"Military File Folder Card Case"
There was a time when the general staff stayed well behind the lines, safely out of harm's way... Ballistic and tactical decisions had to be transmitted to the troops at the front... No cell phones or internet, and the few carrier pigeons sometimes weren't enough. In 1870, there were messengers. The same was true in the First World War. I once saw a difficult film where two brothers, skilled messengers, were assigned to this role... The title escapes me. So this wrought-iron case, made of thick sheet metal, with its cylindrical lid, was used to transport maps and other military documents. A rare item... 
Le Magazine de PROANTIC
TRÉSORS Magazine
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