Victorian era circular snuff container made from British coins

« Prev Item Next Item »

Overview

Victorian era circular snuff or pill container made from British One Penny coins dated 1898. Both the lid and the base have a rounded, convex shape.
The base coin has a copper sleeve attached to the edges into which the lid slides to seal. The insides of the container have a much brighter copper colour than the exterior, which has developed a darker patina over time.
One side of the coin features a left-facing bust of Queen Victoria wearing a coronet and a widow's veil. A Latin inscription appears around the outside of the coin.
The reverse shows Britannia seated facing right on a rock, holding a trident and resting her hand on a shield. The words 'One Penny' are written around the upper circumference, while the date '1898' is at the base.

Historical information

This snuff or pill container was made using bronze one penny coins featuring Queen Victoria, specifically from the 'Old Head' or 'Veiled Head' series minted between 1895 and 1901. The 'Veiled head' obverse was introduced on the gold and silver issues to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1893. It was introduced on the bronze denominations in 1895 and remained in use until the death of the Queen in 1901.

This copper container is one of a large number of items in the collection made from coins. These include jewellery such as brooches and bracelets, small photo frames,and other bric a brac.
Many of these items were made by servicemen and could be called trench art. This is sometimes confirmed by engraving on the reverse side of the coins.

The date on these coins is just prior to the Second Boer War (1899-1902), but the container can only be said to have been made after 1898.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW00841

Item type

Collectibles

Decorative Objects

Domestic Objects

Ephemera

Metalwork

Souvenirs

Themes