The old "lucky large cent nailed to a beam" tradition...

lordmarcovan

So where exactly on a building did they affix the "lucky" coins? A beam? A rafter up under the roof in the attic somewhere? Surely not outside on the roof?

It would be totally awesome if somebody had a picture of such a coin in situ, but that's probably a longshot.

Walkerguy21D

I thought it was supposed to over a doorway or entrance.......at least that is what I recall reading somewhere.

Staircoins

Hmmm, I'd always heard that it was at the end of the ridgepole, and was placed there when the timber frame was 'topped off' to bring luck and blessings down upon the occupants.






Edited for spelling

lordmarcovan

Maybe both of those are right.

I'd heard about the ridgepole thing, but had to wrack my brain to think of what a ridgepole was. (I got it, once I thought about it.)

CaptHenway

I have heard both, though I suspect that the ridgepole was more common because it was less likely to be stolen.

MrHalfDime

In addition to attaching a lucky large cent to an individual dwelling, there were also some related practices involving other 'venues' besides private dwellings. Many collectors are also aware of the practice of placing lucky coins under the masts of sailing ships to bring luck. And another practice of which I have only recently become aware was to place coins under the end posts of pews in churches. Several of these caches have recently been discovered when the churches either replaced pews or installed new carpeting. The homes and ships I guess I understand, but perhaps not the churches. Isn't a bit odd that a church would rely on 'luck' or good luck charms?

abitofthisabitofthat

My grandmother had a bunch of small religious statues when I was growing up. Patron Saints of various things to whom should would offer occasional prayers as the need arose. She always kept a silver dime (a Merc) under each of these. She passed away when I was relatively young, and I never got the chance to ask her what was the reason for the dimes. I have always been curious if it was a fairly common practice, ot if was just peculiar to her.

rhedden

Another interesting practice was to put a coin into a house to date its construction. For example, large cents sometimes show up inside the fireplace mantle or under the threshold of an old house. Wasn't there a somewhat famous case of someone placing a 1794 dollar in the floor of a house, and it turned up a couple of years ago? I vaguely recall a thread about it on this forum.....

JamesMurray

<< <i>My grandmother had a bunch of small religious statues when I was growing up. Patron Saints of various things to whom should would offer occasional prayers as the need arose. She always kept a silver dime (a Merc) under each of these. She passed away when I was relatively young, and I never got the chance to ask her what was the reason for the dimes. I have always been curious if it was a fairly common practice, ot if was just peculiar to her. >>



That's interesting , could be because dimes are flat and would fit under an ornemant as described and it could simply be because silver was considered "lucky" in that it could ward off bad luck....or...try to remember how many dimes , compare that to how many children she had , is it the same and perhaps the dates on the dimes coincided with births.

LindeDad

I seem to remember a lot of horse shoes over doorways of the old barns when I was a youngster. Most of those did not date back to the time of large cents though.

WoodenJefferson

On New Years Day, my Grand Mother on my Mom's side used to put a silver dime into her black-eyed peas for prosperity. It was always good fortune to end up with the dime in your bowl, but she always wanted it back.

Hotfootspin

Probably in a similar place to where you'd post a lucky horseshoe. i.e., up high, top of door height.

Mark

COALPORTER

I thought it was sailing ship builders that put a coin

under the mast pole? Never heard of house builders doing it?

Buildings more typically has a "corner stone"somewhere?

ProofArtworkonCircs

<<Many collectors are also aware of the practice of placing lucky coins under the masts of sailing ships to bring luck.>>

In March 1964 the main mast of the Constitution was replaced. By special permission of the Boston FRB, a new Kennedy half dollar was placed under the mainmast. This was about one day before they were released. I thought it might be of interest to Coin World, so I reported it to them. As best as I can remember, they dismissed it with "No the FRB would never do anything like that."

savoyspecial

ProofArtworkonCircs, Kennedy halves were in such demand at that time that they had to settle for placing a newly minted Peace dollar there instead

crispy

A coin placed under an older home's threshold for good luck (typically a half dollar coin). I've read that this is one of the places that house razers will search almost immediately.

BryceM

If you find an old horseshoe you can affix it to the wall under the eaves, but I'm told it needs to be positioned with the "open" side facing up - otherwise the luck "runs out".

mustangmanbob

Our house in New York was built in 1883. In the attic, I found a Swiss 1883 coin, an 1883 Indian Head Cent, and a 1883 Morgan, all pounded into the top beam of the roof. I pried out the Morgan and the Swiss coin, but left the Indian Head behind because it was beat to death and I had a good (all I could afford) Indian Head in my penny album.

pmac

Is this the forerunner of the tradition of iron workers placing a "christmas" tree on the highest beam of a building at the topping off ceremony when the steel framing was complete?

ProofArtworkonCircs

<<If you find an old horseshoe you can affix it to the wall under the eaves, but I'm told it needs to be positioned with the "open" side facing up - otherwise the luck "runs out".>>

Right, it should be an old horseshoe. These protected against witches. Witches are intensely curious. A visiting witch would see the horseshoe and would immediately have to retrace every step that the shoe had taken. When she finished, dawn would be breaking and it would be too late to make mischief for you.


edit: corrected mispelling

ProofArtworkonCircs

<<ProofArtworkonCircs, Kennedy halves were in such demand at that time that they had to settle for placing a newly minted Peace dollar there instead >>

I sure hope the old Constitution can withstand the hoard of axe wielding coincollectors you have turned loose on her.

PerryHall

<< <i>Our house in New York was built in 1883. In the attic, I found a Swiss 1883 coin, an 1883 Indian Head Cent, and a 1883 Morgan, all pounded into the top beam of the roof. I pried out the Morgan and the Swiss coin, but left the Indian Head behind because it was beat to death and I had a good (all I could afford) Indian Head in my penny album. >>



I've read that it's bad luck to remove a coin that was nailed into a house at the time it was built. Hope your homeowners insurance is up to date.

AUandAG

I built a house back in 1979 and put new coins under the sill plate when it was set. Too bad
for someone when they find them in a hundred years as they will still be worth nothing special.

bob

coindeuce

About two years ago, a Mennonite was dismantling a 19th century abandoned farmhouse in Ontario County, N.Y. As he removed the sill plate (threshold) of the front entrance, there laid an 1818 cent and a 1794 dollar.

I've had the Flowing Hair dollar in hand.

lordmarcovan

<< <i>Our house in New York was built in 1883. In the attic, I found a Swiss 1883 coin, an 1883 Indian Head Cent, and a 1883 Morgan, all pounded into the top beam of the roof. I pried out the Morgan and the Swiss coin, but left the Indian Head behind because it was beat to death and I had a good (all I could afford) Indian Head in my penny album. >>

Now that's cool! Wish you'd taken pictures. Is the Indian still up there, then?

Make sure you pound an equal face value amount of moderns where you removed the oldies, so the spirits won't feel shortchanged!

PerryHall

<< <i>

<< <i>Our house in New York was built in 1883. In the attic, I found a Swiss 1883 coin, an 1883 Indian Head Cent, and a 1883 Morgan, all pounded into the top beam of the roof. I pried out the Morgan and the Swiss coin, but left the Indian Head behind because it was beat to death and I had a good (all I could afford) Indian Head in my penny album. >>

Now that's cool! Wish you'd taken pictures. Is the Indian still up there, then?

Make sure you pound an equal face value amount of moderns where you removed the oldies, so the spirits won't feel shortchanged! >>



Won't work. The spirits know the difference between clad and silver.