Antique Silver Humidor
An antique silver humidor keeps fine cigars properly conditioned while bringing period weight and presence to a desk or smoking room.
Antique Silver Humidor
When you search for an antique silver humidor, you find smoking accessories ranging from compact pocket tubes to large table compendiums designed to keep cigars fresh. The pieces available here are predominantly oak or mahogany boxes mounted with sterling silver or silver plate, alongside solid silver boxes and pocket cases.
The selection draws on periods from the Victorian era through the Edwardian years and into the 1920s and Art Deco movements. Table top cigar boxes and compendiums dominate the listings, often featuring fitted interiors or compartments for cutters and lighters.
Makers and silversmiths of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries applied their craft to these pieces, producing everything from simple silverplated containers to elaborate double-lidded compendiums on wheels.
Materials and construction
Cabinet makers constructed the foundational bodies of these boxes from dense timbers like oak, mahogany, and amboyna, which provided the necessary stability for storing tobacco. Silversmiths then wrapped, mounted, or detailed these wooden carcasses with sterling silver plates, corners, and hinges.
Other examples utilise solid sterling silver or silver plate throughout, sometimes paired with cut glass or leather bodies. Interiors were frequently lined to maintain humidity and preserve the flavour of the cigars within.
Antique Silver Humidor Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for silver humidor among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Distinctions in quality
The standard of a humidor depends upon the gauge of the silver mounts and the quality of the cabinet work joining the hardwoods. Pieces by notable makers command attention through precise joinery, substantial silver weight, and integrated smoking implements such as cutters and match holders.
Simpler silverplated or unbranded containers offer utility and period charm, but lack the refined execution and fully fitted internal compartments seen in works by prominent silversmiths.
Elkington·Mappin & Webb·Zimmerman·Wright & Davies·Callow Mayfair
The Antique Silver Humidor Glossary
- Humidor
- A moisture-controlled box designed to store cigars at the correct humidity. These antique iterations rely on airtight wooden construction and tight-fitting lids rather than modern electronic humidification.
- Compendium
- A multi-purpose box or cabinet holding various smoking or writing accessories. In silver smoking items, this often includes built-in cutters, lighters, and vesta cases alongside storage space for cigars.
- Sterling silver
- An alloy of silver containing 92.5 percent pure silver and 7.5 percent other metals, usually copper. British pieces carry hallmarks identifying the maker, assay office, and year of testing.
- Silver plate
- A layer of silver applied to a base metal such as copper or nickel brass. Many Victorian and Edwardian household boxes used this technique to achieve the look of solid silver at a lower production cost.
- Vesta
- A small pocket box used for holding safety matches. They frequently appear built into the sides of larger Edwardian and Victorian cigar compendiums.
Antique Silver Humidor: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use an antique humidor?
These historical boxes were designed to keep cigars fresh using traditional wood-to-wood seals and internal linings. Modern users often place a small modern humidification element inside to maintain proper moisture levels.
Take care not to over-humidify older wooden carcasses, as excessive moisture can warp the antique timber or damage silver mounts and internal linings.
Were these boxes always used for cigars?
While the larger oak and silver boxes served specifically as cigar humidors or compendiums, many share forms with biscuit barrels and decorative trinket boxes. Interiors often determined the exact purpose, with fitted racks or trays sized specifically for individual cigars.
Smaller silver tubes and cases were designed for pocket transport, allowing gentlemen to carry a small selection of cigars safely while away from home.
How do I clean the silver mounts?
Sterling silver and silver plate benefit from gentle cleaning with a specialised microfibre cloth and a mild silver polish designed to remove tarnish. Avoid getting liquid polish onto the surrounding oak, mahogany, or leather surfaces.
Regular, light dusting preserves the natural patina on both the timber and the metal without stripping away the historic finish.