How to clean a brass coal box?

Dust the surface with a soft cloth first. Abrasive cleaners scratch the soft brass. Use a mild metal polish sparingly on tarnished areas. Apply with a cotton rag and buff gently.

What is a purdonium box?

It is a wooden coal container with a removable metal liner. A man named Purdon registered the design in the mid-nineteenth century. The lift-out bucket meant servants could fetch fuel easily. They managed the chore without carrying the heavy decorative outer case down to the cellar.

My wooden box has a bracket on the back but nothing in it, so what was supposed to go in there?

That bracket held the matching hand shovel. Most wooden examples originally came with a short-handled scoop used to feed the fire. Servants slid the shovel into the slot to keep it out of sight. They frequently get separated from the main unit over decades of house moves. Replacement shovels of the right era appear frequently on the market. Period brass or wooden-handled scoops fit the standard brackets.

I am hoping to use an antique one for storing my kindling and paper, but the inside smells damp and smoky.

Coal dust leaves a dark residue that works its way into the pores of wood and unpainted metal. The smell lingers in the corners. Take the liner out if it has one. Wash it with warm soapy water and leave it to dry in the fresh air for a few days. Place a bowl of baking soda inside the empty carcase and close the lid. The powder absorbs stale odours without damaging the timber.

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Antique Coal Boxes

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Antique coal boxes are sloped or upright lidded containers, usually lined with metal, built to sit beside a hearth to hold fuel for the household fire.