Las arras....

Hallco

My wife and I were watching the TV show Will & Grace last night and there were several references to a Spanish tradition of giving 13 gold coins given from the groom to the bride during the wedding ceremony. I decided to look up the reference and it's pretty neat. Thought I would share if anyone was interested. Or perhaps, if someone is familiar or has seen this at a wedding.

Las arras matrimoniales (wedding coins)

The custom of the giving of wedding coins originated in Spain. Thirteen gold coins (arras) are given to the bride by the bridegroom, signifying his willingness to support her. Often presented in ornate boxes or gift trays, this represents the brides dowry and holds good wishes for prosperity. These coins become a part of their family heirloom. The symbolism, which may be explained by the officiant, is that the Groom recognizes his responsibility as a provider, and pledges his ability to support and care for her. Acceptance by the bride means taking that trust and confidence unconditionally with total dedication and prudence.
The number 13 represents Christ and his 12 apostles.

TwoKopeiki

While the tradition still exists, it seems that smaller wedding tokens (still gold in a lot of cases) have replaced actual coins. Mike Locke had a nice site dedicated to Mexican wedding tokens, but it looks like it's no longer being maintained. Thanks to the Internet Archive, here's a snapshot of his site a few years ago with some examples:

https://web.archive.org/web/20130305070724/calgoldcoin.com/mexico.htm

pruebas

@TwoKopeiki I was looking for examples and that website is a perfect example. Thanks for posting that!