Wallet history. History of wallets: history of creation and development, achievements of our time

The wallet is a small, flat body that can be used for personal items such as cash, credit cards, as well as identification documents (driver's license, ID cards, club cards, etc.), photographs, transit passes, gift cards maps, business cards and other paper or laminated cards. Most often, women's and men's wallets are made from leather or fabric, and they are usually pocket-sized, but not always foldable.

Etymology

The word "purse" has been used since the late 14th century to refer to a bag or knapsack for carrying objects. The word may come from Proto-Germanic. The ancient Greek word kibisis, said to describe the bag carried by the god Hermes and the bag in which the mythical hero Perseus carried the severed head of the monster Medusa, is usually translated as "purse". The use of the term "purse" in its modern meaning of "a flat case for paper currency" in American English dates back to 1834, but this meaning was one of many in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Story

Ancient Greece

Classicist A.Ya. Campbell decided to answer the question: "What...in ancient literature, is the use of a purse?" He concluded, as a theocratic scholar, that "the purse was the poor man's portable storehouse, or, among other things, it was what you supplied with provisions." He has found that sometimes a person can eat from it directly, but the most typical references refer to it being "stocked like a store" and not like a lunch basket, but rather like a survival pack.

Renaissance

Wallets were developed following the introduction of paper currency to the West in the 1600s. (The first paper currency was introduced into the New World by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1690.) Before the introduction of paper currency, coin purses (usually simple leather drawstring bags) were used to store coins. Early wallets were made primarily of cowhide or code leather and included a small pouch for printed business cards.

Writing about the life of the Elizabethan merchant, John Frampton, Lawrence C. Wroth describes the merchant as "a young Englishman of twenty-five years of age, decently dressed, wearing a sword, and tied to his belt what he called a bogett (or budget), that is, a leather a bag or purse in which he carried his money, his ledger and small articles of daily necessity."

19th century
In addition to money or currency, the wallet would also be used to carry dried meat, food, "treasures" and "things that should not be exposed." Wallets were originally used by early industrial Americans. In 19th century America, it was considered "semi-civilized" to carry your wallet on your belt. Ironically, during this time, carrying goods or a wallet in one's pocket was considered uncivilized and unusual.

In Spain, the purse was an example for smoking paraphernalia: "Each person would carry a small bundle of white paper in addition to a small leather purse, which would contain flint and steel together with a small amount of what is called jeca, being a dry vegetable fiber, which a spark would instantly ignite."

What exactly do you know about your wallet?
Of course, many will answer that it is intended for storing money, where it was purchased and how old it is.

However, wallet history very long. For many centuries, a wide variety of objects served as money for people: stones, shells, beads, knots on ropes and much more. And all this needed some kind of container for storage and movement.
There was a time when a person did not have pockets on his clothes, no one had yet invented a wallet, and tailors did not sew bags. In that era, it was customary to hide money in the tops of boots and under hats.
Beads were often made from coins and simply hung around the neck, and ladies, whose clothes were already quite luxurious at that time, hid banknotes in folds between the fabric.

IN Ancient Rus' the wallet was a fabric or leather bag, tied at the top with a special cord. At that time, money functioned only in the form of coins, and this form of wallet was very convenient. Rich princes and boyars wore wallets made of expensive fabrics: brocade, silk, velvet, which were decorated with embroidery, precious stones and so on.

This irreplaceable thing has been extremely popular in Rus' since the 11th century. This is exactly the thing that archaeologists discovered in Novgorod and thanks to it this date was established. As a rule, such “wallets” were used to store not only cash, and also special folding scales with small weights. They were intended so that the owner could accept not only money as payment, but also precious stones and metals, having previously made an assessment.

In Ancient Egypt, the wallet had a shape resembling a fabric bag that was attached to its side. Images of such wallets can be found on frescoes. Such a wallet served not only as a “house” for money, but also as a repository for precious stones and, often, herbs.

