A lost art-form, love
tokens have been made
from coins for
centuries. The
commoner's engagement
ring, a man would scrimp
and save for the best
coin he could afford
(typically a silver
dime), sand down one
side and then etch his
lover's name on the
blank half. Presented to
his betrothed, she would
wear it as jewelry or
sew it to the inner
lining of her bodice,
close to her heart.
This particular love
token was engraved on a
late 1880's silver coin
from England. Whereas
typically only one side
of a love token is
etched, this is a rare
DOUBLE SIDED example,
most likely given by a
naval officer or sailor
to his lover remaining
at port. 18mm in
diameter, the charming
scene depicts a ship,
lighthouse, church, and
sea... the reverse is an
intricate example of a
lover's knot. Sometimes
in place of a name, the
initials of the
sweethearts were
interlinked - in this
case a V+H+M
immortalizes that though
an ocean may separate
the lovers, their hearts
would remain forever
intertwined.
The perfect gift for
your beloved, this
petite charm hangs from
a delicate yet durable
sterling cable chain
with spring ring clasp.
REVERSIBLE.
*This is a sterling
silver cast replica of a
one-of-a-kind original
from the 1880's - an
important part of
accessory history, it an
early example of
personalized charms and
sweetheart jewelry for
the non-noble class.
