Aaron
Senior Member
Annweiler Email-u.Metall-Werke, Annweil is by far my favorite manufacturer of Canteens and Messkits, known for the relatively crude quality and early introduction of enameled steel for both items.
Like Steyr, AEM.A has two known stamps, both an early large font seen on 1930's-1943 aluminum items and a smaller standard font seen later from 1942 onward on steel items. Image 5551 shows this diffence on a 1943 produced example. Capture1 shows an early messkit stamping, with Image 1205 and 5916 showing later small style stamps.
Also like Steyr, AEM.A can often have very poor stamp strikes, upside down stamps, and double-stamps as shown on Image 7897 and 6924, with the latter being AEM.A's RBNr code.
It makes sense that AEM.A was so quick to utilize stamped steel with enamel finish with them being an enamelware firm, but seeing these items paired with relatively early style aluminum canteens is an interesting combination unique to this manufacturer.
Another thing unique to AEM.A is that the early 1942 bottles have no weld seam like seen on all other steel bottles, being a stamped ridge on both halves to make welding the bottle halves together easier. Additionally, AEM.A uses a unique coarse, flat, almost lime green paint.
In 1943, AEM.A introduced another model of canteen that was enameled but not painted over like the others, left in the bare black enamel and issued with a brown enamel simplified cup with no back handles. Compare Image 9414 and 1122 to see the two models. The enameled and overpainted green bottle and cup model occurs from 1942-1944, while the enameled and unpainted with brown enameled cup model appears to occur from 1943-1945 (blank examples are presumed to be 1945). This would seem to imply concurrent production running parallel for several years.
Oddly enough, there are known examples of red primed and painted AEM.A canteens and messkits produced from 1943-1944, as well as "SMM" style dark green painted cups and bottles, with one known example marked 1944, adding another layer of mystery to this maker. Were these items subcontracted and stamped in-house? Was there more than one facility? These questions will not be answered any time soon. However, it seems there are at least 4 variations of finish to canteens and messkits with this manufacturer. To me, this absolute mess of a manufacturer with its rough green paint, often garbage markings, and overall messy finishes to both paint and enamel, makes AEM.A a collecting companion similar to my love for Steyr and their antics in K98k production.
In the first pic, from left to right top to bottom:
Transitional messkit 1943 primed/painted and enameled/painted
1944 aluminum painted messkit
RBNr marked enameled/painted steel messkit
1942 enameled/painted steel bottle and cup
1942 enameled/painted steel bottle, 1943 bakelite cup, webbing strap
1943 aluminum bottle, enameled/painted steel cup 1943 enameled/painted
steel bottle and cup 1943 (unmarked but weld seam version indicates later than 1942)
enameled/painted steel bottle and 1943 dated cup, rare 3 button snap riveted cover
1944 enameled/painted steel bottle, 1944 bakelite cup
1944 enameled/painted steel bottle, 1944 bakelite cup
1944 enameled/painted steel bottle and cup
Undated black enameled unpainted bottle, brown enamel cup
Sku1945 bottle, brown enamel cup (likely mismatched, but is in flawless condition and has been assembled this way since I got it)
Like Steyr, AEM.A has two known stamps, both an early large font seen on 1930's-1943 aluminum items and a smaller standard font seen later from 1942 onward on steel items. Image 5551 shows this diffence on a 1943 produced example. Capture1 shows an early messkit stamping, with Image 1205 and 5916 showing later small style stamps.
Also like Steyr, AEM.A can often have very poor stamp strikes, upside down stamps, and double-stamps as shown on Image 7897 and 6924, with the latter being AEM.A's RBNr code.
It makes sense that AEM.A was so quick to utilize stamped steel with enamel finish with them being an enamelware firm, but seeing these items paired with relatively early style aluminum canteens is an interesting combination unique to this manufacturer.
Another thing unique to AEM.A is that the early 1942 bottles have no weld seam like seen on all other steel bottles, being a stamped ridge on both halves to make welding the bottle halves together easier. Additionally, AEM.A uses a unique coarse, flat, almost lime green paint.
In 1943, AEM.A introduced another model of canteen that was enameled but not painted over like the others, left in the bare black enamel and issued with a brown enamel simplified cup with no back handles. Compare Image 9414 and 1122 to see the two models. The enameled and overpainted green bottle and cup model occurs from 1942-1944, while the enameled and unpainted with brown enameled cup model appears to occur from 1943-1945 (blank examples are presumed to be 1945). This would seem to imply concurrent production running parallel for several years.
Oddly enough, there are known examples of red primed and painted AEM.A canteens and messkits produced from 1943-1944, as well as "SMM" style dark green painted cups and bottles, with one known example marked 1944, adding another layer of mystery to this maker. Were these items subcontracted and stamped in-house? Was there more than one facility? These questions will not be answered any time soon. However, it seems there are at least 4 variations of finish to canteens and messkits with this manufacturer. To me, this absolute mess of a manufacturer with its rough green paint, often garbage markings, and overall messy finishes to both paint and enamel, makes AEM.A a collecting companion similar to my love for Steyr and their antics in K98k production.
In the first pic, from left to right top to bottom:
Transitional messkit 1943 primed/painted and enameled/painted
1944 aluminum painted messkit
RBNr marked enameled/painted steel messkit
1942 enameled/painted steel bottle and cup
1942 enameled/painted steel bottle, 1943 bakelite cup, webbing strap
1943 aluminum bottle, enameled/painted steel cup 1943 enameled/painted
steel bottle and cup 1943 (unmarked but weld seam version indicates later than 1942)
enameled/painted steel bottle and 1943 dated cup, rare 3 button snap riveted cover
1944 enameled/painted steel bottle, 1944 bakelite cup
1944 enameled/painted steel bottle, 1944 bakelite cup
1944 enameled/painted steel bottle and cup
Undated black enameled unpainted bottle, brown enamel cup
Sku1945 bottle, brown enamel cup (likely mismatched, but is in flawless condition and has been assembled this way since I got it)