In Ancient China and Japan, a cord served as a wallet. The fact is that in those days, coins did not have a face value, but were distinguished by holes made in the center of the coin. The lace was simply passed through holes, and the value could only be determined by weight.

Only the Romans thought of using leather to make wallets. People decorated their wallets not only with embroidery, but also with stones, often precious ones. From such a wallet one could determine a person’s wealth. At this time, the wallet became an important decoration for the fair half of humanity. Exactly at Ancient Rome wallets for women became not only the main decoration and performed their direct function, but also served as a cosmetic bag.

In the Middle Ages, wallets began to be made in different shapes, presented in lyre-shaped frames, which were covered with all kinds of fabrics, embroidered with precious threads. Purses and wallets appeared in Rus' in the 17th century. They were designed to hold paper bills.

Today, this accessory is an integral part of every modern person. For the manufacture of modern wallets They use a variety of leather: crocodile, snake, ostrich, stingray and many others.

By the way, the wallet is perfect as a gift. Just remember that you should never give it empty. The wallet does not tolerate emptiness, both in terms of signs and in its functionality. There you are helpful advice on purchasing a wallet: when you buy this accessory for yourself, make sure that the bills in it are located comfortably, do not wrinkle or bend. Black, brown and all shades of metals are ideal for a wallet: silver, bronze, gold, as well as all shades of yellow.

However, history does not stand still. And today a new type of wallet has appeared - an electronic wallet.

For many centuries, a wide variety of objects have served as money for people: stones, shells, beads, knots on ropes and much more. And all this needed some kind of container for storage and movement.

Once upon a time, at a time when there were no pockets on clothes or wallets, people wore banknotes in their headdress or in the top of their shoes. Ladies put coins in the folds of their clothes, and sometimes they made some kind of jewelry from them, for example, a monisto or beads for the neck.

The first wallets were more like bags in size and function. The Egyptians carried precious stones, herbs and other items in these bags that they believed were needed in the future afterlife. It is curious that in Rus' such a bag was called a moshna, and this word subsequently began to symbolize great wealth. Colloquial figures of speech also appeared: shake the purse (spend money), fill the purse, tight purse.

The Assyrians and Babylonians used a special canvas bag worn on their belts as a wallet. As a rule, it was not decorated and was an attribute of an exclusively male suit. Much later, such a wallet was borrowed from them almost unchanged by the ancient Greeks, who adapted the pouch to the chiton belt, using it to carry coins minted in more than a thousand cities of Ancient Greece.

Significant changes in the appearance of the wallet appeared among the Romans. Not only were they the first to make leather wallets and decorate them (in Rome they were even inlaid for very wealthy people and decorated with unique embroidery), but they also began to use them as a mandatory attribute of a woman’s costume.

But in Ancient Japan and China, wallets in their usual quality did not exist for quite a long time. And all because the coins there were very unique - they had holes in the middle and were worn on an ordinary leather or silk cord. Over time, belt pouches also began to be used for wallets in these countries.

Often, a thick leather travel belt, made with a lining, the width of a palm, acted as a wallet. The money was kept inside it. The clasp was a buckle, and sometimes a lock. A similar method of storing money was used in the Middle East. In such folds of the belt they carried not only coins, but also tobacco, breakfast, and small purchases.

Among European wallets in the Middle Ages, there were many examples with a lyre-shaped frame. According to archaeologists, coins and weights for weighing precious stones were hidden in such wallets, as in Rus'. The so-called “Saracenic pouches”, which were brought by the crusaders at the end of the 13th century from the countries of the East, were also very popular. As a rule, they were decorated with enamel, silver bells and miniature portraits.

Along with them, there were also wallets that were quite unusual in purpose and shape, for example, in the form of envelopes or “omonier”. The first consisted of numerous pockets sewn on the sides, in which whole coins, their trimmings or weights were stored, laid out in the pocket separately from each other. The other was intended for alms, because it was not customary to give alms from a simple wallet; it was believed that the giver’s money would also be transferred. But during this period, the appearance of omoniers was almost no different from ordinary wallets.

