Miser's purse

I bought a miser's purse in Kansas last month and I am totally in love with it. Sometimes called stocking purses, these were popular at the end of the 19th century and used to hold coins. This one is made of crocheted silk and cut steel beads. Here's how it works: There is a slit in the fabric near the middle where you can drop coins down either side. You push the silver "sliders" down over the coins after you drop them in to keep them from bouncing around. We didn't have any coins at home so I used my rings to illustrate how it works! So if you see something that looks like a fancy tube sock at your local antique mall, it is probably one of these!