Miser Purses Squeezing Out The Money

Miser Purses are the earliest form of purse and may have been conceived from the medieval practice of keeping coins in a stocking, with the name perhaps reflecting, upon the difficulty of extracting the coins from the purse. They were either held in a hand, concealed up a sleeve or looped around the person's belt (a later Victorian fashion), depending upon length, some being as short as eight inches, with longer purses measuring up to thirty-six inches in length ! The latter were a particularly attractive 'opportunity' for thieves who would slice through the purse with a sharp knife and make their escape before being discovered. The purse needed flexibility and was either knitted, netted, knotted, or crocheted, using a variety of materials - silk, cotton, wool, and sometimes metallic thread. They were sometimes beaded, as a form of decoration, and the two ends were usually decorated with beads or tassels or a fringe. Victorian purses often have each end decorated differently, so that one could easily tell which type of coin was in each end of the purse. Several scholars conclude that purses with different style ends ; for example one rounded and one flat, or one tasselled and one fringed — was typical of the early purses. However, several Regency era portraits and drawings show purses with identical ends. Furthermore, scholars also often state that early purses weren’t beaded, and yet, a Joshua Reynolds’ painting, entitled 'Mercury as Cut Purse', dated 1774, clearly shows a beaded purse and with similar ends !  Thomas Gardon, a watch chain and purse maker on St. James Street, London, was one of the many merchants who provided all the necessary materials for purse-making. In the very early years of the 19th century, he advertised that “Ladies may be accommodated with great choice of Purse-Twist, Tassels, and Sliders.” In fact, several magazines carry information on the subject. Clearly, it was certainly a popular Regency domestic occupation /craft for young ladies.This is confirmed by Mr. Bingly in Jane Austin's Novel, 'Pride in Prejudice' when he said that all accomplished young ladies “paint tables, cover screens, and net purses. In terms of use, the coins were inserted into either end of the purse through a slit about half-way down and the 'slider(s) or rings moved either to keep the money in place or to close off the slit.The fashion of making and carrying Miser Purses seems to tail off towards the end of the nineteenth century and yet another social custom was set aside.