18 Carat Rose Gold Pillbox, 97 Grams, Paris 1819 / 1838

Exceptional sale at the price of gold in dollars, i.e. $7,980 or €7,200 Paris, circa 1830 this rectangular pillbox with a curved shape having on the top and bottom a serrated plate on which the medicinal paste was placed in order to draw marks before making a uniform cut of the preparation. The sides of this pillbox are superbly chiseled, with flowers, foliage and stylized horns of plenty on an amati background. Various hallmarks to be determined including that of the Gold Guarantee of Paris (bull) 1819-1839. The specially curved shape allows the specific use of the pillbox (see below). Length 85 mm Height 14 mm Width 53 mm Weight 97 grams The pillbox has existed since the 18th century, in ivory, copper, silver or gold. Originally the pillbox was used to make medicines. It is at the origin of the tablet as we know it today. The pill was a dry composition composed of powdered ingredients and incorporated into a liquid. A mixture was then made which came in the form of pastes to be cut in order to ingest them. This system evolved until mechanization, the pillbox then disappeared. There are still a few examples, the rarest of which are exhibited in museums. The paste obtained was cut into more or less equal pieces then rolled in the hands or between the fingers. The dosage was not perfect, however! It was in the 18th century that a new tool was invented THE PILLBOX composed of a serrated plate on which the paste was placed which made it possible to trace marks in order to be able to make a precise and homogeneous cut which was finished by rolling it between the fingers. Gold snuff boxes are more common, on the other hand gold pill boxes are little known and extremely rare. Very beautiful collector's item that combines beauty, invention and richness that can still be used today as a modern pillbox! Historical Research In the 18th century, a tool was invented, the pillbox, which Mr. Antoine Baumé (1728-1804), a French pharmacist and chemist, described as follows: a plate serrated like a saw, made of ivory, leather or silver into which the dough is introduced. This system allows you to draw marks using the saw teeth on the dough to help with cutting, you end up rolling the dough between your hands, and if the "mass" is too hard, you can soften it with mild oil and sometimes even with saliva... Excerpt from Baumé's work.