Starting from the 16th-17th centuries, a purse on a belt became an attribute of predominantly women's clothing. They wore a wallet under their overskirt, where they made a special slit for convenience. Now the wallet was intended not only for coins, but also for personal items: keys, a miniature prayer book, love letters. The men's wallet changed quite a lot after clothes with pockets appeared. The capacious wallet of the past has been replaced by a small pouch for storing round money. The first pockets were made with welts on trousers; by the end of the 17th century, patch pockets began to be sewn onto men's camisoles, and then onto vests.

The term “wallet” appeared in the 17th century and originally meant “a bag for papers.” It was only in the 19th century that a wallet became synonymous with a purse, when paper money began to be printed in Europe and Russia.

Wallets and purses of the 19th century are very interesting for their diversity. At the beginning of the century, oblong wallets with metal frames and hexagonal or octagonal wallets came into fashion. Wallets for men at that time had two pockets or compartments and a clasp. The basis of a purse and wallet is cardboard or thick paper, covered on top with leather or white, and sometimes colored satin. The outer side of the wallet was decorated with beaded embroidery.

In the 1820-1830s, notebooks made together with a wallet came into fashion. Such products are also found at a later time, but much less frequently. But throughout the century in Europe and Russia they have been using coin purses with two clip rings and a slit in the middle.

They continued to use purses for giving alms. The materials and shapes from which they were made were very diverse. There were wallets made of metal, ceramics, beads, and the shape usually symbolized the intention of the one giving alms. The heart was the personification of sincerity and kindness, the seed meant the good fruits brought by mercy. Often moralizing inscriptions were made on such wallets: “The poor man asks, but you give to God,” “Alms are dear in times of poverty,” “If you want to have more, give,” and others. 1917 interrupted the tradition of making such wallets, so today they are presented mainly in private collections and museums.

The 20th century added several pages to the history of the wallet. Small wallets with clips or a button, made in a factory from artificial materials, knitted or embroidered with beads by needlewomen, even coin holders into which coins of different denominations and calibers are inserted with one finger press are one option. Another option has been offered by Russian and European designers for many years. A wide variety of models of leather wallets, including the skin of exotic animals, often decorated with precious stones and Swarovski crystals.

Our preferences and styles are changing, new materials for making wallets appear. And it also happens that the master returns to the traditions of the past, creating interesting, memorable products. Of course, this process is not the usual copying of models that existed many decades and centuries ago, but a creative processing of the experience of past masters. An example of a successful combination of long-standing traditions and novelty can be purses, handbags, very loved by many.

The history of the wallet will continue as long as there is money in the world. Designers constantly surprise with interesting finds; all that remains is to choose from the variety of wallets the only one that matches your mood, style, taste and financial capabilities.

History does not stand still. And today a new type of wallet has appeared - an electronic wallet.

For thousands of years, people have been using money and their predecessors - shells, pebbles, animal skins and other once analogues of paper bills familiar to us.

And all this time there is a need to somehow store these valuables and carry them conveniently with you. Imagine that there was a time when a person did not have pockets on his clothes, no one had yet invented a wallet, and tailors did not sew bags. In that era, it was customary to hide money in the tops of boots and under hats. Beads were often made from coins and simply hung around the neck, and ladies, whose clothes were already quite luxurious at that time, hid banknotes in folds between the fabric.

The word "purse" has been used since the first century AD to designate a bag or sack in which various necessary things and objects were carried. The origin of the word "wallet" can most likely be attributed to Proto-Germanic proto-languages.

Ancient Greek word kibisis is the name of the bag carried by the god Hermes, and in which the mythical hero Perseus carried the severed head of Medusa the Gorgon; this word is usually translated into Russian as “purse”.

The use of the term "purse" in its modern meaning of "a small flat item for holding cash" dates back to 1834.

