WW II US Navy Aircraft – PILOT ESCAPE & EVASION GOLD BARTER SET – SEALED – RARE!

These World War Two, these kits were issued to pilots and paratroopers to bribe/barter their way out of difficult situations if they were ever shot down over unfriendly territory or primitive islands.  The airman could essentially “barter” in aiding escape and evasion by local civilians.

The kits being of such high value were a controlled item, so not only did they had to be signed out and issued before each mission and returned afterwards…but each kit also had their own unique serial number.  As the airmen were accountable for each kit, if the kit was not returned, the value of the kit would immediately come out of his pay.

Two different types of kits were issued – one for the Atlantic Region, that contained approximately .90 troy ounce of Gold (a French 20 Franc; a French 10 Franc; 1 Gold Sovereign; 2 Gold Half Sovereigns;  two 20K Gold Wedding Bands, and one 9K Gold Wedding Band…and one for Southeast Asia, that contained Gold Rings, a Gold Embossed Pendant, a Gold Four-Linked Chain, and a 21-Jewel Swiss Calendar Watch.

The Southeast Asia kit was housed in a plastic container which could easily be opened…however…the Atlantic Kit, that was made of a hard rubber, required a lot more force to open, as the sealant was made of the same hard rubber material as the case itself.

In the 1980s all the sets that were left over from the war were sold and auctioned off by the DOD, with prices ranging from $900 to $4000 for each set.  Only 3500 of these Atlantic Kits were ever made, and sealed ones are EXTREMELY RARE, as they cannot be resealed.  Only 20 known “sealed” examples exist, as almost all that were sold were destroyed by coin collectors to gain access the coins.

 I had this kit x-rayed to confirm the contents (see black and white image), and all gold still remains internally, along with the matching serial number plate in the center indicating, “1456”!!  * Note that the color image is depicting an OPENED example to give you an idea of what is inside.  An exact set sold in 2020 for $15K with Rock Island Auction, so I have set the asking price accordingly.  As only 20 SEALED kits are known to exist (including this one, and the one that sold for $15K), this would make a SUPERB addition to any collection or display!