In late 1899, Queen Victoria decided to send a gift of chocolate to over 100,000 British soldiers serving in South Africa during the Second Boer War (1899–1902) to boost morale for the New Year of 1900.
The British chocolate industry was dominated by Quaker families (Cadbury, Fry, and Rowntree), who were strict pacifists opposed to the war. They initially refused to take payment or brand the tins for war efforts. Ultimately, they compromised by producing the chocolate for free, packed into unbranded or minimally marked tins.
The tin featured a profile portrait of Queen Victoria, her royal monogram (VRI for Victoria Regina Imperatrix), and the inscription: “I wish you a happy New Year - Victoria RI” alongside “South Africa 1900”.
Many soldiers cherished the tins as personal tokens from the Monarch and refused to eat the chocolate. As a result, several intact bars survived inside their original packaging for well over a century, occasionally surfacing at auctions and museum exhibits fully preserved (though long past edible condition).
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