A nice Civil War vintage crochet cotton, cut steel decorated misers purse. Narrow in the middle and closed at both ends, miser's purses ranged in the course of their history from 8 to 10 inches long. A knitted or crocheted tube with short slit in the narrow midsection to let the carrier drop coins or other small objects into either end of the tube. The purse was closed by moving the rings, or sliders toward the ends, gathering the fabric snugly around the contents. The toesor ends were usually tasseled, one end was generally square the other rounded. Frequently categorized by collectors as being exclusively for ladies use, the misers purse was an equally popular personal item of both sexes. All in excellent original condition, we'd expect the considerable cut steal decoration on this example would more likely place it in the ladies us category. While the cut steal embellishment shows some rust as evidence of age and originality, this classic example remains solid and suitable for careful use or will fit well in any period accessory or personal item collection. Buy with confidence! We are pleased to offer a no questions asked three day inspection with return as purchased on direct sales! Just send us a courtesy e-mail to let us know your item will be returned per these provisions and your purchase price will be refunded accordingly. Thanks for visiting Gunsight Antiques!