• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

My Great-Grandfather's Treasure

Started by Amanda,

20 posts in this topic

Amanda

Amanda

Posted
Posted

This weekend my Grandma was visiting, and she knows I like coins, so she gave me a Columbian Half Dollar that used to belong to her father.

 

cent727.jpg

 

cent728.jpg

 

As you can see, it is no ordinary half dollar! smile.gif

 

She said that he said that his friend had cut and filed the pieces out by hand, and that her father had had it as long as she could remember, and she was born in the 20s.

 

My Great-Grandfather was a little boy at the time of the Columbian Expo, so I think he got it afterwards when he was older.

 

The piece has a jewelery setting on it, and the only thing I can think he would have worn it for would be as a watch fob. I wear it as a necklace. smile.gif

 

I think it has been either gilded or bronzed or plated somehow (I don't really know the difference).

 

I just thought I would share my new interesting treasure. As a family heirloom, it is certainly very important to me. I never knew my Great Grandfather (he passed away before my parents were even engaged), but his picture has always hung in our hallway.

 

I have seen pictures of a Morgan Dollar and a Standing Liberty Quarter done like this, too.

 

If anyone has any pictures of coins made into this kind of decorative jewellery, I would be interested in seeing them!

 

-Amanda

Link to comment
Share on other sites
relicsncoins

relicsncoins

Posted
Posted

That is very cool Amanda..........I love stuff like that. Imagine the time and effort involved in making that.

 

When my Grandma passed away, she left me some coins. One of them was this little case.

 

1885love1.jpg

 

1885lv2.jpg

 

1885love3.jpg

 

1885love4.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
supertooth

supertooth

Posted
Posted

Amanda and relicsncoins----Those are both very special. To be saved and cherished and certainly to be passed on in the family.

 

Amanda---I collect pocket watches---and your piece could have been used as the part that was attached to the chain----and then placed into the watch pocket or vest pocket. Naturally, it also could have been a necklace---as you are using it. In any event, it is a super gift from one who loves you. Bob [supertooth]

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WoodenJefferson

WoodenJefferson

Posted
Posted

Amanda and relicsncoins...I grade them both AW

 

AWesome!

 

The Columbian half is very labor intensive...drilling a small hole in each section of the field then filing out the section omitting the device and lettering. A lazer could do the same thing in about 45 seconds...but the program to run the cutting pattern would take about as long as it would to physically cut out the coin. But then they could be massed produced...very unique gals & guys, thanks. 893applaud-thumb.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JRocco

JRocco

Posted
Posted

Great story and a great piece Amanda. I couldn't fathom the amount of time and effort it must have taken to do that. Even a crudely done piece would be beyond what I could imagine let alone a piece like this that is so finely detailed.

You have yourself a gem there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MrSpud-migration

MrSpud-migration

Posted
Posted

Cool cutout coin and Love token!!!

 

There is a guy at the Renaissance Festival around here that does cutouts on all kinds of different coins. He has everything from Classic US Coins to State Quarters to many different world coins. He does them by hand with a little bitty type of band saw. I bought MrsSpud a cutout Mercury dime that he had mounted as a necklace.

 

I also bought MrsSpud a love token made out of a seated dime off of E-bay that just happened to have her actual initials on it. I bought a Bezel and mounted it for her as a necklace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Zoins

Zoins

Posted
Posted
Very cool thumbsup2.gif This white gold bezel cost me more than the coin tongue.gif
Nice job getting this done. That looks neat. In the old days, they'd just solder a ring on top.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing