Victorian and Edwardian wallets and purses were larger. Worldwide the
notes were generally quite large. The notes were known here in NZ as
"horseblankets" due to their size.

The average person tended not to carry notes as much as coins were
proportionally higher in value than today.

For instance in the US
What cost $1 in 1900 would cost $24.61 in 2007
If you were to buy exactly the same products in 2007 and 1900,
they would cost you $1 and $0.04 respectively

What cost $1 in 1920 would cost $11.89 in 2007
If you were to buy exactly the same products in 2007 and 1920,
they would cost you $1 and $0.09 respectively.

Much less faith was placed in notes - people preferred coins
containing silver or gold. Coins were available in (proportionally to
income) much higher values than today. (Morgans ($1=eq$11), Half
Eagles ($5=eq$55) (Eagles $10=eq$110) and (Double eagles / Saint
Gaudens $20=eq$220)

The larger notes (worldwide) were generally higher denomination notes.

Some vintage wallets can be seen for sale at:
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/pucker...le,id=1.5.html
http://www.jewelsofyesteryear.com/id2.html





I was recently reading about the large-format US notes from (I
think) the 1920s and prior.

And that made me wonder about wallets, and the average person
carrying those notes around. *Which actually is relevant today.

For example, an average wallet made now is, of course, sized for
the current types of notes. *Folding in half, or in thirds.

But, back in the old days, there were many notes (in the US and
other countries) which were significantly larger, from top to
bottom.

Did they just have taller wallets, then? *Or was it more common
for people to use a metal money-clip, with the wad of notes
folded in half?

Or did lots of people just stuff the notes into a pocket or
purse? *Maybe folded into quarters? *After all, five dollars, or
five pounds (or similar denomination) was a lot of money back
then. *So you might go into town for your weekly shopping with
only one note in your possession. *Which might mean that you
didn't have a wallet (since they are sort of designed to carry
multiple notes.) *

And, the $64,000 question... How does this relate to the wear
patterns on those notes? *If I put one into my modern wallet,
there might result a crumpled strip along the top. *If I had just
one loose in my pocket, that might mean hard folds (half or
quarter.) *If it was in a taller wallet, then the wear would be
more like modern notes (did they favour wither half- or third-
fold wallets then?) *While a money-clip would have various levels
of fold-wear in the middle, but generally more overall wear (and
corner wear) than in an appropriately-sized wallet.

Any comments?

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