Chewing gum tins fetch big prices (that’s why I only have a few in not-so-good condition). I have seen some gum tins sell for $400—$500. It’s one of those things that are of no value except where value has been thrust upon them by psychologically imbalanced tin collectors. 

The Colgan’s tins came with little baseball cards in them; if you are lucky enough to find one they can sell for over $300.00; the Cobb one above? the sky’s the limit (I don’t own any of these). There are two kinds of Colgan’s tins, pre-1906 and post-1906, the date is on the back as you can see.

Here are three other tins from around 1920-1930 that use the same catch-phrase as Altoids “Curiously Strong” peppermints. I guess Altoids won in the end by outlasting the other three companies.

This is a rare tin of Moxie Candy, it’s 1 1/2” x 2 1/2” x 1/2”. People collect Moxie Cola stuff and pay big for it.  The guy who invented Moxie Cola (Frank Archer) put a stuffed horse on a car chassis and drove it around, hence the picture on the tin. I guess that’s him on the front of the tin trying to make it look all medicinal and good for you.

This early  (1905?) rare tin does not even mention the name Altoids but looks familiar.

ALTOIDS (but not actually called that yet) were first manufactured around 1780 by a company with the dynamic name of “Smith”.  Callard & Bowser merged with them sometime in the 1800’s and began marketing the familiar “curiously strong peppermints” line. The photos on the right of the tins are  the inside of the lids (until about 1920).

A 200 count tin from England . Note the “please order as “Altoids” on the inside.

Two more from 1930 to 1945 (?). One was still full with advertising for the Smith brand Cough drops Cyphoids.

All of these are from England as Altoids were sold in bulk or in little cardboard boxes in North America until around 1935. It seems to quite difficult to find the older North American tins these days. 

All four Mulford counter display tins from around 1910. The mints tin is almost full of its original little tins, the others have a few and  aromatics, just the one.  If you have any just E-mail to find out the address to donate them to.