W Avery & son of Redditch quadruple plated nickel needlecase, 1868 patent

19th Century Avery and Company quadruple chambered needlecase Patent engraved on the lid: no 3517 1869.
The needlecase has four nickel needle sleeves set inside the case, which are operated by a mechanism driven by an external dial. They are operated from each side of the case. The dial has no engraving, but the needle size numbers are engraved at the top of the case hidden by the lid. The button is set at the centre of the dial. Moving it to either end raises the corresponding needle sleeve above the edge of the mechanism to make it easier to remove the paper of needles from the case. A rivet is missing from one side of the needle case, which affects the pivoting of the two sleeves on that size. I have experimented by placing a pin in the rivet hole, and tested that the exchange mechanism is still in full operation.
According to the Coulthart site - see link below, these cases have never been found with any decoration other the the scrolling and flattened rope edge and were intentionally manufactured with a plain surface probably to allow customisation through engraving by the purchaser.
If you follow the link below to this very comprehensive website about Avery needlecases you can access details about the patent submission and a list of retailers that Avery manufactured these cases for.
http://www.coulthart.com/avery/needlecase-pages/quad-plain.html
Condition is good. Sliding mechanism is functional on both sides, bar the need for a single small rivet and all four needle sleeves are intact. There are a few dents in the surface of one side visible in image 2. I have gently polished the case.
Measures a little over 7 cm x 3 cm x 1 cm or 2 and 6/8ths inches x 1 and 2/8ths inches x 3/8ths of an inch.