Q & A

K.D. of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia writes:

My husband received this little silver box from his mother. My mother-in-law saw it fitting as my husband was born in Germany during their posting with the Canadian Armed Forces in the early 60’s. It is stamped Germany on the box and the wise men, we call them that because it is what we are reminded of. On the top of the box the picture looks like a candlestick with a rosetta and atop of that a crown. In the middle of the rosetta are the initials JHS. The box is approximately 1”x 1”, as you can see the wise men (eight of them) can be removed and maybe made of pewter. We are curious as to what it is and if it has any value.

We asked Charles Cripps to respond:

Thank-you for the question.

The decoration on the box certainly has religious connotations. From the fact that it is stamped 'Germany', would most probably take it back to the early 20th century, circa 1900. If there are no other markings, it will be silver plate. To be Continental Silver, it should be stamped '800' or even '830'. The figures are, as you suggest, possibly pewter.

Since we now live in a Post-Christian society, the knowledge of the use would become more obscure. With some help and some research, I have a couple of suggestions for the uses for which it might originally have been intended.

It might have been intended as a traveling communion for assistance with private prayers or devotions, the images being particular apostles and or saints to whom or through whom a devout Roman Catholic might have prayed.

The box might be a 'pyx', which is a container for transporting the consecrated 'host' (bread) to take Holy Communion to the sick. This would lend credence to the figures, one of whom might be Jesus or St. Peter with the seven deacons chosen to care for the sick. (See Acts, chapter 5).

The "IHS" is a common ancient monogram for Jesus and comes from the first three letters of the Greek word for Jesus. The letters being "iota eta sigma" and in upper case became 'IHS'. These letters were later adopted by the Roman church as a short form of the Latin, "lesous Hominum Salvator" which means, "Jesus, Saviour of Man". This is also the derivation of the blasphemous expression, "Jesus H. Christ"

Moving from the religious to the secular, a person might also use it as a 'stamp (postage) box. During the 19th and early 20th century, small boxes of this dimension were made of silver or some other metal to carry stamps in a purse of pocket.

The value of this particular box, silver-plate would have a minimum value. I would say, between twenty-five and thirty dollars. Silver or gold would of course be considerable higher.