WW2 Original Documented Sealed U.S. Navy Atlantic-Type Escape and Evasion Barter Kit
SKU: 927
Original/Reproduction: Certified Original (COA) & authenticated using X-rays
Availability: In-stock
Manufacturer:
Date Manufactured: 1940,s
Model: Atlantic Variation
Serial Number: 900
Markings: “IF FOUND RETURN TO / COMNAVAIRLANT (CNAL 34) / NORFOLK, VIRGINIA”, 900
Materials / Construction: Hard Rubber Case
Traditional Contents: Five Gold Coins & Three Gold Rings Approximate Gold Content: 0.90 Troy Ounce
Condition: Original Sealed/Unopened Configuration
Provenance: Documented Example
Over-All Condition: Mint
Price: $9975.00
Seller Type: WW2C
Seller ID: JMW
Seller Code: CS Consignment
Return Policy: 3-day inspection and return policy on used guns and accessories.
Description
This is an exceptionally rare, original U.S. Navy Atlantic-Type Escape and Evasion “Barter Kit,” serial number 900, remaining sealed and unopened and accompanied by documentation. Preserved in near mint condition, this is an outstanding example of one of the most unusual pieces of American military survival and escape equipment associated with the World War II era.
Escape & Evasion Barter Kits
Escape and Evasion kits were developed to provide American military aircrew and other personnel operating overseas with compact items of universally recognized value. In the event an aviator was forced down in hostile or isolated territory, the valuables contained within the kit could potentially be traded or bartered with local civilians for food, transportation, shelter, information, or assistance in reaching friendly territory.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum identifies these military Escape and Evasion Kits—commonly called “Barter Kits”—as equipment issued to pilots and paratroopers for precisely this purpose. The Smithsonian's Atlantic-region example is likewise an unopened black rubber container containing five gold coins and three gold rings.
Atlantic-Type Gold Contents
The Atlantic variation was typically issued as a compact sealed hard-rubber case measuring approximately 3¾" × 4½" × ¾". Period examples contain approximately 0.90 troy ounce of gold, normally represented by:
- One British or South African Gold Sovereign
- Two British and/or South African Gold Half Sovereigns
- One French 20-Franc Gold Coin
- One French 10-Franc Gold Coin
- Three Gold Wedding-Band-Style Rings
The three rings are generally described as two 20-karat rings and one 9-karat ring. These forms were deliberately practical: coins and simple gold rings could be exchanged without requiring the recipient to understand specialized American currency or military equipment.
Because the contents were valuable, the kits were treated as controlled equipment and individually serial numbered. Comparable documented examples show that kits were accounted for by serial number and were intended to be returned with their contents accounted for when not expended operationally.
Serial Number 900
This example is identified as Serial No. 900, an important individual identifier for the kit. Comparable surviving Atlantic kits have their serial numbers marked externally, with an additional numbered metal identification plate enclosed within the sealed case. X-ray examination of documented examples has revealed the internal plate together with the characteristic arrangement of the coins and rings.
The hard-rubber Atlantic case is characteristically marked:
“IF FOUND RETURN TO
COMNAVAIRLANT (CNAL 34)
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA”
One noteworthy point for collectors is that auction research has identified the COMNAVAIRLANT terminology as postwar usage dating to the 1950s, even though the escape-and-evasion barter-kit concept and associated equipment originated in the World War II era. This distinction is important when accurately cataloging surviving examples.
Documented & Still Sealed
What makes Serial No. 900 particularly desirable is that the kit remains sealed. Many surviving Atlantic kits were eventually opened for their gold contents. Once opened, the original sealed configuration cannot simply be restored, making untouched examples considerably more desirable to advanced collectors.
Surviving examples have documented government provenance as well. Comparable kits were released from U.S. government inventory through Defense Logistics Agency property-disposal sales around 1980. The Smithsonian's Atlantic-region kit was itself transferred from the United States Defense Logistics Agency, providing institutional confirmation of these kits and their government provenance.
Condition
This example is in near mint condition, with the most important feature being its original sealed and unopened state. The case remains exceptionally well preserved, and Serial No. 900 provides a distinct identifier connecting the physical kit with its accompanying documentation.
For the advanced collector of U.S. Navy aviation, military survival equipment, Escape & Evasion material, WWII aviation artifacts, or specialized intelligence and aircrew equipment, an original documented and still-sealed Atlantic-Type Barter Kit represents an exceptionally difficult artifact to acquire.
A rare, documented and remarkably preserved U.S. Navy Escape and Evasion artifact, Serial No. 900 offers an unusual tangible connection to the specialized equipment developed to give American airmen a final means of obtaining assistance when isolated far behind enemy lines.
