I have eight different Mark Twain Cigar boxes, plus another four or five
inner labels for which no boxes seem to have survived.

The earliest I have (or am aware) was printed by Heppenheimer & Maurer of NY
for Aschermann & Co., and issued between 1877 and 1880. It has Aschermann's
patent date of 1877, uses images from IA, Sk, and RI, and Twain's image is
copied from the 1874 photo by Warren. This same design was used, in part, on
a trade card issued by Heppenheimer (see Seeyle, MT AT THE MOVIES, p. 13,
for an illus.). I have a good example of that card. This same design was
also used by William Rohlfing for sheet music he published in 1880, with
slight alterations in the original lithographic stone. Therefore, I'd date
this cigar box between 1877 and 1880. The fellow whose sales label is glued
to the box is in the 1880 census as a "tobacconist."  I have not checked a
NYC directory to confirm the years Heppenheimer & Maurer were at 22 and 24 N
Williams Street, nor have I been able to search the online patent records
with any success to verify whether Aschermann's claim of a patent was valid
(I can hardly imagine it was...). The next earliest MT Cigar box I can date
with certainty is 1889 with Twain's image woodburned into the box as well as
printed on the label, and the next is a label (no box known for this design)
dated 1902. Others date from 1902-20s, possibly some earlier, but
establishing a firm date for some is tricky.

The common and familiar cigar label (a large inner label with Twain at
center, flanked by Tom and Huck, and the caption KNOWN TO EVERYONE--LIKED BY
ALL) was first printed in 1913 (I have some proofs as well as the original
embossing plate), and it was in use until the 1940s, perhaps even to the
1950s. I have a box of those with all the cigars still in it. They are very
brittle and bitter and when lit they burst into flames and "poof" before
your eyes --right before your eyes-- before you can smoke 'em -- unless you
no longer have hair to set ablaze, or you can rig up a holder of some sort.
Not sure you'd want to smoke one anyway. Second hand-smoke; first-hand
flames.

Twain's image was also used to advertise Lone Jack (1887), Duke (1887/8),
and Mogul (1910) cigarettes.

I have a lot of tobacco advertising, English and American, using Twain's
name and/or image, including counter-cards, a pug-dog counter stand
(possibly for chewing tobacco; it's not clear), trade cards, packaging,
etc., and there could easily be some I've overlooked or forgotten at the
moment.

But for cigars the earliest I've found is the box I describe above.

Kevin Mac Donnell
Austin TX