Victorian Silver Vesta Case, Prince of Wales's Hospital Fund Stamp

Victorian Silver Vesta Case: Prince of Wales's Hospital Fund Stamp.

A fine and rare Victorian silver Vesta Case. Of large rectangular form with flat hinged lid and attached suspension ring. The face set with a glass panel covering a red half crown charity stamp. The interior of silver gilt.

By Deakin and Francis, Birmingham, 1897.

Vesta cases, which also go by the name of vesta boxes, matchsafes and pocket matchsafes, were used to store vestas (short matches) and to keep them dry so that they were able to light when struck. They were first made in the 1830s, with their heyday being between 1890 and 1920, when everyone kept a vesta box to hand. While the poor had boxes made from tin, the vesta boxes of the wealthy were made from gold and silver. Most vesta boxes had a ribbed surface on the bottom which the owner could use to strike the matches kept inside. In addition, some examples also include cigar cutters and small knife blades.

Steppes Hill Farm Antiques stocks a variety of antique silver vesta cases from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We specialise in rare and unusual examples, particularly those in enamel, novelty and engraved designs.

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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