Loading Spinner

Pill Boxes

For almost as long as patients have taken oral medications, daily doses have been stored away and organized in pill boxes. Collectible pill boxes are artifacts of more civilized points in history when storage was as much an art form as it was a functional need.

Antique pill boxes were handcrafted from a range of materials, often made of tin, copper, jade, gold, silver, or bone. Some of the earliest examples were carved from wood, the most readily accessible medium at the time.

Pill boxes created by skilled artisans using sophisticated techniques tend to do well at auction. These include repoussé, mosaics, enameling, and figure sculpting. Collectors often seek out antique Chinese and Italian silver boxes and those created by notable jewelers and designers as well.

For collectors, no matter how simple or ornate the exterior, vintage pill boxes have a mysterious quality. They denote a trace of something that has witnessed days past, providing a visible vestige of a simpler yet more refined era, and offering a small reminder of a time when the decorative arts stood at the height of combined utilitarianism and artistry.


Quick Facts

  • An early 20th-century Russian round gold enameled pill box set with diamonds sold for €5,250 in 2013 at Christie’s in Amsterdam
  • A 1940s Van Cleef & Arpels square pill box once owned by the Duchess of Windsor sold in a 1987 Sotheby’s auction for €31,250, dwarfing its €8,000 high estimate. The box features a ballerina formed from calibré-cut sapphires, a heart-shaped ruby, and a rose diamond
  • In 2008, a nine carat gold circular engine turned pill box by Cartier from the estate of an unnamed nobleman sold at a Christie's auction for £625

Recommended Items at Auction

See all items

TIFFANY & CO MAKERS 925 PILL CASE 1962
Feb 12, 10:00 AM EST
TIFFANY & CO MAKERS 925 PILL CASE 1962
by Vintage Auctions
Est: $500- $800
$556 Bids
Judith Leiber Silver Tn Butterfly Pill Box Purse
Feb 12, 10:00 AM EST
Judith Leiber Silver Tn Butterfly Pill Box Purse
by The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc.
Est: $30- $60
$254 Bids
TIFFANY & CO. GOLD BASKETWEAVE PILL BOX
Feb 23, 11:00 AM EST
TIFFANY & CO. GOLD BASKETWEAVE PILL BOX
by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries
Est: $800- $1,000
$9504 Bids
A timber pillbox hat block (H:7.5cm, W:18cm, D:15cm)
Feb 13, 1:00 PM AEDT
A timber pillbox hat block (H:7.5cm, W:18cm, D:15cm)
by Lawsons
Est: AUD80- AUD120
AUD253 Bids
(2 Pc) Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Trunk Pill Boxes
Feb 25, 11:00 AM EST
(2 Pc) Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Trunk Pill Boxes
by Akiba Galleries
Est: $100- $1,000
$752 Bids
RUSSIAN GILT SILVER ENAMEL DIAMONDS PILL BOX IOB
Feb 15, 10:00 AM EST
RUSSIAN GILT SILVER ENAMEL DIAMONDS PILL BOX IOB
by Antique Arena Inc
Est: $100- $150
$802 Bids
A DOUBLE-SIDED SILVER AND CLOISONNE ENAMEL PILL BOX BY KLEBNIKOV, RUSSIA, 19TH CEN.
Feb 16, 12:00 PM EST
A DOUBLE-SIDED SILVER AND CLOISONNE ENAMEL PILL BOX BY KLEBNIKOV, RUSSIA, 19TH CEN.
by Helios Auctions
Est: $800- $1,000
$5001 Bid
(3 Pc) Sterling Silver & Guilloche Enamel Pill Boxes
Feb 25, 11:00 AM EST
(3 Pc) Sterling Silver & Guilloche Enamel Pill Boxes
by Akiba Galleries
Est: $50- $500
$251 Bid
RUSSIAN SILVER DIAMONDS ENAMEL BULL DOG PILL BOX IOB
Feb 15, 10:00 AM EST
RUSSIAN SILVER DIAMONDS ENAMEL BULL DOG PILL BOX IOB
by Antique Arena Inc
Est: $100- $150
$501 Bid
English Snuff and Pill Boxes
Feb 19, 11:00 AM EST
English Snuff and Pill Boxes
by Caza Sikes
Est: $100- $150
$500 Bids
A Dutch Silver Pill Box. Hallmarked 1890. 3.5cm x 8.3cm x5.9cm, weight 85.5g
Feb 12, 9:00 AM GMT
A Dutch Silver Pill Box. Hallmarked 1890. 3.5cm x 8.3cm x5.9cm, weight 85.5g
by Hannam's Auctioneers
Est: £80- £120
£600 Bids
A Dutch Silver Pill Box. 3.1cm x 2.3cm x2.9cm, weight 11.9g
Feb 12, 9:00 AM GMT
A Dutch Silver Pill Box. 3.1cm x 2.3cm x2.9cm, weight 11.9g
by Hannam's Auctioneers
Est: £40- £60
£200 Bids
A Dutch Silver Pill Box. Dated 1868. 4.2cm x 1.7cm, weight 17.1g
Feb 12, 9:00 AM GMT
A Dutch Silver Pill Box. Dated 1868. 4.2cm x 1.7cm, weight 17.1g
by Hannam's Auctioneers
Est: £40- £60
£200 Bids
A SILVER PILL BOX. 15 grams. 3.5 cm x 1.5 cm.
Feb 12, 9:00 AM GMT
A SILVER PILL BOX. 15 grams. 3.5 cm x 1.5 cm.
by Hannam's Auctioneers
Est: £20- £30
£100 Bids
Keren Kopal Enameled Clown Pill Box
Feb 12, 10:00 AM EST
Keren Kopal Enameled Clown Pill Box
by The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc.
Est: $30- $60
$10 Bids
Keren Kopal Circus Clown Enameled Pill Box
Feb 12, 10:00 AM EST
Keren Kopal Circus Clown Enameled Pill Box
by The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc.
Est: $40- $80
$10 Bids
Three Silver Pill Boxes. Stamped 925. Largest 3.1cm x 1.3cm, total weight 29g (3)
Feb 12, 9:00 AM GMT
Three Silver Pill Boxes. Stamped 925. Largest 3.1cm x 1.3cm, total weight 29g (3)
by Hannam's Auctioneers
Est: £40- £60
£100 Bids
bp parity badge
Antique Victorian Style Porcelain Pill Box with Mirror
Feb 22, 9:00 AM CST
Antique Victorian Style Porcelain Pill Box with Mirror
by Matthew Bullock Auctioneers
Est: $30- $300
$150 Bids
FABERGÉ, A NEPHRITE, ENAMEL AND RUBY PILL BOX
Mar 19, 10:30 AM GMT
FABERGÉ, A NEPHRITE, ENAMEL AND RUBY PILL BOX
by Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Est: £5,000- £8,000
£4,5000 Bids
Display case objects: 2 pill boxes in sculpted corozo walnut.
Feb 19, 1:00 PM CET
Display case objects: 2 pill boxes in sculpted corozo walnut.
by CR Art Auctions
Est: €300- €400
€1400 Bids
A .925 silver pill box of oval form with engraved …
Feb 23, 9:00 AM GMT
A .925 silver pill box of oval form with engraved …
by Claydon Auctioneers
Est: £20- £30
£160 Bids

Sellers Who Sell Pill Boxes


Hannam's Auctioneers

Hannam's Auctioneers

Claydon Auctioneers

Claydon Auctioneers

The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc.

The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc.