How do I clean a brass tobacco box?

Leave the heavy tarnish alone. The dark grey or brown skin on old brass forms over decades and collectors look for this untouched surface. Just wipe the metal with a dry cotton cloth to remove loose dust. If the hinges are stiff, apply a single drop of light machine oil to the pin and work it gently.

My grandfather left me a wooden table box that has a heavy metal lining inside, should I try to polish the metal to make it look nicer?

That dull grey metal is lead. Box makers used it to create a stable microclimate for loose leaf. Do not try to polish it. Lead oxidises to that flat grey colour naturally. Rubbing it will just spread toxic dust and ruin the historical integrity of the piece. Leave it exactly as you found it. Keep the lid shut to preserve the internal lining from further atmospheric wear.

What is the tamper for?

Some larger table sets include a small blunt metal tool. Smokers used it to pack the loose leaf down into the pipe bowl. You often find them built into the lid or slotted into a side compartment alongside the main storage area.

I picked up a small oval copper box and it has some very worn dates and strange dials engraved on the top, what are they?

Those are likely navigation tables or perpetual calendars. Dutch sailors relied on these specific boxes during the eighteenth century to calculate tides and moon phases at sea. Heavy wear is standard. These lived in working pockets and saw daily handling in harsh saltwater conditions. You can sometimes trace the specific almanac used for the design. The dates usually commemorate the year the original brass stamp was cut rather than the year your specific box was made.

0

56,091 PAGES BROWSED TODAY PAGES TODAY • 82 ANTIQUES UPLOADED TODAY NEW ARRIVALS

Sorted by

Per page

DEALER LOGIN

0

Saved

Tobacco Boxes

Victorian

Sort Order

Items Per Page

Antique Boxes

Victorian Tobacco Boxes

← Page 4 of 4 →

Small, lidded containers designed to keep loose leaf and twist tobacco fresh for daily use, ranging from simple pocket-sized brass tins to heavy lead-lined table boxes.

Napoleon's Funeral Procession Pressed Horn Snuff Box 1840

19th century

Save

Napoleon's Funeral Procession Pressed Horn Snuff Box 1840

From Andrew Nethercott Antiques

£220

APPROVED 3+ MONTHS AGO

boxes

Antique Oak Railway Coal Wagon Humidor C1890

19th century

Save

Antique Oak Railway Coal Wagon Humidor C1890

From Shaun King Antiques

£845

APPROVED 3+ MONTHS AGO

boxes

19th century

Save

19th Century Decorated Papier-mâché Table Snuff Box

From Heydays Antiques

£125

APPROVED 3+ MONTHS AGO

boxes

Dome Shaped Hand Painted Papier Mache Snuff Box

19th century

Save

Dome Shaped Hand Painted Papier Mache Snuff Box

From Gerard Robinson Fine Art and Antiques

£245

APPROVED 3+ MONTHS AGO

boxes

← 1 2 3 4 →

66,727

Antiques For Sale

82

Antiques Approved Today

3,069

Antique Uploads This Month

56,091

Page Views Today

440,777

Total Antiques Sold

Victorian Tobacco Boxes

Napoleon's Funeral Procession Pressed Horn Snuff Box 1840

Antique Oak Railway Coal Wagon Humidor C1890

19th Century Decorated Papier-mâché Table Snuff Box

Dome Shaped Hand Painted Papier Mache Snuff Box

Add keywords to the filter

Price

Era

Movements

Material

Origin

Stock Location

Freshness

Online Payments

Categories