In the pre-Civil War era most cigars were shipped from the factory in boxes which held 200 to 5,000 cigars. In the first half of the 19th century the practice began of offering smokers cigars in multiples, from two for a penny for the lowest quality domestics to two for a quarter for the largest finest Havanas. Three for a nickel was a particularly popular pricing. Few people bought cigars by the box. Most were bought loose in ones, twos, etc., and carried by middle and upper classes in personal painted combination papier maché and leather pouches, almost all of which appear to be of European origin. By the mid 1850s personal cigar cases were also made of leather, silver, silver plate, tin, and tortoise shell.
This exhibit is not comprehensive but rather designed to provide an overview of the types available. See also the Exhibit of Paper Bags.
Cigar Cases & Pouches
A National Cigar Museum Exclusive
© Tony Hyman
Cigar case made of leather and hand painted papier maché. Portraits, nudes, classical references and military or historic scenes were especially popular.
Not in the NCM collection.
Two traditional shapes are found, both designed to hold three or four cigars. Cases are typically painted on only one side, with the word “Segars” or “Cigars” painted in gold on the reverse.
Not in the NCM collection.
Wonderful painting of the Hamburg fire which destroyed a good portion of the city, including the cigar district, in 1842.
[K1107]
Unusual, finely detailed map on the reverse, showing the fire damaged portion of the
city in red. Historical scenes are among
those most prized by collectors.
[K1108]
Two-piece sturdy leather case for three cigars manufactured by L. & E. Butler. Manuscript on one side gives the case as a gift in 1847. On the reverse someone else gives the case as a gift in 1857.
[11790]
Case was registered in May of 1844.
[11798]
Improved version of the previous case. A lever
on a spring provides just enough pressure to
keep one or two cigars from flopping around
and getting damaged when the case isn’t full.
[11796]
Butler Bros. & Co. are given as makers of the
“Improved Cigar Case with Spring.” No date.
Probably 1850’s,
[11797]
Double-ended case with place for segars on one end and matches on the other. Metal plate provided for monogramming. c1850.
[11791]
Pushing either end, allows the other to clam-shell open on a lightweight spring.
[11790c]
Standard elegant case by
Charles Asprey of London.
Not in the NCM collection.
Previous, displayed open.
Identified as a cigar case, but the fancy rosettes seem impractical for a man to carry in his pocket.
A lovely piece made of leather with metal studding. Not in the NCM Collection.
Previous case, open. Seems effeminate,
though quite lovely. Since it’s not in the
NCM collection I can’t verify its authenticity
but show it as a work of art.
Nice hard leather case. Initialed.
Not in the NCM collection.
Interior of previous.
Adding fluting by means of pressure die stamping wet leather provides protection for the cigars.
[11796c]
Called tortoise shell, this two-piece case is in
Oriental motif popular mid century. This appears
to be a mismatch, or re-marriage.
[11787]
A contemporary leather case no cigar smoker
could resist. Stamped PUROS HABANOS,
these were given away at the official reception
put on by COHIBA for attendees of the 1992 Havana conference honoring the 500th anniversary of the discovery of tobacco. [11873]
Case came complete with hidden treasures.
[11874]
An early hinged hard papier Maché case.
[11785]
After machine made cardboard was perfected in the 1850s, it became a medium for many products, including cigar cases. These date to the 1890-1910 era, and were given away by cigar factories:
Lorillard in Virginia, Thomas Thorne in Binghamton, NY and J.I. Lang in Olean, NY. [3673]
German mechanical trade card. 1901
[8251]
Cigar case on a card.
[8252]
Two-piece moulded cardboard case given away with GIRL FROM PARIS brand nickel cigars.
[3682]
Similar, unbranded, case with bare-breasted woman, not in the NCM collection.
Typically these cases get soiled over time, but the bottom half remains protected and pristine.
[3681]
Leather pouches, both soft and medium, printed with ad copy in gold and silver inks.
Held 3 to 5 cigars. 1870-1920.
[3676]
Give-away leather pouch used by American Cigar Company for its best selling anchor nickel cigar. Around 1905.
[11783]
Hard to see, but heavily embossed with logo of TANSILL’S PUNCH a popular late 1800’s cigar. The accordion fold is typical.
[3700]
Good looking, heavily embossed, leather pouch given away by cigar-making giant Bondy & Lederer, one of NYC’s larger factories. c1900.
[3680]
typically constructed hard (reinforced?) leather case with gold printing and deep stamping of a comical face. Maker of the ELECTRIC PARK cigar.
[11799]
Tiny leather match holder given by giant West Coast distributor M.A. Gunst, a Tobacco Trust Associate.
GENERAL ARTHUR was one of the nation’s most
heavily advertised brands in magazines.
[11806]
Very rare leather postcard that doubled
as a tobacco pouch. Mailed from Iowa
in 1907.
[11803]
Reverse of postcard. “Have one on me.”
[11804]
Two-piece silk embroidered cigar case ”...given to Mayor L.H. Chappell by certain Chinese laundrymen of Columbus, GA about 1902 or 1903” according to a note inside.
[11811]
[11812]
European decorated silver case.
Not in the NCM collection.
Erotica was popular in 1830-1880 cases, but often hidden inside, sometimes behind a false “wall” inside the case. European c. 1840.
Not in the NCM collection.
Interesting case with Russian hallmark offered on ebay. Seller notes the clasp has been replaced. I suspect that a lot more than the clasp is not original.
These “charm bracelet” additions are old, but make no logical sequence or relationships to one another or to the original pattern engraved into the silver. They’re random do-dads. These decorations sticking up from the surface would make it difficult to smoothly remove from a suit coat pocket.
Both sides of the case.
Interior, with an emblem the only purpose of which would be to ruin your cigars. An obvious later add-on by a demented jeweler or a student learning how to add embellishments to silver items.
Selection of metal cases, made of tin, sterling silver
and aluminum. Three compartments is
the most common design.
[11793]
Tin three cigar case give away by the Edwin Cigar Co., founded by “Morton Edwin” a teen-age boy
who went on to head one of the country’s
largest mail-order cigar companies.
[11786]
Sterling silver three cigar case. The more valuable the case, the more likely to be monogrammed.
[11792
The NCM owns two very similar aluminum cases. The one seen above was a souvenir sold or given away at the Jamestown Exposition in 1907. This one was given away as ad advertisement for
NEIL BURGESS cigars, c1905.
[11810]
Cases for single cigars were, for me, surprisingly popular. Seen above are hand-soldered tin, stamped nickel-plated tin, sterling silver and aluminum.
[11809]
The stamped nickel plate is a particularly ornate design, one of the nicest I’ve seen. The sterling
case is very plain in contrast. Both 1890-1910.
[11808]
Hand made soldered tin, probably Civil War era.
The earliest single cigar case I’ve seen.
[11795]
Aluminum, opened. Probably 1900-1910.
[11789]
