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 Replies: 5 / Views: 2,127 |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
289 Posts |
The portrait of Victoria is correct and looks just like my other Victorian shillings, correct size, legend etc. The reverse is not correct, it isn't that of a shilling. It is almost as if the original shilling has been ground down and fitted into another cover. ( if that makes sense). The funny side has the edges rounded over. Now, is it an official issue of something, some sort of commemorative or just a piece of engineering skill, done for the fun of it ? Opinions appreciated. Cheers Brian.   Identified - moved to Exonumia forum - Sap |
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
it appears someone took a shilling and made a love token out of it. Usually those are from gold coins, guess you could make one from a shilling  is it thicker or thinner than an actual shilling? Edited by Fuzzy317
02/21/2013 07:26 am
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
You pay for the artwork in these, not the coin. Different market.
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Moderator
Australia
16826 Posts |
Quote:
It is almost as if the original shilling has been ground down and fitted into another cover. ( if that makes sense). You're close, but not quite. To make a "love token" like this, you would take a perfectly ordinary shilling and grind away one side of the coin, then get a skilled jeweller or engraver to carve a new design into the newly flattened surface. It will be both thinner and more lightweight than an undamaged shilling. The initials of the "lovers" carved into it are "T" and "E". Unfortunately, unless the piece is actually an heirloom of your own family and you know you had ancestors in the 1800s with those initials, it will be virtually impossible to find out who "T" and "E" were. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Valued Member
 United Kingdom
289 Posts |
Thanks everyone, that's something new learnt so all good. Not from within the family, just amongst a pile of coins I bought so it will probably end up on ebay. Cheers and thanks again. Brian |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2830 Posts |
quote: "... it appears someone took a shilling and made a love token out of it. Usually those are from gold coins ..."
- there was a book published a few years ago, about "Convict love tokens", and at least one exhibition has toured Australia's museums. From what I have learned on the subject, it seems that silver and copper coins were popular media for this form of art, but gold is a lot less common - doubtless, because of the expense (or "opportunity cost").
This coin has very little information. If one knew more, one might be able to categorize it as a convict token, or trench art (soldier's), or hobo art, or perhaps something else.
The coin itself can be dated to the era 1837~87, from the Young Head effigy.
The inscription "T.E", or "E.T.", is beautifully executed, but we have no way of saying whether the letters relate to two people, or to one ...
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Replies: 5 / Views: 2,127 |
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Posted 02/21/2013 07:29 am
