Questions about 55 Gallon, (US), and 44 Gallon,(British Imperial) metal drums.

[Rod P]

Hello Rod here, greetings from Northern Australia. 

 

When I am not day dreaming about pre war cars that I will never see, let alone ever afford, I often go metal detecting as a hobby.

 

And this often turns up WW2, and earlier finds that most have forgotten about. 

 

The internet is very fussy when you are searching and use a wrong word, term or spelling, and often it still  doesn't have anything much to offer.

 

And as the title suggests there is a slight difference.  55 US Gallon drums is about 208 Litres, whereas 44 British Imperial Gallons, (which was used in Australia) is about 200 litres. 

 

What I am trying to find out about, is the use of copper/ brass/ any kind of numbering plate that was attached to older mainly fuel? drums so the owners could keep track of them, and reuse them, back when they were much more substantially made, and not like todays thin wall, disposable types. Until I find the correct term, I will call them, 'Drum registration plates.'

 

 

These are Australian copper examples, which were soldered onto the top of the drums.(Shell drum bung for reference. This style 1930-1948.)

Top , Shell plate would be 1928- pre WW2?

Bottom plate, 'British Imperial Oil company,' was around 1905-1927 before it ceased and  was renamed 'Shell oil company of Australia.'

 

I have found remains of a different rectangular one, but as mainly incomplete was unable to ID.

 

Are any of you familiar with similar plates that were used in your part of the world?

 

The drums in question probably looked like some of these.

 

 or probably up to 1937 as a guess?

 

The two above images are taken from the only serious study made of drum types and reuse I could find on internet, and was from Alaska in 2017, by Andrew Higgs. 

 

Link to this PDF below.

https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/oha/publications/Ubiquity Drums_v5 3x4pdf.pdf

 

This is the best single article I have found if you have any interest at all in drums, and their history. 

 

(Andrew Higgs did this as a study, and I don't believe he is a physical collector of drums and paraphernalia, just something he studied at the time.)

 

I am aware that many of the older drum types are much more common in US than Australia, and hopefully someone knows of a plated example.

 

Or if you know of any other source, ie online reference, or a museum/ collection, please feel free to add and continue to this thread. (If OK with moderators.) 

 

Thanks, Rod.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ozstatman]

Know that this is "slightly" off topic, but for those who don't know( IE non- Aussies) besides abysmal build quality the Leyland P76's main claim to fame was it's ability to "carry" a 44 gallon drum in ii's boot(trunk). Of course how you woud load or unload a full 44 gallon drum from the boot(trunk) of a car was never considered! 😁