VARIANT INDIAN WAR &
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR ERA CUPS – COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE
“SOUP CUP” – MARKED “MNG” FOR THE
MICHIGAN NATIONAL GUARD:
Considerably deeper than the Model 1874 Cup, these US
Army issue cups appeared at some point late in the Indian
War period and have been associated with the final
campaigns in the Southwest as well as continued use
during the Spanish American War.
Through the generous
sharing of further information from Chris Magewick, I
have learned that this pattern of cup was widely issued
to units in the Michigan National Guard during the
Spanish American War. Specifically, it is known that
these cups were issued to the 31ST through
the 35TH Michigan Infantry Regiments. The
photos shown below, provided by Chris, capture the 33RD
Michigan Infantry going into encampment at Camp Algers
near Falls Church, Virginia during the Spanish American
War and this pattern of cup is plainly visible in the
photographs. This historical documentation explains the
“MNG” stamped in the handle of these cups, identifying
them as
property of the Michigan National Guard.
Measuring 4 7/8” high and 4
˝” in diameter, these cups are normally found without the
“US” marking as is the case with these specimens.
This
taller cup has come to be known as the “soup cup”,
acknowledging the capacity of this cup to hold a
soldier’s meal in the field such as beans, stew or a
hearty soup. Drawn from a single piece of iron as
opposed to the two piece construction of the Model 1874
Cup, the bottom of this soup cup is integral to the
sides of the cup, and the bottom edge is rounded rather
than at right angle as on the earlier cups eliminating
the risk of the bottom splitting away from the sides.
Well recognized by
experienced collectors, these cups are far from common,
and when found, often appear to have been subjected to
heavy use. These cups would be a nice addition to your Apache Wars or Spanish American War
display.
I have the following cups
available, each listed below with accompanying
photographs.
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