Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Queen Alexandra's Diamond Coin Purse, c. 1902

Purse
Once Belonged to Queen Alexandra
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Alexandra knew how to live, I must say. Even this little coin purse was the height of elegance. Gold-mounted leather (once a bright green, but since faded to a putty color) features an inset clock. The face of the clock boasts numbers of blue enamel (except for the 12, which is red) and a frame of glittering diamonds.  

The Royal Collection

The reverse of the purse, still green, is adorned with a diamond “A” ringed with a diamond crown. The oval thumbpiece is also diamond-set around a sparkling Burmese ruby. The interior compartments also feature gold and ruby fasteners.

While the maker is unknown, the purse is thought to have been made around 1902. The once-brilliant green of the leather combined with the diamonds and rubies must have once made for a stunning, but useful accessory.

The Royal Collection

Gifts of Grandeur: The Purse of Mary, Queen of Scots, 16th C.

Purse
Sixteenth Century
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

A shimmering masterwork of silk, embroidered in silver and gold thread, this pear-shaped purse is said to have belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots. The purse is adorned with a crossed sword and scepter below a crown. On the reverse, a dove with an olive branch has been embroidered below a scroll. The purse was bequeathed by Lord Belhaven,  who long asserted that the Sixteenth-Century piece belonged to Mary Queen of Scots, to Queen Victoria.