Tell me more! Civil War Wallet

skippy

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Nov 16, 2011
Location
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I have a wallet and I'm not sure if it is pre or civil war time period. Would any one have a clue. There are (were) 3 small pockets in the chamber (the front one is missing). There is a pattern on the back of the latch. I've traced this one down from ca. 1850 to 1926. A father to son thing. I believe the closing latch was typical for pre / civil war, but as said I can't be certain. There is a 48 star flag glued to the inside. I believe from 1912 to 1958/9. The last owner died in 1926.

Thank you
 

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The basic pattern looks like the reproductions the sutlers at reenactments sell.
 
I have a wallet and I'm not sure if it is pre or civil war time period. Would any one have a clue. There are (were) 3 small pockets in the chamber (the front one is missing). There is a pattern on the back of the latch. I've traced this one down from ca. 1850 to 1926. A father to son thing. I believe the closing latch was typical for pre / civil war, but as said I can't be certain. There is a 48 star flag glued to the inside. I believe from 1912 to 1958/9. The last owner died in 1926.

Thank you
Skippy, I'd like to know too as I have this one from one of my gg-grandfather. He was in business before the CW, served as a CS officer in it, and afterwards a businessman again until his death in the late 1880's. I have no idea as to age but it does have the same type latch as yours.

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Last edited:
RobertP & Skippy,
How do your grandfathers wallets look so nice? After a couple of years mine usually look like someone found them in an Egyptian tomb!
Mine too! Guess they don't make 'email like they used too. The leather in my gg grandfather's is so soft and supple it feels like doe skin. Not a crack in it.
 
Robertp, you have one great wallet there. I do believe our wallets are pre / civil war era. I could trace as mentioned, this wallet back to the father of the (last) owner. I just don't know if he handed it down to his son. I know the complete history of the family tree including sons and daughters. this includes the flue epidemic between 1915 and 1926. Both parents died of the last owner in the same year 1890. The last owner and his wife together, died too in the same year 1926. Knowing the history of the family the last owner was ca. 5/6 years of age when he received this wallet. No child in that age could buy or afford such a wallet. So I assume his father handed this down to him before he died in 1890, born 1850. The last owner was born in 1884, do the maths. The reason I believe the father handed this wallet down to his son is that in the wallet I found a card that could have been written either by the father or mother of the last owner. No adult would write a card in this way for himself. It seams it was written for him. I assume both parents were sick, they might have send their child (last owner) to relatives this was typical for the time with the wallet from his father. This makes sense but I can't proof it. If I'm right, then this wallet is pre/ civil war time related. Looking at yours, yes it will be too.
 
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