Are these coin purses?

Elen Beattie

Elen Beattie

Registered Guest
Hello all! Picked up these little beauties online. I'd love if you could tell me more about them, are they both coin purses? Both roughly 2.75"L. The black beaded one has 'PAT, MAR 25. 90' which I assume means patented March 25, 1890? I know that doesn't necessarily mean that it's that old but I would appreciate your thoughts! Any way of telling where they might have come from originally? Thanks and happy Monday :)

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These are charming! I think of the little mesh bag as being a German silver coin purse from c. the earliest decade of the 20th century. I believe such a tiny bag was worn on a chain around one's neck, or inside of another bag. The other one is not a style I know. It is crocheted and beaded with what looks like a German silver top with an Art Nouveau image.
 
denisebrain said:
These are charming! I think of the little mesh bag as being a German silver coin purse from c. the earliest decade of the 20th century. I believe such a tiny bag was worn on a chain around one's neck, or inside of another bag. The other one is not a style I know. It is crocheted and beaded with what looks like a German silver top with an Art Nouveau image.
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Thank you! :)
 
agree with Maggie, they are SO charming! also, agree @ the German suggestions. The chain handled ones we've had in the past often have a stamp along the inside of the frame, so if you haven't checked there yet, you might want to give it a look.
 
I agree with Maggie's date of turn-of-the-20th c/1900s for both of these. I have one similar to your round one, but with a leather body (and hinged, round metal top--though yours is much prettier!)

Are the beads glass or steel? Here's a clipping of an ad for "jet and steel beaded coin purses" with metal tops, from a 1905 Brooklyn newspaper:

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And here's a photo of mail and ring mesh "chatelaine purses" from a 1903 jewelry catalog. As you can see, the purses range from full sized to tiny--to wear on a long chain, as Maggie describes, or to attach to a chatelaine clip, which was very much in vogue at the time:

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cmpollack said:
I agree with Maggie's date of turn-of-the-20th c/1900s for both of these. I have one similar to your round one, but with a leather body (and hinged, round metal top--though yours is much prettier!)

Are the beads glass or steel? Here's a clipping of an ad for "jet and steel beaded coin purses" with metal tops, from a 1905 Brooklyn newspaper:

img


And here's a photo of mail and ring mesh "chatelaine purses" from a 1903 jewelry catalog. As you can see, the purses range from full sized to tiny--to wear on a long chain, as Maggie describes, or to attach to a chatelaine clip, which was very much in vogue at the time:

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Oh these clippings are wonderful thank you! The beads appear to be glass I think.
 
cmpollack said:
It's much more likely that they're steel, especially if they're cold to the touch. (I suspect the "jet" beads referred to in the ad were actually black glass, poetically described...)
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Ah ok! Usually the gem tester would beep if it hit metal, it went up to the jadeites so who knows! Thanks a lot for the info.
 
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