1946 Shell 2 Gallon Petrol Jerry Can With Original Lead-Zinc Alloy Cap for Sale

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1946 Shell 2 Gallon Petrol Jerry Can With Original Lead-Zinc Alloy Cap For Sale

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1946 Shell 2 Gallon Petrol Jerry Can With Original Lead-Zinc Alloy Cap:
$281.07

80 Years Old Still In Very Good Condition
Original 1946 Shell-Mex Jerry Can With Original Cast Lead-Zinc Alloy Filler Cap
LOT DESCRIPTION, PLEASE READ
Manufactured by the Valor Company of Birmingham in April 1946 and capturing a vital era in British motoring and corporate history.
The Shell-Mex & B.P. Ltd Joint Venture
The stamping "SHELL- MEX & B.P. LTD" represents a major joint marketing venture formed in 1932 between Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum (BP) to consolidate their UK marketing operations during the Great Depression. The companies shared this corporate infrastructure - including the prominent "LONDON W.C.2." headquarters address embossed on the top - until they de-merged in 1976.
Post-WWII Production & The "Valor 4 46" Date Stamp
The faint stamping on the base reads "VALOR 4 46" structurally dates the can manufacturing to January 1946 (the "4" indicating the month of January and "46" indicating the year).
Pre-Decimal "3/-" Pricing
The top of the can features a deeply embossed Shell emblem containing the pre-decimal price "3/-" (3 shillings). This fixed-price branding dates back to early fuel regulations when fuel was purchased as a complete unit (can included) and frequently strapped directly to the running boards of vintage touring cars.
1946 Cast Lead-Zinc Alloy Filler Cap
The heavy, original threaded embossed filler cap was frequently lost, stolen or replaced with a generic cap over the decades.
In early 1946 copper and zinc (the components of brass) were strictly rationed in the UK under the post-war Emergency Powers Act.
High-quality brass was reserved almost exclusively for precision engineering exports to help rebuild Great Britain's bankrupt economy. Industrial manufacturers like Valor were forced to pivot to alternative, secondary cast alloys using domestic scrap lead and zinc for non-essential civilian goods like petrol can caps. The weight of the cap comes from its dense lead base. Lead was deliberately favored for fuel applications because it is a non-ferrous, non-sparking metal. If a motorist accidentally dropped the heavy cap onto the steel body of the highly inflammable petrol tin, it would not generate a mechanical spark that could ignite volatile fuel vapors.
By the mid 1950's branded 2 gallon cans like Shell andShell-Mexhad been phased out of production in the UK making early peacetime civilian variants highly unusual.CONDITION
Please see the many large photographs provided which are of the actual can you are buying to reassure yourself of condition.
The can remains in very good condition with various visible signs of surface wear and tear, possible filler neck repair, surface corrosion / patina and discoloration with some light bumps and scuffs including paint residue from its legacy of salvage and storage over the previous 80 years hence SOLD AS SEEN WITHOUT PROVENANCE but nevertheless an extremely rare early postWWII artifact from forShell Mex Ltd..
WARNING! MAY STILL CONTAIN TRACES OF PETROCHEMICAL RESIDUE!
Height: Approximately 28 cmWidth: Approximately 25 cmDepth: Approximately 15 cm
Handle: Approximately 4cm tall with approximately 13cm long grip
Weight before shipping: Approximately 1.5 kilos.
PAYMENT, SHIPPING & INSURANCE
BUY IT NOW payment at checkout.
Securely consigned fully insured with Buyer Protection PACKAGED AND PROTECTED in a reinforced mailer then shipped using tracked international service.
Any applicable import duty or VAT in your country is the buyers responsibility.
Please note that UK sellers do not control shipping costs, this is set, managed and administered by .
QUESTIONS
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