Silver Pocket Cigarette Box
These silver pocket cigarette box pieces span Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco designs, offering solid construction and refined pocket utility.
Silver Pocket Cigarette Box
A silver pocket cigarette box is a portable metal container designed to hold cigarettes or cheroot cigars securely in a pocket or handbag. The selection here ranges from nineteenth-century Victorian examples to mid-twentieth-century designs.
Most pieces encountered on this page date from the Edwardian era through to the Art Deco period, including items featuring enamel work and gilt finishes. Forms include standard cigarette cases alongside occasional card or vesta combinations.
Origins span British workshops as well as Continental, Russian, Ottoman and Soviet makers, reflecting diverse regional styles such as Arts and Crafts motifs and Ottoman patterns.
Materials and construction methods
These items are constructed primarily from sterling silver or solid silver, occasionally enhanced with silver gilt or gilt metal interiors. Metalwork techniques yield curved profiles designed to follow the contour of a pocket.
Surface decoration frequently incorporates vitreous enamel, hand-painted details such as chrysanthemum flowers, and peacock enamel. Makers also applied detailed crests, engraving and applied gold elements to exterior panels.
Silver Pocket Cigarette Box Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for silver pocket cigarette box 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.
Materials recorded across the inventory include sterling silver, enamel, gold, vitreous enamel, and gilt metal.
What separates standard pieces from finer examples
Quality in a silver pocket cigarette box rests upon the crispness of the exterior chasing, the integrity of any hand-painted or vitreous enamel work, and the snug fit of the closing clasp. Pieces retaining intact gilding and unblemished enamel panels stand apart.
The weight of the silver and the complexity of the internal strap mechanisms or hinges contribute significantly to a piece's standing. Finer examples display meticulous attention to detail across both the exterior decoration and the interior finish.
Sampson Mordan·Liberty & Co
The Silver Pocket Cigarette Box Glossary
- Sterling silver
- An alloy containing 92.5 percent silver by mass, forming the primary metal body for the majority of these cases.
- Vitreous enamel
- Glass fused to the silver surface through high-temperature firing, creating smooth and colourful decorative panels.
- Silver gilt
- Sterling silver that has been coated with a thin layer of gold on its interior or exterior surfaces.
- Vesta case
- A small portable box originally intended for holding matches, frequently combined with compartments for cigarettes.
- Cheroot case
- A slim container specifically sized for narrow, cut-ended cigars rather than standard cigarettes.
Silver Pocket Cigarette Box: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I date a silver cigarette case?
Dating relies heavily upon the hallmarks stamped into the silver, which indicate the assay office, date letter, and maker's mark. Stylistic indicators such as Edwardian elegance or Art Deco geometric lines also help place the piece in its correct period.
Examination of the construction methods and any accompanying enamel work further assists in confirming whether a piece originates from the nineteenth century or later decades.
Can these cases hold modern cigarettes?
Most historic silver pocket cigarette boxes were sized for shorter, narrower cigarettes or cheroots common in the Victorian and mid-twentieth-century periods. Modern filter cigarettes are generally longer and thicker, meaning they often do not fit inside older cases.
Buyers intending to use the case daily should check internal dimensions carefully against modern cigarette sizes before purchase.
What is the difference between a card case and a cigarette case?
Card cases were produced to hold visiting or calling cards, featuring flat interior spaces without internal spring arms or retaining straps. Cigarette cases generally include internal elastic or metal bands to hold loose cigarettes firmly in place.
Many antique forms share similar rectangular proportions, making the internal fittings the clearest indicator of intended use.
How should I clean antique silver enamel?
Enamelled silver requires gentle cleaning with a soft, damp cloth and mild soap to avoid scratching the glass surface or damaging the metal. Standard abrasive silver polishes must be kept away from enamelled areas entirely.
Store the case in a dry environment to prevent tarnishing of the silver portions and to protect fragile vitreous enamel panels from moisture damage.