a complete set like yours, in such lovely condition, can comfortably achieve £400 to £600 in the right sale. 

Yes, you might spot cheaper examples online, but they’re usually missing items or show heavy wear. 

Yours is a proper collector’s piece, a wonderful time capsule that has the ability to transport someone back to Christmas Day 1914. Collectors will feel that and pay a premium.

There’s something profoundly moving about holding one of these tins today. It’s not a Fabergé egg or a Cartier brooch. 

It’s a humble object, small enough to fit in your hand but it serves as a reminder of millions of lives sacrificed. 

It’s seen conflict that was unimaginable and brutal. Christmas isn’t always a happy time. It isn’t always spent around the fire opening presents. 

This is a stark reminder that men in 1914 sacrificed their family Christmases, and in many cases their lives, so we could enjoy our freedom.

This little tin represents the story of a young soldier, your grandfather, who carried a piece of royal and national goodwill into the chaos of war. 

It’s the story of a country that came together in its darkest hour. And it’s a story your family can now pass down through the generations should you wish to keep it.

If you decide to sell I’d recommend going through a reputable militaria auction house or specialist valuer. 

Proper presentation and provenance can make a real difference to the hammer price.

If you choose to keep it, give it the place it deserves, pride of place in your home. 

Let it rest where its story can be told, where curious eyes can fall upon it and ask the question that brings the past gently back to life. 

We should never forger those brave men and woman and the sacrifices they made for us all. 

This wonderful piece of history will help to remind future generations that we owe them all so much.

Send in your Modern Treasures

Dan Hatfield: Our columnist is ready to value your Modern Treasure

Dan Hatfield is This Morning’s money-making expert and resident pawnbroker. He is an international specialist in antiques, jewellery, diamonds and collectibles. 

Dan’s first non-fiction book, Money Maker: Unlock Your Money Making Potential is available now.

This is Money’s Modern Treasures column is after your items and collections for valuations. 

Please send in as much information as possible, including photographs, to: editor@thisismoney.co.uk with the email subject line: Modern Treasures

We’re after post-War items only please and we may contact you for further information.

Dan will do his best to reply to your message in his bi-weekly column, but he won’t be able to answer everyone or correspond privately with readers. 

Nothing in his replies constitutes regulated financial advice. Published questions are sometimes edited for brevity or other reasons.

As with anything, if you are looking to sell items and collections, it is wise to get a second and third opinion – not just rely on Dan’s suggestions.