We’ve got something slightly smaller to challenge you with this month. It can actually be held in the palm of your hand, is nickel on brass and has an English pedigree. It opens and closes, is hinged, locks, and has a key. The manufacturer’s inscription: "Her Majesty’s Royal Letters Patent" - Thomas Turner & Co. - Wolverton - doesn’t mean much unless you know what it means. Means little to us, but we were fascinated by its commercial application as well as potential entertainment fodder for the column. Dimensions: (closed) 11/2" Diam. X 2" H (excluding key); 
(open) 27/8" w.

Get your mental gears in motion,while we offer some possibilities :

1) Portable traveling security ring and earring vault
2) Radioactive isotope vial carrier 3) Silver dollar coin lock box
4) Broken thumb splint and bandage protector 
5) Winery cask bung hole lock 
6) Bowling ball finger hole burglary guard 
7) Artist’s fine sable hair paint brush isolator and protector 
8) Lipstick purse cosmetic container 
9) Unauthorized liquor bottle pilfering and sipping lock restraint 
10) Candle snuffer 
11) Opium pipe bowl lock 
12) Dynamite fuse and blasting cap security device 
13) Inkwell and seal insignia cover 
14) Roll postage stamp lock 
15) Electric socket child proofing safety cap 
16) Cigar pack lock for breast pocket humidor 
17) Running mouth gag silencer and tongue restricter 
18) Veterinarian’s feline front paw medicine anti-licking prevention gadget 
19) Signal flare gun muzzle-loading barrel lock 
20) Chewing tobacco habit breaking spit control inducer 
21) Prize bull semen stealth prevention and male chastity safety cap.

Our exhaustive Consumer Research Panel suggested we include the correct answer in our list of possibilities - which we did. First correct answer phoned, faxed, emailed or carrier pigeoned wins a year’s subscription. Let the guessing begin!