Its booby trapped to keep unwanted fingers out! Booby Trapped Snuff BoxIt almost says St. Clements on it! I also saw the picture before I read the whole description, and at first glance the date 1874 looks like ISTA! If it had my name instead of S. Bray or E. Parker it would be perfect!
That’s way cool.
You are right what a crazy box!
That’s just mean.
A box like this was posted on a thread on here a few months ago, as someone said at the time “Nice way of getting HIV”
There is nothing like a little brotherly love. Tobacco really stings a cut up pinching finger too. Definitely built before the knowledge of blood borne pathogens got out.
when another box like this was posted someone pointed out it would probably be more likely to be used as an assassins tool. I.e. replace the orginal with the needled box that has been poisoned. I like that theory the best.
I saw an 18th Century snuff box designed to defeat highway robbers. It was a fake snuff box that contained a mini flintlock inside with a tiny bore. When the box was opened the angled barrel simply shot the thief in the face. The idea was to hand that one over when the immortal (but apocryphal) line ‘stand and deliver’ was given. You would then leave the highway man dead by the side of the roadside and carry on with your journey. talk about snuff with a good burn to it!!
@ snuffster: I think I need one of those boxes to help negotiate the mean streets of Brixton, lol!