A tin box is a

tinplate Tinplate consists of sheets of steel coated with a thin layer of tin to impede rusting. Before the advent of cheap milled steel, the backing metal was wrought iron. While once more widely used, the primary use of tinplate now is the manufacture of ...

container. Tinplate metal is primarily

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

with a very thin

tin Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (from la, stannum) and atomic number 50. Tin is a silvery-coloured metal. Tin is soft enough to be cut with little force and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, t ...

coating. Tin-free steel is also used. In some cultures, these

box A box (plural: boxes) is a container used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides. Boxes can be very small (like a matchbox) or very large (like a shipping box for furniture), and can ...

es or cans are referred to as "tin boxes" or sometimes even "tins". Many “tin boxes” have

hinge A hinge is a mechanical bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation: all other ...

d or removable lids or covers. Some people collect tin boxes as a hobby.

Cans

These tinplate cans are often used to package breath mints, throat lozenges, instant coffee, biscuits and holiday treats. Highly decorated "holiday tins" are sold during the holiday season and are popular gifts, and often contain cookies, candy, or popcorn. Similar festive containers are used in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

for sweets, biscuits, cakes and chocolates, mainly during Christmas, rather than in the summer holidays and in countries with

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

associations, they are usually called "biscuit tins". In

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

butter cookie Butter cookies (or butter biscuits), also known as Danish biscuits, are cookies originating in Denmark consisting of butter, flour, and sugar. They are similar to List of shortbread biscuits and cookies, shortbread cookies. The butter cookie is ...

s in tins are produced and sold there, and are also exported to other countries. These types of smaller tin boxes are sometimes reused to store items, or to create kits, such as a

survival kit A survival kit is a package of basic tools and supplies prepared as an aid to survival in an emergency. Civil and military aircraft, lifeboats, and spacecraft are equipped with survival kits. Survival kits, in a variety of sizes, contain supp ...

. A hobby involves modifying tin boxes with decorations and embellishments. File:Museum Wilhelmsbau FEBRERO Schimmelpenninck cigars tin box.JPG, A cigar tin box File:20050522-0357 KUB Isle-sur-Sorgues-Ausschnitt.jpg, A bouillon cube tin can File:Heinrich Haeberlein 002.JPG, A gingerbread container File:Groot geel ORLA blik van ALGRAs koffiebranderij & theehandel nv Zwolle, foto4.JPG, A coffee or tea container File:Display box - tins of cookies.jpg, Display box with tinplate cans of

mooncake A mooncake () is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). The festival is about lunar appreciation and Moon watching, and mooncakes are regarded as a delicacy. Mooncakes are offered between ...

Construction

Some types of metal tins or cans have

hinged A hinge is a mechanical bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation: all other ...

covers; Others cans have removable

interference fit An interference fit, also known as a pressed fit or friction fit is a form of fastening between two ''tight'' fitting mating parts that produces a joint which is held together by friction after the parts are pushed together. Depending on the am ...

covers or lids. The lid, which sometimes is hinged to the body of the container, is often held in place when closed by friction. In other cases, two protruding lugs can pass each other only when the lid and the rest of the box are deformed slightly: pressure from the user's hands is sufficient to produce this deformation, while the parts resist this somewhat, and are flexible enough to recover their normal shape when released.

Collecting

Some people collect these types of tin boxes. For example, Yvette Dardenne in Belgium has amassed a collection of approximately 56,800 tin boxes over two decades.

Boxes

Several types of tinplate metal boxes are produced. File:Machine Shop-3.jpg, A metal

toolbox A toolbox (also called toolkit, tool chest or workbox) is a box to organize, carry, and protect the owner's tools. They could be used for trade, a hobby or DIY, and their contents vary with the craft. Types A toolbox could refer to several t ...

File:Ammunition box.jpg, A tinplate

ammunition box An ammunition box or cartridge box is a container designed for safe transport and storage of ammunition. It is typically made of metal and labelled with caliber, quantity, and manufacturing date or lot number. A rubber gasket is commonly fou ...

File:Installation box electrical.jpg, A painted tinplate box used in construction as a

junction box An electrical junction box (also known as a "jbox") is an enclosure housing electrical connections. Junction boxes protect the electrical connections from the weather, as well as protecting people from accidental electric shocks. Construction ...

Gift Boxes

Some companies also use

to make gift cans and boxes, like Candle tin, Coin bank, Christmas tin box, Easter egg tin etc.

Trunks

Trunks and

chest The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the crea ...

s are sometimes constructed of tinplate. These large boxes often have a hinged top cover and are sometimes highly decorated.

Cans

Construction

Collecting

Boxes

Gift Boxes

Trunks

See also

References

Further reading