In Ancient Rus' The wallet was a fabric or leather bag, tied at the top with a special cord. At that time, money functioned only in the form of coins, and this form of wallet was very convenient. Rich princes and boyars wore wallets made of expensive fabrics: brocade, silk, velvet, which were decorated with embroidery, precious stones, and so on.

In Rus', wallets appeared starting in the 11th century (the prototype of a modern wallet was found in Novgorod). It was a fabric purse, tied at the top with a special cord, which prevented the loss of not only large coins, but also small ones. In addition to monetary equipment, the wallet also contained all kinds of paraphernalia - folding scales for small weighings with weights, which allowed the owner of the wallet to accept precious metals and stones as payment for goods. Colloquial figures of speech also appeared: shake the purse (spend money), fill the purse, tight purse.

In Western Ukraine money was kept in leather wallets sewn in the shape of toads. They looked quite intimidating, but it was believed that such a toad would not only preserve, but also increase the wealth entrusted to it! IN European countries Since the Middle Ages, the traditional form of a wallet was also considered to be a leather or linen pouch-pouch with a drawstring or a cord pulled through the edge. Over time, coins were replaced by paper money, the drawstring pouch evolved into a flat and smooth wallet called a purse (a word borrowed from 18th-century French, in which porter "to carry" and monnaie "money", literally "that which what money is carried"), combines both a coin purse and a wallet.

In Egypt They wore wallets that were more like bags in size and function. In them they stored precious stones, herbs and other items that they believed were needed in the future afterlife.

Assyrians and Babylonians a special canvas bag worn on the belt was used as a wallet. As a rule, it was not decorated and was an attribute of an exclusively male suit. Much later, such a wallet was borrowed from them almost unchanged by the ancient Greeks, who adapted the pouch to the chiton belt, using it to carry coins minted in more than a thousand cities of Ancient Greece.

In Europe The first wallets appeared in the Middle Ages and were called “omoniers”. In shape and size they were absolutely no different from their Slavic counterparts. The only exception was that they also served as a small handbag, in which, in addition to money, they carried various useful little things, religious relics, jewelry, and so on.

To the East , in particular in Japan and China, wallets arrived quite late. This was due to the peculiar form of money: the coins had a hole in the middle and were worn on a leather or silk rope.

In the Middle Age Unusual wallets called “omonier” became popular. They were used for noble deeds - giving alms, since there was a belief that if you donate money from your regular wallet, the giver will become poor. The style and size of the omoniers did not differ in any way from the usual bags, and they were usually worn in pairs.

Significant changes have appeared in the appearance of the wallet among the Romans . Not only were they the first to make leather wallets and decorate them (in Rome they were even inlaid for very wealthy people and decorated with unique embroidery), but they also began to use them as a mandatory attribute of a woman’s costume.

In the 16th-17th centuries, wallets were divided into men's and women's and began to differ greatly from each other. Ladies wore them under their overskirts, where there was a special slit. Girls carried not only money in their wallets, but also other small things: hairpins, jewelry, letters. Men's wallets were modest in size, intended only for carrying coins, and were worn in the pockets of trousers or camisoles, which had already become popular by that time.

In the 19th century, wallets were already similar to modern ones. Cardboard was used as a base, which was covered with colored satin. Traditionally, they were leather, with two compartments and closed with a clasp; embroidery was often used for decoration. The shape of the wallets was very diverse: from oval to hexagonal.

Also at this time, coin purses made of leather with metal clips were popular. In Russia, until 1917, donation wallets were used. They were made from brocade, beads and other materials. Sayings and proverbs related to giving alms were often embroidered on them.

The 20th century, when fashion changed so rapidly, introduced many new styles into the history of wallets: models with buttons and zippers, multi-colored wallets made of artificial or genuine leather, famous for their special shapes and non-standard lines, appeared. Along with this craving for novelty, designers again and again returned to the achievements of the past, using elements of antique wallets in their works.

