This is a Jose Escalante & Co. vintage wooden cigar box for Aurelia Biltmore Extra Milds. This is a boite nature box, which is all wood with machine-cut interlocked (lockwork) corners. The wood seems to have a bit of a cedar scent, but it could be redwood - I'm not sure. It has silver-colored hardware: two hinges in back and a clasp in front. These are machine-stapled, not nailed. There is a collar of four wooden inserts along the inside edges of the box; 3 are loose and come out, but one is stapled against the side and does not move. On the outside, the top is embossed with AURELIA BILTMORE and the Jose Escalante & Co. logo. The short sides are embossed with AURELIA BILTMORE EXTRA MILD, with one short side noting they are CLARO. There is a blue Act of 1926 Series Class C tax stamp on the right side. The bottom is embossed with the factory ID, caution notice and tax paid notice. On the interior, the top has the same embossing as the outside, along with a 10¢ price sticker and a red arrow sticker that reads: NOTICE THE HOLE IN THE HEAD, copyright 1935 by Jose Escalante & Co. This sticker has a kind of 3D effect. The two long sides of the collar are embossed with AURELIA BILTMORE. I believe this box is from the 1930s, but I'm not sure.

Measurements:

8 x 6 inches; 2 1/2 inches tall

Weight: 7 5/8 ounces

Please note the photos for any marks on the box. There is a small worn spot on the front left of the lid, noticeable mostly by touch and a rough spot on the bottom (the dark jagged spot). On the short "claro" side there is a perfectly formed little hole. I don't know enough about cigar boxes to know if it's meant to be there, but it looks machine drilled. The hinges and clasp are in perfect working order.