Wallet

Made in the USA

Wallet measures 14″ by 39″

A Pocket Dictionary (1758) defines a wallet as “A travelling bag, with the mouth or entrance in the middle, to carry goods in each end.” This reproduction is based on an original in the Sebastian Goundie House at Historic Bethlehem, PA & a wallet in a private collection in New England. Wallets were usually carried over the shoulder or back of a horse to hold clothing, tools and other items whereas pocketbooks fit into the pocket to carry money. Some refer to these as “market wallets” but It appears the common term is simply “wallet”.

Often, modern people portraying civilians carry a haversack to carry their goods. But a haversack is a distinctly military item used to carry food on the march that hasn’t been found described on civilians. For some militia regiment’s there’s no record of haversacks being issued. A wallet can serve the same purpose & is well documented used both in the military as well as civilian. For example in The Proceedings of the Old Bailey in 1757 “We opened the wallet, in which we found a pair of stone buttons, a cap and a shirt.”