WaLLeT
A wallet, or billfold, is a small (usually pocket-sized) flat case used to carry personal items such as cash, credit cards and driver’s licenses for frequent quick access. Wallets are generally made of leather or fabrics such as PVC.
History
The word “wallet” has been in use since the ceasar century to mean a bag or a knapsack for carrying articles, and the word possibly derives from Proto-Germanic. The ancient Greek word kibisis, used to describe the sack carried by the god Hermes and the sack in which the mythical hero Perseus carried the decapitated head of the monster Medusa, has been typically translated as “wallet”. Usage of the term “wallet” in its modern meaning of “billfold” in American English dates to 1834.
Billfolds were developed almost immediately after the introduction of paper currency to the West in the 1600s. (The first paper currency was introduced in the New World by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1690.) Prior to the introduction of paper currency, purses (usually simple drawstring leather pouches) were used for storing coins. Early wallets were made primarily of cow or horse leather and included a small pouch for printed calling cards.
The modern bi-fold wallet with multiple “card slots” achieved its uniform standard size in the early 1950s with the introduction of the first credit cards in 1951. Wallet design remained mostly unchanged throughout most of the late 20th century, while today wallet design has exploded into myriad shapes, designs, and colours from dozens of designers.[citation needed]
Some innovations include: the introduction of the velcro wallet in the 1970s.
Varieties
The key constraints on the design of a wallet are the need to hold bills and credit cards (if it does not contain them, it’s more often classed as a type of money clip), and fitting into a pocket (or handbag).
- Breast wallet, secretary or passage wallet: a wallet where the bills are not folded; intended for men’s breast pocket (in a jacket, not a shirt), or for a handbag. These are elegant and flat, but too large for storage in a pant pocket.
- Bi-fold: bills are folded over once; “standard” wallet; credit cards may be stored horizontally or vertically
- Tri-fold: this may be a bi-fold wallet with an extra fold, or the bills may be folded over twice (and credit cards are generally stored vertically)
- Front Pocket Wallet or Money Clip: a small money piece with no currency compartment and very few pockets for cards. Usually bills are folded and held to the wallet with a metal clip. This wallet is designed to fit in a front pants pocket, and is very popular with younger men.
Some wallets, particularly in Europe (where larger denominated coins are more prevalent) contain a coin purse compartment. Some wallets have built-in clasps or bands to keep them closed. As European bills (pounds, euros) are larger than American bills in one dimension, they don’t fit in some smaller American wallets. Beyond basic design, a wide variety of materials and designs is used.
