What era is this old tin cup from?

[green papaya]

I found this old tin cup at the flea market, is it vintage? what era do you think they made cups like these? the finish looks more like a dull greyish color.

it measures 2 5/8" tall x 3 1/2" wide

 

[BellyTank]

Could be Civil War- could be much newer...
Hard one to place.
Maybe a Civil War guy would know.

B
T

 

[green papaya]

I think it's probably dates back to early 1900's - 1920's

looks like something cowboys used on the ranch

 

[big kahuna]

could be...

Civil war, Span-Am...or depression era...or a recent reproduction[huh] . The odds are low that it is CW , as most original ones I have seen show much more use.

I have a few reproductions that, through constant use, look like they are 100+ years old.

One sign that makes me think that it is "vintage" is the quality of tin...it looks to be heavy and with a layer of "zinc" galvanizing. Many reproductions are raw tin that ages quickly for that "authentic" look, or they have a thin wash of nickel, which also "ages" quickly.

There are CW and Indian Wars Sutlers that sell accurate reproduction cups, and the most accurate ones have handles like this one. Here's a link that shows some examples (note the modern, smooth finish)
http://www.fcsutler.com/fctin.asp

FYI: Galvanizing has been around for 250 years or so, but really came into prominence in America in the late 1800's.