Why have some hammered coins been pierced? Was it so that they could be put onto a chain or to deface them for some reason?
I'd heard that, since many didn't have pockets, the holes were to string them together so they didn't get lost ... and then hang them on a well-placed button, loop, or chain.
Coins have been holed since antiquity, to use as charms, or to facilitate carrying them on a string, or to sew them on clothing, or for any of a number of reasons. I have long been a collector of holed coins, and wore them on my Holey Coin Vest and Holey Gold Hat. Sometimes they have rectangular holes from the old square-cut nails.
Just looked at your link and WOW, WOW WOW..... What a collection! My first instinct was that the George Guinea was a lookalike gaming token but then realised that it was a real coin. The hat and jacket look amazing and are real head turners. Congratulations on a fantastic collection.
Thanks. The guinea was a half-guinea, actually. I did have some of those gaming tokens, too. I no longer have the vest. Still have the hat, but sold all the gold off of it during the Recession.
I too sold my gold to help pay for my wife's stairlift. I sold a James 1st quarter laurel, Victoria half sovereign and many gold rings and other bits of jewellery found while detecting. I still have several nice silver coins in my collection. This Henry 8th groat is one of my favourites.
You DUG the Henry VIII? And the quarter-laurel? If so, wow! I just acquired a Laurel. Swapped some US bullion gold and a scarce Puerto Rican coin for it.
I dug all of the coins in my collection including the quarter laurel and the Henry 8th groat. In fact, I found 2 Henry 8th groats during the same search. Here is a photo of the other one.
The oldest coin I've found was this M Furius republican denarius dated 119bc with Janus on obverse and woman with sacrificial implements on the reverse.
