Small Red Leather Pocketbook with Buff Interior

Red leather pocketbooks were quite common in the 18th to early 19th century in a great variety of styles from plain to quite elaborate. This one has two pockets along with a pencil holder at the top. This pocketbook is made to period measurements of 5 3/4 by 4 inches (14.6 by 10 cm) so modern money will have to be folded once first to fit the pockets. For a written example of their use this is taken from London's The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, of 1763 in a "grand larceny" trial "I'll search the gentleman myself. It was a red leather pocketbook with the notes in it as mentioned in the indictment."