The jewelled crowned cipher of Carl XIII, King of Sweden, is flanked by the engraved inscription ‘Minne af / d. 4 och 5 Febr . / 1818’ (Memory of 4 and 5 Febr. 1818). Carl, Duke of Södermanland (1748–1818), was the second son of Adolf Fredrik, King of Sweden (1710–1771), and his consort, Louisa Ulrike, Princess of Prussia (1720–1782). He succeeded to the throne of Sweden following the deposition of his nephew, King Gustaf IV Adolf (1778–1837), in 1809. Without legitimate surviving children, he was succeeded by his adopted son, Jean Baptiste Bernadotte (1763– 1844), who had assumed the name Carl Johan after being elected Crown Prince of Sweden in August in 1810. In his youth Carl was known for his philandering ways and for his interest in the supernatural; however, by the time he came to the throne he was prematurely decrepit and capable only of being a passive observer of a government directed by his heir, Crown Prince Carl Johan. A king only in name, he died on 5 February 1818, the date recorded in the inscription on this box. This box was modified shortly after it left the master’s workshop, in this instance the sablé-tooled panel set with King Carl’s crowned cipher replacing the original plaque. The pervasive influence of the French-born crown prince may explain why a Parisian snuffbox was used for a Swedish royal presentation box. The engraved inscription transforms it into a commemorative snuffbox. When this snuffbox was sold in 1992, it was contained in its original fitted case, where its presentation to Dr Shelenic was recorded.

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