What is it a snuff box?

[exahab]

Dug this last year
It is app 2"x3" is a hinged box Good metal nickel or sterling maybe. don't think its silver.
It has Thomas Jefferson in the middle and commemorates the Louisiana Purchase. I found a 1901 Token not to far from it and same depth.

 

[Steve O]

Sweet find exahab!

Pure silver, also called fine silver, is relatively soft, very malleable, and easily damaged so it is commonly combined with other metals to produce a more durable product. The most popular of these alloys is sterling silver, which consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper.

Although any metal can make up the 7.5 percent non-silver portion of sterling, centuries of experimentation have shown copper to be its best companion, improving the metal's hardness and durability without affecting its beautiful color.

The small amount of copper added to sterling has very little effect on the metal's value. Instead, the price of the silver item is affected by the labor involved in making the item, the skill of the craftsperson, and the intricacy of the design.