Snuff-Box

Snuff-Box

Object name: Snuff-Box
Date: 1760-1801
Medium: Tin
Object number: C02160
DescriptionSmall rectangular tin box with a black gloss finish. It has a hinged lid attached to the back panel. There is a brass coin on the top with a wreathed man's head and the text 'Georgius III D.G. Brit Rex F.D.'

Snuff boxes were used for holding snuff, a scented powdered tobacco, in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was inhaled through the nose and was thought to have medicinal properties. The making of snuff boxes was a lucrative business. They could range in design from very simple to extremely ornate.