This was one of those Estate Sale finds that really felt significant! The note attached to tbe piece reads:

Carl Eck (died 1990s at 90+ years) wore this money belt when he made his trip from Sweden to USA in early 1900s. He settled in Marquette, Mi. after living in Rockford, Ill.

In my research, I have only found a few similar items and they were not accompanied by any personal history.

The leather is very soft. The coloring is very consistent. The stitching is in great shape. There are three pockets; two single snap pockets on either side of a double snap pocket. There are metal snaps with AAS CO. on the front of each of the snaps. The backs of the snaps have oxidized and need some attention. The double snaps still work but they are very fragile. The single snaps are pulling away from the leather and do not snap any longer. There is neutral colored canvas webbing for the back strap and the original two prong clasp is still attached and working well. The clasp has sharp ends and just punctures the webbing to hold the belt in place. There are marks where the original owner used the clasp to secure the belt.

This is your chance to own a real nice piece of history, especially if you have Swedish or Scandinavian ancestry.

Dimensions:

Leather section - 20 1/4" long, 3 1/2" wide
Full belt - 44" long