Silver Mystery Container

[Silverhound1628]

Hello, all. I recently purchased this item, and I am having trouble figuring out it's intended purpose. It is a small, round, coin silver container, about the size of a stack of 4 quarter dollars. I would think it was simply a pill box, but when you rotate the two halves about a quarter inch, two holes line up on the side allowing the contents to pour out. Aligning the holes also allows you to pull the two halves apart to fill the container. It is marked with a fineness of 830, and the swedish guarantee marks for an imported item, I believe. Unfortunately, the are no makers marks or date marks that I can find. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

[AG2012]

Hi,
Welcome to the forum.
You have answered all questions.This import mark was not used after 1988.So, it`s older than that.No date letter and no sponsor`s mark.
The country of origin and the maker cannot be identified.Possibly Denmark ....
Regards

[Silverhound1628]

Thanks. Does anyone have any idea what this might have been used for. The hole is too small for anything larger than a grain of rice to fit through, but too big for something like salt or spices I would think.

[Goldstein]

Hi Silverhound1628 -

I am not sure if this are pill container -coin size - I believe in Lady´s snuff boxes. In my 2 examples the opening is too small for pills. Must be very tiny pills! Some ladys used cocain.....Both boxes are from Scadinavia - and I can not immagine a gentleman using such a box...




Regards
Goldstein

[Aguest]

There were extremely small pills called "Pastilles" and they contained derivatives of coca and opium, these were quite common until around 1914, although I really am not sure about the size of the original "Pastilles" because they most likely no longer exist, perhaps somewhere in a pharmacological museum exhibit?

I am assuming these are "Pastille Dispensers" but this is only the best guess I could generate.....

[AG2012]

The discussion moved to pharmacy of the past.There were 1000s of pills that supposedly cured every disease.Pharmaceutical industry was no better than today,forcing people to believe in magic (now scientific) properties of their pills (look at the indication bellow ``dislodge bile``).
Of course, it`s more exotic for silver collectors to assume women of loose morals snuffed tobacco and were opium addicts.
Hopefully none of you takes tiny nitroglycerin pills for anginous pain and they were available since 1879.
All said, it`s simply a pill box.Now also advertised as sweetener dispensers.

[Aguest]

I find it interesting that all 3 examples are from Scandinavia and all 3 examples have openings of the same diameter.

I would estimate the diameter is 4-5 millimeters, which is the diameter of a modern-day Nitroglycerin pill, which is an extremely small diameter.

There must have been a reason for the Scandinavian standardization of pill size.

I just assume the extremely small diameter was for a pill which was taken off the market since we never see pills of this diameter, with the notable exception of Nitroglycerin pills.

The market was completely unregulated, basically anybody could sell any pill of any size, so I find it interesting that all 3 examples have openings of the same diameter.

If all pills were this tiny around the turn of the century, then I have learned something new.

[AG2012]

The smallest ever encountered;not a locket but a miniature box for whatever could be kept in 30 X 20 X 4 mm.
Vienna lion head for .750 used 1877-1922.

[Goldstein]

Hi -
after researching in my age group in several nursing homes the following has turned up:
The ladies (at a young age) sucked at balls on dance evenings "lilac pastilles", which were very tiny, to prevent bad breath.
Luktevannshus (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Northern germany) had the same effect - maybe the girls at that time had all bad breath.... here some from my collection:


Regards
Goldstein

[Tanga]

Just to expand on what others have written - many popular sweets and candies such as confits, dragees, Tic-Tacs and "hundreds and thousands" are direct historical descendants of the medications and breath-sweeteners that were carried in these containers. So if you want to display it in a way that looks authentic, just find some sweets of the right diameter.

[Silverhound1628]

Thanks for all of the information. I wish there were a makers mark on the box, but I am still quite happy with it.

[Italiansilver]

look in google for "Tabu" licorice pieces sold in a (metal) box very similar

[Italiansilver]

i mean very similar shape and dispensing system