Antique Late 19th Century Italian Florentine 800 Solid Silver Card / Cigarette Case
Up for purchase is a magnificent, investment-grade piece of late 19th-century European decorative silver history. This is an original antique Victorian era solid silver pocket cigarette case, also perfectly proportioned for use as a premium business card or credit card wallet. Both the front and reverse faces are masterfully hand-chased in the iconic Italian Florentine style, showcasing a dense, completely symmetrical expanse of elegant scrolling acanthus leaves, curling vines, and blooming floral blossoms. The exact center of the front face features a small, raised rectangular initial frame cartouche which remains completely blank and unmonogrammed.
The interior frame carries a crisp, official antique purity stamp reading "800" alongside a stamped maker's master mark cartouche. The case opens on a central hinge line to reveal its original, beautifully designed mechanical solid silver retention clip bar across the interior wall, which is masterfully hand-engraved with geometric chevron and fan motifs. This nearly 130-year-old piece of European luxury and high-society style is an exceptional addition to any high-end solid silver collection, antique tobacciana showcase, or vintage vanity display cabinet.
Item Specifications
Era / Period: Late Victorian / Gilded Age (Circa 1880–1900)
Metal Purity: 800 Solid Silver (Official hallmark stamped on inner rim)
Design / Origin: Italian Florentine Symmetrical Scrollwork Style
Personalization: None (Central cartouche box is completely blank)
Interior Closure: Original Mechanical Engraved Solid Silver Hinged Keeper Bar (100% Complete)
Approximate Interior Space: Fits standard business cards, credit cards, or short unfiltered cigarettes (Approx. 3.75" Height x 2.50" Width)
Approximate Exterior Dimensions: 4.15 Inches Height x 2.75 Inches Width
Condition Report
Cosmetic Engraving Condition: Excellent antique condition. The dense, deep Italian Florentine scrolling foliage and blossoms remain extraordinarily crisp, sharp, and uniform on both sides. The smooth central initial panel and corner borders are clean. The metal displays an exquisite overall surface patina with deep, natural tarnish oxidation settled in the artwork valleys, creating a wonderful historic contrast. There are normal superficial handling micro-scuffs from over a century of careful preservation.
Hinge & Catch Operation: The side button-plunger catch releases cleanly, allowing the case to pop open flat. The long center pin hinge line is straight, stable, and completely solid with no side-to-side wobble.
Interior & Clip Status: The interior silver walls are exceptionally clean. The original, engraved mechanical silver keeper arm is present, straight, securely hinged, and snaps down tightly against the catch to hold contents firmly in place.