This is the place to come to learn about Avery style needle cases.

Coal Scuttle

Formerly known as the Gardener’s Basket

Coal Scuttle needle 
case
Needle Case


Design Representation

NOTE: The reason the name of this needle case was changed is because an artlce from July 1878 was recent discovered which describes this item as a coal scuttle.

Design Details

Needle Case Type:

Figural

Patent/Registered to:

W. Avery & Son - Redditch

Patent/Design Representation #:

Ornamental Class1: Metal: #312431

Patent/Design Registration Date:

August 1, 1877

Location of Patent/Design Registration:

The National Archives (TNA) - Kew, UK

Reference #:

TNA Representation - BT 43/42/312431
TNA Register - BT 44/4/312431

Dimensions:

6 x 3.6 x 5.2

Material:

Brass

Name Variations:

a) W. Avery & Son - Redditch
b) C. G. Wacker & Co - Redditch

Other Variations:

a) Nickel-silver version (the sole source of this information is Horowitz and Mann as no example of this needle case in nickel-silver has been seen by the authors of this website)
b) Slightly different Avery signature stamp on the bottom

Additional Photographs

Front and side views

Top open and closed

Bottom and signature detail

Top and side details

Wacker signature detail and a slightly different Avery signature detail (photographs from the Internet).

Facts

A coal scuttle is a metal container that holds a small supply of coal for use with an indoor stove or heater.  This type of receptacle, also called a coal hod, coal vase or coal bucket, typically has either a sloping or slanted top allowing the coal to be poured onto the fire more easily.  Some also contain a small scoop for that purpose.  Today coal scuttles are used primarily for decorative purposes since most homes are heated with gas or electricity.

Coal Scuttle facts

History

During the Victorian Period most homes used coal as the main energy source for both heating and cooking making it necessary to have a small supply handy.  While earlier vessels for holding coal were often plain and bulky, Victorian ones became highly decorative.  The Victorians were also responsible for enacting laws to protect workers since coal mining was a dangerous business.  For example in 1842 the Mines Act forbade the mining industry from employing anyone under the age of 10 in an underground mine.  Later the 1850 Coal Mine Inspection Act and the 1870 Coal Mines Regulating Act established additional safety standards.

Coal Scuttle history

Miscellaneous

Coal is a hard, black rock composed of carbonized plant matter found in underground deposits.  Although it’s been around as a heating fuel since the days of the cave man, it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries that it became the world’s leading fossil fuel.  Although coal usage has decreased in recent years due to the dangers of coal mining and the negative impact of carbon dioxide emissions on the environment, coal is still the largest energy source for the production of electricity worldwide.

Coal Scuttle misc