There were two types of tin boxes, both of which are fairly uncommon. The pasteboard and wooden boxes are seen much more often. Tin boxes are typically found with alot of chipped paint and rust spots. However, they usually protect the plane very well, so they usually contain nicely preserved planes.
The earliest type had a sliding lid and is shown below. It is
very similar in design and size to the sliding lid wooden boxes.
The plane had to be completely disassembled to fit. There were not
any features inside the box to secure the pieces, so all the parts just
bang against each other. These boxes date around 1910-1915.
This is perhaps the best box that Stanley made for any #45. It contains four sheet metal posts that support the plane when it is assembled with the short rods. There is a separate compartment for the boxed cutters, so there was less chance of the various pieces banging together. These boxes date back to the 1930's or 1940's.
