Collins Doeskin Deckle Duchess Size Tan Leather Writing Case in Original Box c.1960s

This is a stunning and rare example of an unused leather writing case produced by Collins and probably dating to the 1960s.

The writing case is made from ‘glazed’ tan hide leather. It is rectangular in shape and secured with a brass Lightning brand zip. There is a tuck lock attached to a leather pull on the zip, which, when zipped up, clips into the fastening on the top of the spine. The original key is present and is still in the brown paper envelope it came in.

The interior of the case appears to be lined with a brown marbled vinyl, with tan leather dividers on the left side, and a leather pen loop and notepad holders on the right. The leather is marked in gold with the words ‘REAL COWHIDE MADE IN ENGLAND’.

There is a clear plastic window which contains all the original paper inserts for each possible weekday layout.

The writing case comes in the original cardboard box, which is mink brown with a matte finish and a textured abstract design. There is a gold and brown coloured deer logo in the bottom right corner. On the bottom of the box, it bears the original white paper label, which reads ‘ONE DOESKIN DECKLE WRITING CASE DUCHESS SIZE – TAN GLAZED HIDE’.

The ‘Doeskin Deckle’ was a writing paper produced by Collins, with a deckle edge, and available in blue, green, grey and white. This writing case would have been for the ‘Duchess Flat’ paper, which was 9″ x 6″ in size. There were also Duchess long envelopes available to match at the time.

The writing case has a length of 26.0cm, a width of 17.8cm, and a depth of 3.0cm.

The case and box have an unwrapped weight of 570g.

It is in excellent condition, having never been used. There are a few minor marks to the leather where it has been stored, but these are only visible on close inspection. There is some minor tarnishing to the brass fitting, which is to be expected given the age of the piece. The box is also in excellent condition, with some minor wear on the back.

This is a remarkable survivor and a highly collectible piece of writing ephemera.