For now A wallet is an elegant and functional accessory that allows you to inadvertently emphasize the individuality of its owner. It will be used as long as cash exists. And let's hope that in the near future it will not be replaced by electronic analogues.

Every thing, small or large, has its own history, a long path of development and improvement. Some objects are so familiar that no one even thinks about how or who invented them. Small accessories continue to hold several thousand years of secrets and mysteries. One of the most antiques, created by man many centuries ago, is an ordinary wallet.
The ancient Egyptians, very rational people by nature, used small bags to store money. In addition to coins, they contained essentials - healing herbs, oils, precious stones. Practical Babylonians sewed wallets from ordinary canvas in the form of bags and attached them to their belts. The Greeks also used fabric handbags, tightly tied to a strap on the chiton. Since money at that time was in the form of coins, the first wallets were the prototype of modern coin holders for change.

The Romans were the first to pay attention to the appearance of a wallet - the empire was a symbol of prosperity and wealth, so every attribute of clothing had to correspond to a high status. To make coin holders for coins, craftsmen decided to use leather, decorating the surface of the finished product with embroidery and precious stones. In addition, Roman women began to wear a wallet, previously considered an exclusively male accessory.
In the Land of the Rising Sun (Japan), the first money had a rather bizarre shape - coins with a hole in the center. At first, a durable leather or silk cord was used to store them, and a little later, like the Greeks, the Japanese preferred a belt pouch. At the same time, people in the Middle East hid valuables in padded travel belts. Between the folds of such a device, not only money, but also a small amount of food could easily be placed. In the 13th century, oriental belt wallets took the form of pouches decorated with bells and enamel plates.

In European countries, two types of wallets were invented - personal and for alms. There was a belief that a person who gives a coin to a poor person from his personal wallet gives away all his wealth with it. Therefore, small money was carried in an omonier - a leather bag that was attached to the belt of a 15th-century court dress. More valuable items were placed in a wallet shaped like an envelope, with a huge amount separate pockets.

In the 16th-17th centuries, belt wallets completely migrated into women's wardrobes. Tailors left a small hole in the overskirt, which was located above the hidden cache. Ladies used a handbag to store money, keys, a prayer book and other small items. Men's suits at that time for the first time acquired an important part - internal and sewn pockets; therefore, purses were significantly reduced in size and were used exclusively for louis d'or and doubloons.
In the 17th century, the term “wallet” appeared - a pocket briefcase for small documents. In 1661, when the first banknotes in Europe were issued in Stockholm (in Russia, paper money - banknotes - came into use in 1769 under Catherine II), the wallet began to be used in its modern meaning. The purse (from the French porter “to carry” and monnaie “money”) is another type of leather wallet of that time. Wallets for both men and women had two popular forms - double and triple folding.

At the beginning of the 19th century, great attention was paid appearance wallets. The first to come into fashion were rectangular wallets with a metal frame, and a little later wallets with six and eight corners appeared. Basically, each wallet consisted of two compartments or pockets with a common clasp. Women's and men's purses were made of leather High Quality, fitting a form made of thick cardboard. Sometimes instead of leather, craftsmen used plain or colorful satin. The surface of the product was usually embroidered with beaded patterns.
In 1820, purses combined with a notebook became popular, but only for a short decade. Due to the fact that in addition to banknotes, metal money was also present in everyday use, coin boxes were created - bags with two clip rings. Aumoniers were made from all kinds of materials - sewn from fabric, woven from beads, cast from metal. Sometimes religious inscriptions on the theme of compassion for the poor were made on the surface of such wallets. Unfortunately, the production of alms pockets stopped forever in 1917.

In the twentieth century, the wallet acquired the title of the main attribute of both men's and women's wardrobes. Nowadays, the accessory is made from more exotic types of leather - snake, ostrich, crocodile; the surface is decorated with engraving, embroidery with gold thread, crystals and rivets from precious metals. The cost of the most expensive wallet in the world is $3.8 million. From us you can buy a high-quality purse made of genuine leather at much more reasonable prices.