Since we’ve been blogging about the history of wallets – did you know Perseus is said to have carried the head of Medusa in one? Or that Shakespeare helped coin the term? – We thought it would be fun and interesting to create a bullet-point timeline of the biggest hits in wallet history. We’ll skip over Ancient Greece and the Renaissance, since we’ve already covered those times. 19th Century: In addition to currency, a wallet would be used for carrying dried meat, victuals, personal treasures, and things the wearer wanted to keep hidden. However, it was more than likely that money would not be found in a wallet in the U.K. because over 3/4 of the British population never handled pound coins and were highly unlikely to come in contact with paper money. Wallets originally were used by early Industrial Americans. According to Otis T. Mason’s essay “The History of the Carrying Industry,” it was considered civilized to carry one’s wallet on their belt. Believe it or not, carrying goods or a wallet in one’s pocket was considered uncouth. In Spain, a wallet was a case for smoking paraphernalia, and hardly ever to carry money. 20th Century: The turn of the century’s wallet looked pretty much as we know it today: a foldable leather, pocket-sized accessory made for the purpose of carrying paper bills. The modern bi-fold wallet with multiple card slots became standardized in the early 1950s with the introduction of the first credit cards. In the 60s, wallets with chains were introduced. They were popularized by bikers to secure their wallets while riding their motorcycles. In the 70s, the widespread reliance upon credit suggested that most wealthy people were unlikely to carry large sums of money. Also in the 1970s, the Velcro-closure wallet was introduced. Punk fashion in the 70s and then early 1990s grunge and heavy metal fashion, brought back the chained wallet look. Present Day: Wallets are as popular as ever, especially leather billfolds like ours, but someday, what with the advent of electronic banking and transactions, they will probably be stored as apps in our phones. For more of our stories you can visit www.storyleather.com/blog or visit our Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest for all of any updates on new styles, leathers, or promo codes. Don't forget to check out our recent works section to see past creations, link right HERE to take a look at all the custom designs that others have made. Who knows, maybe there's a design that speaks to you. Find Staci Layne Wilson on Google+ and on Twitter at @StaciWilson