Dunhill Early Morning Pipe, Early 1980s Murray Era, Sealed 50g Tin

The morning paper, a good cup of coffee, and a little sunshine from Duke Street.

There is something rather agreeable about a tobacco tin that comes with its own sunrise. The coffee is perking, the newspaper is beside the chair, and Dunhill’s little rooster has already reported for duty. A few minutes remain before the telephone begins its daily business. Early Morning Pipe seems perfectly at home in such company.

Introduced in 1951, alongside Apéritif and Nightcap, Early Morning Pipe joined a tobacco house whose story had begun at Alfred Dunhill’s Duke Street shop in London in 1907. By then, the Dunhill name carried decades of experience in blending for particular tastes. Early Morning Pipe offered a gentle beginning to the day, with a character suggested as much by its cheerful name and rising sun as by the description on its lid.

This particular 50-gram tin comes from a later chapter, most likely the 1980s. Dunhill’s standard tobacco production had passed to Murray’s of Belfast in 1981, and the wording around this lid fits that period. Yet the presentation retains all the charm of the old tobacco counter: pale blue, golden sunbeams, the tall Dunhill lettering, and the royal arms above. Underneath, the Lane Limited sticker identifies its U.S. distributor—a small detail connecting this British tin to the American market.

The blend of this era was thoughtfully composed. A 1985 Dunhill catalog description, preserved in John C. Loring’s catalog survey, identifies bright and red Virginias, Oriental tobacco, and medium-fired Latakia, with pressing and light stoving included in the preparation.

Each had its part to play. Bright Virginia brought natural sweetness and a lively citrus character. Red Virginia supplied deeper, toastier notes and a rounder richness. The Oriental leaf contributed fragrance and gentle spice, with the earthy, tea-like qualities that make these tobaccos so distinctive. Latakia added its familiar suggestion of woodsmoke and incense. Together, those components suggest a mixture with plenty to occupy the palate during a quiet morning.

And that is much of the appeal of this little tin today. Its blue lid brings to mind polished wooden counters, a familiar chair, and a radio playing softly in the next room. It carries the name of a blend born in the early 1950s, preserved here in its later Murray’s form, with the same cheerful promise in its artwork.

The rooster is still on duty. The sun is still coming up. And, at least in the small world pictured on this lid, there is still a little time before the telephone rings.

Condition: Sealed
Size: 50g tin
Era: Murray Era
Note: Listing is for sealed tin only.

This auction contains tobacco.  If you live in certain states, you will be unable to purchase this product.