The leather is cracked and worn and the metal is pewter. This item was removed  a year or so ago as I was informed by a potential customer who had consulted with a dealer who told him it was a fantasy item.  This person had only seen it on line but since he is a recognized dealer, I removed it.  I tried scraping off the drum on one side as I had hoped to get some of my money out of it as an original CW flask.  I quickly realized that I would not be able to remove the engravings.  Fortunately, I did begin on the other side.  Since that time, I showed it to a postcard dealer who had been a jeweler for many years.  He said the engraving was very old.  Some months later I took it to a Civil War show and showed it to someone who has an outstanding reputation as a antique appraiser and he said it was old as well and the scrip was Civil War era.  

I am relisting this as I finally was able to find more information on J M Holmes in Vol. 9 of the Confederate Veteran.  J M  Holmes was the son of a wealthy planter in South Carolina.  He had two brothers  who also died in the war.  Holmes served throughout the war but was wounded at the Battle of Malvern Hill and was unable to return to action.  He died in 1901 at Darien Ga.  

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