e produced these two variations of the bottom tightening nuts several years ago, with the idea that we would eventually make the entire canteen cork unit. Tightening nuts of brass have been found on canteens coming from New York. By contrast, the notched steel one has been found on corrugated canteens from Philadelphia, and smooth side ones attributued to production (or acceptance) at the St. Louis Depot.

While corks were replaced during the use of a canteen, and perhaps even after the war, it is not to say that a particular canteen cork would be limited to a particular theatre, no matter where it may have started. Documentation clearly shows that Federal Canteens were shipped from the New York Depot to St. Louis to make up for a shortfall in inventory.

Surprisingly, the caps that are currently on the market are actually not of tin, or even steel, but of nickel silver. (this can easily be tested with a magnet to confirm). One of the makers of these corks, chose this material because it looked "silvery" without any chance of rusting.

Our caps are actually made of hot dipped tin, having had sheets of iron custom plated. They require several steps to manufacture, and are pictured in the pop up window. First they are blanked into squares, then the rough forming operation, which raises the cap. The next step is trimming, and the final operation is piercing of the hole for the finger pull.