This is 112 ounces of silver, in fantastic condition. The era is unknown however it is from a time period in which they coated most precious metal boxes such as this one in a thin layer of gold, which you can clearly see wearing off of this piece which I would approximate dating between 1800-1900. With the current value of sterling silver at the USD rate of 16.16 per gram and the fact it can be melted at under .50 cents a pound this would make a fantastic collectible or purchase for melting purposes. Only serious inquiries please.