Gorgeous Dutch Silver Box but WHAT FOR?? Pills? Snuff? Gems?

[EileenDover&Fell]

Gorgeous Dutch Silver (Sterling? Export Silver?) Small Box but WHAT FOR?? Pills? Snuff? Gems? It belonged to friends of the family back home in Holland - I have always used it for my earrings - a pair on each side fits but pills (small ones) would fit also - maybe snuff but why 2 sides? Anyone know what this was originally used for? Hallmarks are swords and what look like Roman Numerals possibly and maybe a mark on the last pic. Anyone Know?? Help greatly appreciated! Thanks!




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[Doos]

Hi,

I think it's a card holder, for business cards etc.
The roman numerals are not hallmarks, the sword is indeed Dutch.
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[dragonflywink]

Hehe, would have to be for extremely tiny cards! Looks like a double pillbox to me, can remember my Mom having a similar box, keeping aspirin in one side and saccharine tablets in the other.

~Cheryl
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[eknicely]

Hi, I believe you have a stamp holder, although others I've seen have a different type of lid. - Nicely
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[EileenDover&Fell]

or possibly for stamps I suppose - I like my earring idea! >"<
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[kerangoumar]

it would not be for gems, which would need at least some cushioning and partitioning to keep them separate.
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[EileenDover&Fell]

.. each side opens.
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[admin]

Generally, if a box bottom is an angled slide, it is for stamps. The separate compartments for different denominations.
Tom
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[JLDoggett]

This box appears to be a "one-of", maybe made-to-order for a client. The metal used for the lids ppears to be reused from something larger, and the interior panel is only soldered at the corners. As a pill-box it fails in that the lids do not have a lip, this is needed to keep moisture out of the contents (on a humid day the pills could start to crumble). The same is true for a snuff-box, moreover the gaps around the interior plate would allow the 2 varieties of snuff to mingle (there where quite a few varieties of snuff available in days of olde). As for gems, sorry but it is nowhere near big enough to hold papers of stones and carrying your gems loose in a box would soon produce unusable gems, all scratched and dinged.

It appears to be a good size for stamps, though they would be hard to get out of the box.

I wish I had an idea of what it would be used for, it is not a patch box, nor for pins either. Maybe is was used to carry a few cloves or some other whole spice to be added to coffee.
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