Elgin American Art Deco Cigarette Case 1930s Enamel Look Paint Vintage Green Ant

This vintage Elgin American Art Deco cigarette case is a stunning, elegant piece made in the United States. Perfect for any tobacciana enthusiast or collector, this piece is a rare find that showcases timeless craftsmanship and style. The case itself is light and thin but solid, and opens easily with a press of the clasp. In order to close it correctly, it must be pinched firmly shut near the catch; but once that's done, it holds firm. The spring on the metal plate that holds the cigarettes down is in like-new condition. The monogram plate is untouched. It features a hard, semi-gloss pale green coat that I first thought was enamel, and now believe is paint that looks like enamel. Either way, it has held up like enamel. It has some faint smudges & wear, and some tiny fleabites out of the paint here and there. There are some faint corrosion spots on the machined interior. Other than that, this piece is in excellent shape for its age. This case is 0.5" thick and will hold cigarettes 70 mm (2.75") long or less. This means it was made for hand-rolled cigarettes or the earliest commercially available filterless cigarettes, and suggests it was made before filtered cigarettes hit the market in the 1950s. It was most likely made in the mid-to-late 1930s. The last photo is of an Elgin American ad from 1938 showing a cigarette case very similar to this one.