REA Old Mill unopened pack

[rdwyer]

Go to a courthouse and have them X-Ray it. Ask them if there's a weapon inside.

[NYHighlanderFan]

Here are a few pictures of the carton with the remaining four little indians which I am keeping for my collection. The fifth pack is the example which this thread is discussing. And I let the other five go over the last 8-10 months to long-time acquaintances/friends in our hobby, who I must say have given them very comfortable homes within their collections.

The carton is interesting. As you can see, it once held 50 packs of 10, totaling 500. I am not sure this is something an individual smoker would purchase all for themselves. I mentioned in an earlier comment on this thread how the collection had the feel of a NOS remains of an old general store. This 500 count carton looks more like a retail counter box than a personal carton. I wish the lid to the box was still present. But only the bottom portion remained. I am thinking the lid was the same illustration as each pack, showing the mill and creek. The colors are gorgeous. And I found the perfect acrylic case to fit the box!

On a side note, there may be an important clue on these packs regarding their timeline which was not mentioned in the auction catalog. The Liggett & Myers name is not referenced anywhere on the carton or individual packs. I believe L&M acquired the Old Mill brand from the deregulation of the ATC around late 1911 or early 1912, at the same time as the Piedmont brand. Their conditions are absolutely superb. That combined with the Factory 25 Virginia designation makes all this very cool.

[NYHighlanderFan]

It would only allow me to post one photo at a time. So here is another angle.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by NYHighlanderFan

It would only allow me to post one photo at a time. So here is another angle.

Those are beautiful. The ones without the wrapper, is there something else sealing them from being opened? I ask because I have never seen one.

There is a reason I only have one unopened item. I would have to open one of those just to see if there was anything inside.

[NYHighlanderFan]

Yes, the colors are crisp and explode. The naked ones do not budge when gently pushing to slide. They are pretty stiff from the inside. But I have not been pushing with much force either. X-rays don't work. Professionally, I am an orthopaedic fitter who immobilizes injuries like fractures & sprains. We already tried it.

[The Nasty Nati]

Originally Posted by NYHighlanderFan

Yes, the colors are crisp and explode. The naked ones do not budge when gently pushing to slide. They are pretty stiff from the inside. But I have not been pushing with much force either. X-rays don't work. Professionally, I am an orthopaedic fitter who immobilizes injuries like fractures & sprains. We already tried it.

There's got to be some sort of machine that can look inside. Maybe reach out to the History or Discovery Channel, they would be a cool investigative episode.

My girlfriend is a Radiologist, I can ask her tonight if she knows of any scanning equipment that can pick up whether or not a card is inside.

[hshrimps]

Thx for posting additional pics. Since there aren't any seals on the top/bottom, it is hard to guarantee it is "unopened".