Featured small wood box, money box?

Hi all

found this charming little box in our local charity shop
thought money box, but it is quite small for one, wouldn't hold many coins

has a mechanism for opening

any idea of age also

any thoughts appreciated

 

Pretty neat little box, Ches.

Given the small size, maybe it's a bank for a child?

 

thanks buddy, nice idea that

 

They would have been called puzzle boxes and remember that few people had much money if it is antique. Many of the early piggy banks were only 3-4 inches long. Now they are huge in comparison. The early coin purses were also small.

 

Very neat. Perhaps it was a drawer in an old desk, possibly a hidden one? A number of older desks had hidden or concealed storage areas for valuables. Slide a panel away, slip in your gold, and slide it closed

 

Another vote for puzzle box. Meant to hide away little treasures or money. The slot in yours definitely seems to indicate it's intended for coins.

 

yup,,,,puzzle bank !
maybe older than it looks..

 

When I was a kid, I had a pencil box, obviously longer than this, which had the same style of opening.