Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice original German Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) M31 Aluminum tropical canteen (Tropen Feldflasche), complete with its bakelite cap, cup, canvas carry strap, and genuine wool cover.
The canteen body itself is marked MN42, and there is a mold number marking on the bakelite cap as well. The companies that made the Aluminum components for canteens often did not use three letter codes, so these are actually abbreviations of the makers name, and the date. We were unfortunately unable to identify the maker, however this is a known maker mark. The bakelite cup also has a mold number on the top, which unfortunately we were not able to identify.
The wool cover has the correct early issue 4 snaps, which are marked on the back. There is also a faded ink stamp on the inside of the cover, but we cannot quite make it out. It has the correct tropical canvas loops which hold the carrier, which is made of the the same DAK color cotton web The rear belt attachment buckle on the harness is painted in gray and is maker marked Patent / Ritter, and the front buckle is marked as well with C.A. & S.. The canvas carrier is in good condition, though the leather end that goes around the bottom aluminum stud has torn through and is partly missing, as shown.
Overall a very nice chance to pick up a good condition German DAK canteen.