Anyone know what is this?

[backcast]

Found this odd case this afternoon about 6 inches deep at a baseball field that dates to the late 1800s. Its made of copper and plated. It opens as shown in the photo. When I opened it, I found 8 small sticks, all with the same shape. It appears that it is made to dispense the sticks (toothpicks?)

 

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[zaxfire69]

Match Case? For matches.

 

[underdogger]

Early match stick holder would be my gyess. turn of the 20th century. maybe late late 19th century.Rob

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Very cool. I can read Miler, but I can't see the first part of the name. Can you please post the Manufactures name so we can get you a "Match?"

 

[backcast]

The word "trade" is above Miller, "mark" is below. It also has Pat. 2-25-13 on the other side, just too small to photograph.

 

[pat (chicago)]

looks like a...

hand warmer. ??

 

[Breezie]

Really neat antique match holder! Breezie

 

[Tigger]

Anyone else wondering about the holes in it though? Match safes nowadays are airtight, some scouts even paint their match heads with nail polish or wax to keep them waterproof. So why the holes??
Just wonderin?
Tigger

 

[dfx willy]

im thinking hand warmer too. willy

 

[NOLA_Ken]

definitely some kind of promo from Miller beer. I haven't seen anything like it, but searching the patent date might help

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Anyone else wondering about the holes in it though? Match safes nowadays are airtight, some scouts even paint their match heads with nail polish or wax to keep them waterproof. So why the holes??
Just wonderin?
Tigger

The holes make no logical sense to me either, for a match holder. So perhaps the hand warmer is a better fit, maybe a "thing" for burning insence ? Just a guess to toss around.

 

[underdogger]

Hand warmer Really ? And how many secounds would that last . Not enough to warm your hands. Just saying.. Rob

 

[scaupus]

But what is that broken "stem" at the top for? And we know what it was meant to hold because it was holding them - those "sticks". But what are the "sticks" for? What kind of wood are they, if they are wood? They recall to my mind charcoal drawing sticks, but those are black - carbonized segments of vines. I hate to ask an indiscrete question, but where, more or less, was it found?

 

[lostcauses]

Holes to attach some other material, such as horn or wood or some other material.

 

[TN_MD]

Well what ever it is , old relic finds like this are great conversation starters, Congrats on such an interesting find !!

Karl

 

[Tigger]

Well what ever it is , old relic finds like this are great conversation starters, Congrats on such an interesting find !!

Karl

That's what I thought too! Needs to be batted around a little more. I LOVE the insight into daily life when we find out what these things were and how they were used. Brings History to life!
Tigger

 

[backcast]

I took a closer look at the sticks. Each one has the same profile milled into them. The picture below is what they look like from the end. As for the holes, I was thinking they were for air flow to keep the sticks dry. I dont think the sticks are matches.

 

[JohnInPA]

It's a toothbrush

http://www.google.com/patents?id=kV...=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false

Very cool find!!!

I did not read it, so not sure where the sticks come into play.

 

[backcast]

Cool, I did not know how to research patents. Also found this too: http://www.google.com/patents?id=iO...&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Thanks for the ID!

 

[JohnInPA]

Cool, I did not know how to research patents. Also found this too: http://www.google.com/patents?id=iO...&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Thanks for the ID!

No problem. I didnt know that you could search that way either, so I learned something new as well.

Can you believe it? 10 years later and this Gustav guy is still trying to perfect the travelling toothbrush! When my friends would drink too much and crash at my house, my mom would make them breakfast and pass out some plastic toothbrushes that looked alot like that. For some reason, she kept an ample supply.