Uncle Sam the world's most famous uncle, but where did he come from?

July 4, 10:23 AMAuctions and Antiques ExaminerWalt AuctionWally

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 You don't mess with Uncle Sam! July 1917 Milestones Mag
   value: $125-$150 in nice condition

Everyone has seen that familiar face on all the US recruiting posters which declared, "Uncle Sam wants you!" We all know what he wanted but where did he come from and who is he?
He is part reality, part fiction, and goes back to 1812. During the War of 1812 and long after, Sam Wilson a meat distributor contracted by the U.S. Army supplied much of the meat and dry goods to the U.S army. All crates packed by Sam Wilson were required to be stamped U.S. as well as having the Sam Wilson stamp.  Soldiers who received the crates from the distributor began to call Sam Wilson, "Uncle Sam", and thus a legend began.
As for the fiction part, political cartooning was an important part of early newspapers and the character evolved through changes to become our Uncle Sam, the icon of the U.S. Govt.
It's widely believed by historians that the model for Uncle Sam is a fellow that went by the name of Brother Johnson, one of the original Yankee Doodles. A "Yankee" was the a name the Massachusetts Indians called the early British soldiers. A Doodler was a jack of all trades who would peddle his services as he traveled.
Like any classic, there are passionate collectors for it, and the iconic Uncle Sam is no different.
Today Uncles Sam collectors have a span of almost 200 years from which to amass their collections. From tin toys to pocket knives, from banks to post cards, a huge variety is available. As you can imagine some of the rare pieces go for quite a bit, here are some examples:




  1886 Cast Iron Bank, $6000-$7000
 

For an Uncle Sam Suit worn by James Montgomery Flagg as he modeled for the original "I Want You" painting you could expect to pay about $40,000-$65,000.


Thanks for reading. Happy 4th of July!
AW

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