User talk:Pboyer23

The American Mint Corporation
One of the most interesting, early candy containers, was the short-lived American Mint Corporation's cardboard containers picturing world soldiers in uniform. They sold for a penny apiece and contained football shaped, fruit flavored candy. The American Mint Corporation was located at 114 13th Street, New York, NY. Over a span, of just a few years (approximately 1938-1942), they produced four sets of world soldiers. These sets, in order of production, were Doughboy, Minute Man, Trooper and Yanks. The first set, Doughboys, had a full 20 countries represented: United States, Japan, Russia, Afghanistan, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey, Italy, England, Sweden, Greece, Austria, Ethiopia, Scotland, Spain, India, Arabia, France, Zulu Warrior, and the French Foreign Legion. The soldiers were approximately 2 3/4 inches tall and about 1 inch in diameter and contained a 7/16 ounce of multi-colored candy. They were characterized by very large, disproportionate heads that gave them a doll-like appearance. Interesting to note that, leading up to WWII, Germany was politically incorrect and therefore not included in any of the series. The next two series, Minute Man and Trooper, were trimmed to just ten offerings: United States, Russia, England, Italy, Turkey, Sweden, Ethiopia, Scotland, France and, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, what would have been the Japan Minute Man/Trooper received a quick makeover and became the China Minute Man/Trooper (but the American Mint Corporation kept the exact same graphics). The last set produced, and extremely rare, was the Yanks. Produced during the beginning of WWII, the Yanks were meant to salute the U.S. fighting men in uniform. While the heads were still disproportionate, they were more realistic and did not present the U.S. fighting men so doll-like in appearance. There were ten varieties: Admiral, Pursuit Pilot, Parachutist, Infantry Man, Nurse, Military Police, Marine, Ski Trooper, Army Officer and GOB (slang for a new naval recruit). Altogether this produced fifty different possible configurations (labels): 20 Doughboys, 10 Minute Men, 10 Troopers and 10 Yanks. The early soldiers (Doughboy and Minute Man) included a separate coupon, redeemable for prizes, on the inside of each container. However, as money got tighter, the coupon was incorporated into the printed label (Trooper and Yanks). In order to get your prize, you had to tear the label off the cardboard tube and send it to New York. That process destroyed most of the Trooper and Yanks containers. Unfortunately, there weren't to many survivors. However, the American Mint Corporation did survive until 1965 when it was acquired by the Spangler Candy Company of Bryan, Ohio.