How The Wallet Started

Did you know that wallets have been around for centuries, in various forms? In ancient Greece, the poor Greeks would carry a sack called a “kibisis” where they put food, instead of money, to be consumed during an emergency. 

The word “wallet” was first used during the 1300s when people during this era started putting money into their knapsacks. It is also during the 1300s to the 1600s that metal coins came out. At first, only merchants carry money-filled knapsacks and sometimes including account books. The merchants tie the sacks to their belts.

By the end of the 1600s in American colonies, drawstring purses were replaced by wallets made from horse and cow leather. Colonists would keep the newly invented paper currency in these leather wallets, including pieces of identification cards referred to as “calling cards.”

During the 1800s, wallets became common in Europe and the United States, and people usually wore wallets on their belts. The Spaniards kept the things they needed for smoke in their wallets; they include steel, flint, and the dried vegetable component to light up. At this time, it would seem strange and not socially acceptable to keep a wallet in the pocket.

By the 1940s, the credit card was introduced which led to a major change in the design of wallets. Since people need to bring along with them their credit cards wherever they go, wallet makers started putting slots on the wallets they make to hold those credit cards. The wallets also became more flexible that they can be folded twice instead of only once.

Trivia Info Resource: bestwalletguide.com