Counter boxes were mainly used during the 17th century for holding counters which look like small very thin coin like discs, often used for gambling. Normally the container was a round tube like box or a round box a bit like a patch box depending on how many coins it was designed to hold. Due to the age and rarity of these boxes they are very expensive. Another quite rare type of silver box is the Skippet and sealing wax box. These boxes have been used for centuries but if you do come across any they will probably date from the 17th to 19th century, however they a quite a rare item and so will be expensive to purchase.
Tag Archives: silver boxes
Collecting Silver Boxes Part II
A good and cheap way to start collecting silver boxes is to start collecting Vesta cases. Vesta cases are normally much cheaper than buying Snuff boxes or Vinaigrettes. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; you will however pay premium prices for novelty Vestas. Some Vesta cases were originally Snuff boxes which have been converted to Vestas. A Vesta case is a case which was for holding old fashioned non safety matches on the base would be a rough edge to strike the match on. Some were highly decorated with engraving or enamel. High prices will be paid for novelty shapes and enamelled Vestas but normal Vesta cases from the early 20th century can be picked up for as little as twenty to thirty pounds. When buying Vestas watch out for splits in the case, make sure the hinge is good and the best ones to collect make sure they snap closed properly and the spring is ok.
Collecting Silver Boxes Part I
A nice way to invest in silver is to collect silver boxes; these are normally fairly small and will not take up much room. They also cater for most budgets, as depending on the maker, quality and condition you can pay from twenty or thirty pounds to thousands of pounds for your silver box. You can also decide what types of silver boxes you wish to collect; you could just collect a certain type or any silver box. The types of silver boxes you can collect are varied you get Patch boxes, Snuff boxes, Pill boxes, Vinaigrette’s, cigarette/cigar boxes, Lancet cases, Vesta cases, Counter boxes, Toilet boxes, Nutmeg graters and numerous other boxes.
