How so? What is it specifically about purses that makes men weak? Do they have a superpower that weakens men like Kryptonite weakens Superman? There is a very long history of men using purses. http://tassenmuseum.nl/en/knowledge-centre/history-of-bags-and-purses/ "1500 – 1800 A.D.: Hanging Bags and Purses From the earliest stages of civilization, bags and purses were practical everyday articles used by men as well as women. They were necessary for carrying money and other personal items, since clothes hadn’t yet been fitted out with pockets. We know what they looked like from paintings, prints and tapestries and the few historical handbags preserved in museums. Such antique bags are rare because they were mostly made out of perishable materials. Bags and purses came in a variety of designs for a number of purposes, such as bags with clasps, leather pouches and purses with long drawstrings. With the exception of some rare shoulder bags, these were all worn attached to the belt or girdle. The introduction of pockets towards the end of the 16th century meant that the men’s bags slowly disappeared in the course of the 17th century. From then on, bags belonged almost exclusively to the women’s domain." http://www.loveyourleather.ca/leather-blog/history-of-purses/ "Purses weren’t always convenient fashionable bags worn by women. In fact, the first purses in history were more utilitarian and actually worn by men. The usage of a purse continued this way for a long time before women started using them. The concept of a purse has been around for thousands of years and they have evolved over time in conjunction with fashion and the necessity to carry more personal items. This article will examine the evolution of purses over history and explains how purses changed in size shape and design over the years. Purses in Ancient Times The history of purses dates back more than 5000 years. A man known as Otzi the Iceman, who is Europe’s oldest natural mummy, was found in the Alps in 1991 with a handbag next to him. The bag was made out of chamois hide and had a strap attached to it. More evidence of ancient purses can be found in Egyptian hieroglyphs that depict men carrying pouches around their waist, and once again in biblical times where Judas Iscariot was identified as someone that carried purses. Purses in the Middle Ages During the early middle ages purses were very common for both men and women. They were made with round pieces of leather and a drawstring at the top to seal the purse tight. Instead of carrying the purse over the shoulder, people used to tie the drawstring around their girdle, which was a belt like feature that they wore on their clothing. These purses were very small and probably only useful for carrying small items like coins. Nearing the end of the middle ages, a new style of purse became popular amongst the elite class. These new purses were made with a triangular metal frame and leather fitted over the metal frame. They had small openings at the top with a wide bottom and were secured by using a drawstring, or in later versions, a metal clasp. Similar to the earlier purses of the middle ages, these purses would hang from the owners girdle, either with the drawstring or by a metal loop at the top of the purse. Purses during the Renaissance During the 16th and 17th centuries, fashion changed significantly with women wearing very wide dresses that had a lot of fabric. As a result, women could not wear their purses on the outside of their clothing anymore because it would get tangled in their dress. Instead they wore purses hanging on the inside of their dress. Mens fashion also changed and so did the pouches that they carried. With the invention of pockets around 1670, men no longer had to carry a purse strapped to a girdle. They did still carry smaller pouches to hold their money, which later evolved to become wallets."
Wait a minute... are you saying that wasn't just free clothes left out for anyone to take? Dang how embarrassing...
When I'm 88, I hope opinions like this will matter to me as little as they do to the original poster. Oh, wait, they already do.
that is correct.. better a purse carrier than cutter and pockets..what a concept.. i still have to correct some of my peeps on when they talk of the ancients money in their pockets.. didn't happen..
that's pretty cool you carry around all those coins @jamesicus , man, I be worried I'd leave them somewhere! So have you have you had any luck at coins shows getting people interested in your coin? I used to carry around a couple of ancient pocked pieces. I had a rough urbs roma, a friend of mine thought it was neat so I just gave it to her. She freaked, thought it should be in a museum or something. I gave her a couple more coins since then, she is somewhat interested in them. I carried this one around until last December... Went on a canoe trip and forgot to take it out of my pocket, I fell in the river...so this one got a bit wet that day. I gave up pocket pieces that day.
Rather than a "man purse" I might suggest an old soldier could use an M1938 - personalized with your name/rank/svc dates I doubt you'd get a sneer at all, but rather a polite thanks for the service you performed. Furthermore, I think it would hold more coins and reference books and all of the assorted numismatic accoutrements one might need while out in the fields and halls hoard hunting ancients. I have no ancient Britannic coinage, but its on my list, thanks to you!
This is the last of your wishes (unless you come to Baltimore). The printout of my collection and RSC vol. 1 that keeps me from buying duplicates fit in the used diaper compartment under the flap folded back here so you can see the duck. The Nook with photos of all my coins fits in the fresh diaper compartment. Smaller compartments hold my +3.5 diopter readers, lighted mini-microscope, LED mini flashlight, card tabs for marking places in dealer boxes (so I can put back the ones I don't get for a good price), pens etc. Not shown is a checkbook and a few empty flips for junkbox coins that don't come in one.
You mentioned a while back that you have a pair of cheap readers for coin viewing. It prompted me to pick up a pair of +2.00 readers from ebay. I must say they work a charm! It's nice being able to view a coin in 3D. Along with my two B&L Hastings loupes, vintage B&L magnifying glass, and a lighted mini-microscope like yours, I'm pretty well covered.
Great coins jamesicus! I always try to keep an ancient or two with me in my wallet in case I get bored. Nothing expensive though. Right now its a Maurice Tiberius half-follis.