From jewelry's heart, I cringe at thee...

AuroraRarities

I try to be open minded and appreciate other people's hobbies and perspectives without judgement. However, coin jewelry has always challenged my..serenity. I cannot help but cringe at this quite unique (I hope) form of coin jewelry:

Florin Ring

My poor florins!

pruebas

Occasionally being in jewelry has helped a coin to survive. I've seen a few ex-jewelry coins that are the finest known of their date/mint.

LochNESS

My first encounter with jewelry was a pair of cuff links and tie pin that my grandfather gave me upon my Bar Mitzvah. The coins are Francs (yes I still own). Never worn them, but they've been worn; the visible surfaces are XF at best. That same year we vacationed in Israel. I was receiving a gift from the consulate for something, I don't recall but it was a tallit and a silver necklace - with a silver medallion encased inside! Sort of cool. I wore a couple times. Still own.

A year or two later my dad bought a belt buckle with a Morgan Dollar inside. That really got me started...

I have bought a dozen or so AU-MS-quality cuff links sets from a vendor on eBay. They are low-denoms no large than a US quarter, but darkside so the designs are really beautiful and one is even scalloped. They're very artistically colorized to match my shirts and ties perfectly. It's a fun way to let others know about my hobby/business. It strikes conversation and is just another form of expressing my love of coins.

I also have a money clip with a Yugoslavian piece mounted and glazed-over so as to protect it. Only used on special occasions.

Last Summer I bought a leather wallet in Martha's Vineyard with a US Indian Head cent embedded in the clasp. Never used. But the tooling in the leather is really cool and when I need a nice wallet, I'll take it for a spin

AuroraRarities

Interesting and enlightening perspectives. Much appreciated!

I still cringe a little.

LochNESS

The key for me is that they're low-value coins, particularly because they're high-mintage (the hobby won't miss them).

If they were valuable coins or rare coins then I'd be cringing.

I'd love to see pictures of an ex-jewelry coin that is "finest known" in its Type class.

pruebas

<< <i>I'd love to see pictures of an ex-jewelry coin that is "finest known" in its Type class. >>


I can't find an ex-jewelry example at the moment, but here is a very similar example:

Mexican 10c

theboz11

This has indications of having been a jewelery piece. I have often wondered what High priest in the church wore such a beautiful piece around his neck.

LochNESS

Maybe Jean The Good himself wore it! Didn't they typically use living figures in their designs?

lordmarcovan

<< <i>The key for me is that they're low-value coins, particularly because they're high-mintage (the hobby won't miss them).

If they were valuable coins or rare coins then I'd be cringing.

I'd love to see pictures of an ex-jewelry coin that is "finest known" in its Type class. >>

What LochNESS said.

I don't cringe. I appreciate their artistic merit, if they have any (or their folksy charm, if they don't).

I suppose I get this from having been a collector of love tokens. And when I was doing that, I loved some of those rare cringeworthy key dates and stuff (even though I still cringed).

ajaan

Many times, all the time? we as collectors only look at coins as something to collect. Historically coins were only made for commerce. If someone finds another use for them, who am I to criticize? I see no problem with people making love tokens, rings, or even mutilating coins for some other use. To each his own and all that.

P.S. I must add nice Moby Dick reference though.

Staircoins

Here is an ex-jewelry Byzantine solidus that, while by no means the finest of its relatively common type, may have gained some degree of surface protection from its ultra-thick bezel. Unfortunately, the jewelry usage proved to be a double-edged sword, as the mount left tell-tale signs at the edges.

LochNESS

Alright, I can definitely see how a super thick bezel would protect a coin's primary design. Especially on copper and gold, which are easily worn.

lordmarcovan

<< <i>P.S. I must add nice Moby Dick reference though. >>

OK, what was that?

I don't remember having to read Moby Dick in school. I'm pretty sure I attempted it on my own circa junior high days, but was probably intimidated by the 19th century prose and gave up.

Did Ahab nail a coin to the mast or something?

ajaan

<< <i>Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee. >>

LochNESS

Don, either you ate your avatar, or AuroraRarities made the reference and then deleted it?

My favorite line is, Had his chest been a canon, he would have shot his heart upon it.

ajaan

Nick, look at the title of the thread:



<< <i>From jewelry's heart, I cringe at thee... >>


I took this as a Moby Dick reference.



<< <i> from hell's heart I stab at thee >>

AuroraRarities

Aye, it is from Moby Dick, although many may also remember it from an equally classic tale; Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.

In any case, you've all provided me some new perspectives on coin jewelry.

My thanks,

Pat

LochNESS

<< <i>Aye, it is from Moby Dick, although many may also remember it from an equally classic tale; Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan. … … >>


Curious if you have seen the newest Trek installment? (I have seen it, and liked it very much)

Love ST2 Wrath of Khan. Ricardo Montalban! Classic. I do recall that line, now that you mention it. But I did not make the connection to the title until Don spelled it out oh well

ajaan

Has anyone here actually read Moby Dick in its original form? Not an easy book to read.

LochNESS

I read some passages in my high school English class, and most chapters when getting my degree in literature. However I have never read the entire book and certainly not in one sitting.

terribleredmonster

I made my friends' wedding rings out of a silver half and a silver quarter. Both were circulated and worth no more than spot, so I had no qualms about it. Coin silver does make really nice plain bands. They hold up pretty well but are malleable enough that if they get scratched/bent/damaged they can be worked back into form.