On September 7, 1813, the United States received a nickname that has “stuck” to this day. The term “Uncle Sam” became official when it was first posted in a Troy, New York editorial. The Post reported that it was a slang word used by soldiers who referred to military gear stamped with “U.S.” as belonging to “Uncle Sam.” But why “Uncle Sam?” It appears that there is certainly more ‘meat’ to this story.

During the war of 1812, a man named Samuel Wilson known affectionately in Troy as “Uncle Sam” was in the meat packing industry and supplied large barrels of beef to the army. Sam stamped the barrels with “U.S.” for “United States.” However, soldiers referred to the grub as “Uncle Sam’s.” The suggestion that the meat shipments came from “Uncle Sam” led to the idea that Uncle Sam symbolized the federal government and once the press got hold of it, it circulated.

The traditional image of “Uncle Sam” is usually seen in a star-spangled suit with a white goatee and wearing a red, white, and blue top hat. The real Uncle Sam did not look like this at all, choosing instead to be a clean shaven butcher. The “Uncle Sam” Americans commonly see is an invention by artists and political cartoonists.

The most famous portrait of “Uncle Sam” exists as an Army recruiting poster from World War I that shows an image of him pointing outward towards the viewer with the words, “I Want You” written below the figure. This poster was painted in the year 1916-1917 by artist James Montgomery Flagg.

Another wonderfully striking appearance of “Uncle Sam” is a very rare and desirable “Uncle Sam” Cast Iron Door Stop that depicts Sam dressed in his classic patriotic red, white, and blue colors. This item is being offered in Geppi’s Entertainment’s Morphy’s Spring Toy Auction, beginning April 4, 2008. Please visit Morphyauctions.com for this and other fantastic quality collectibles.