Yet another mystery item - Brass case possibly for tool or instrument???

Hello, here's another from my rapidly increasing pool of unidentified items. This is a cylindrical brass case with a metal ring attached to one end. The other end unscrews and has what looks like a steel tip. I would guess it is Victorian or Edwardian. It is beautifully made with decorative beading round the ends. I think it is to hold some kind of tool or possibly scientific instrument. It measures almost 4.5" long.
Anyone got any ideas what it was made for??

 

Pill box?

From Ebay:

Pill Box Case Bottle Holder

 

sealing wax etui?

 

Kind of big for pills.....
maybe a plumb bob? One could store the string inside......

 

One of those tubes to hold an addressform, for a giant cat:

 

Or one of us when we wander off in a flea market. When found return home? Could it be a case for a mechanical pencil?

 

Depends on how many pills you take!!

 

That would be a pretty big cat!

 

That was my instantaneous thought when I FIRST saw the picture......until I saw it with the cap unscrewed!!!!

 

No diameter posted.......... maybe a brass medical thermometer case.

 

Is that end tip to end tip?
Or the tube in the center?

Needle case?

 

clock weight? Nah, probably not.....but compare:

 

Golly - what a lot of replies!! Measurement is end tip to end tip, and diameter is 0.5". I don't think it's heavy enough for a clock weight - it weighs 35g - unless it was filled with something? I think it's too big for pills - apart from for that giant cat!

 

that almost sounds possible....

 

It will hold a herd of buffalo....
Or three straight pins.

 

Reminds me of, but probably isn't, one of the things that were so popular in the 1940s-50 that dangled from a key chain and held the insurance" card for your automobile..............I still have one or two hanging (literally) around.

 

Not known of this. Interesting.

 

I have something that looks like that, but only 3" long. I have never figured out what it was for so I hope someone comes up with the right answer. An insurance card holder is so off-the-wall, it might be it.

 

It would make a classy place to hold your Tic Tac stash. Or your Ibuprofin.

 

Morphine tablets are tiny - I could put 50 in that thing! I mean, you never know when you go out to the grocery, or to get the mail or.............