Coin Jewelry

Not long ago, I purchased a few coins from a friend. Included was a rather tortured 1758 Great Britain silver shilling. It had a long crease in the center as if it had been bent and then straightened. An online acquaintance introduced me to the world of love tokens, sometimes called “crooked coins.” A suitor would bend a coin to create a wave and offer it to the object of his affection. If she kept the coin, she was interested in a relationship. If she wasn’t interested, she returned it. Sometimes, one side would be sanded smooth, and the suitor would engrave his initials or romantic symbols, such as hearts and knots. The designer would often drill a hole into a coin so it could be worn on a chain. Jewelry coins are fascinating and highly collectible. I have a handful of these pieces in my collection.

Pendant

The first piece of “coin jewelry” I added to my collection is a bronze 1898 India 1-farthing coin, which I found in a junk box over 40 years ago. It has the “Old Head” or “Veiled Head” image of Queen Victoria. This effigy appeared on Great Britain’s coins from 1893 to 1901. I think I paid a dime for it. A past owner had cut a star into the obverse and embedded a small, round blue stone. The coin was plated to change its copper surface to a silver color, which has begun to wear off, only adding to the coin’s story. I suspect this piece may have been attached to a wedding dress at some point. It warrants more research.

Ring

I also own a ring that was made from a silver Great Britain shilling, likely during World War II. Such rings are made by gently tapping the outer edge of the coin over and over with a hammer or other metal tool until the edge folds over. When the coin reaches the appropriate size, the center is drilled out. Remnants of the coin’s inscriptions and design can still be seen inside the ring. This was probably made from a George V shilling struck between 1916 and 1936. These circulated during the World War II era. While artisans created many rings out of boredom, others were made to meet a specific need. More than 70,000 British war brides arrived in the United States between 1945 and 1950. Some undoubtedly were married with such a ring.

Bracelet

I also own a bracelet made from assorted Australian coins. The back of each coin has been polished smooth, although they are often untouched on other similar bracelets. Four of the coins remain more or less intact, but three have been cut into a rough diamond shape, probably using a chisel. One sixpence carries the date 19–; a drill had obliterated the last two digits. Many Australian silver coins were minted in the United States during World War II. This coin carries the mintmark “D” for Denver, Colorado. This identifies it as a 1942-44 sixpence.

A soldier would have presented such a bracelet to a wife or girlfriend after a trip down under. Sadly, although of nominal value, many such items are sold for a few dollars at an estate sale, and the history of the item is lost to the family. How much more interesting would this bracelet be if we could add the name of the man who made it? Was he British, Canadian, or American? A photograph and name of the woman who received it and a bit of the soldier’s military history would further enhance the item’s value.

Locket

U.S. Trade dollars, which were produced for circulation in 1873-78, were sometimes converted to lockets. To do this, one dollar was hollowed out, while a second dollar was sacrificed to make a lid or cover, which was attached to the first by a hinge. A jewelry catalog from The Busiest House in America features lockets made from Trade dollars. Many must have been made. The lockets were sometimes called “opium dollars,” which is now understood to be a misnomer. Owners of the lockets would use the small space inside to carry photographs, not drugs. This particular example still contains a faded photo of a loved one. Curiously, this piece was sold to a collector by a small jewelry and clothing store in Bakersfield, California. Neither the buyer nor the seller knew that this was a locket until the buyer got home and examined it more carefully.

Coin collecting can draw us in many directions, and each of us defines our interests in different ways. The conversion of a coin to another purpose does not reduce its numismatic interest but rather increases it. Perhaps numismatic jewelry has found—or will find—a place in your collection.