My First US Large Cents

I have plenty of Canadian and GB large cents but I finally got my first US large cents today at a local coin show.

The first one was $5 and it’s an 1837 with two holes. It was probably used as a jacket button or something. Shoutout @lordmarcovan



The second one is a very corroded 1851 large cent I picked up for the right price of $1.



The condition may not be the best, but the price is unbeatable and there is just as much history. I will upgrade later of course, but this works for now.

 

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You're probably right about it not being a button now that I think about it haha. The dealer told me that usually coins with two holes like that were used as buttons but I didn't think that they should be closer together

Maybe it was a charm on a necklace?

Either way though, I'm happy with it for $5.

 

2 holes usualy was done to sew it into your coat lining (hide it). This was a very very common practice at the time is my understanding.

 

@mrweaseluv , Would be correct . I've seen this many times while Metal detecting . I've only found one holed coin though myself .
See -- It was also in a fire -- FREE !

 

Might have been placed over house entrance for luck/superstition.

 

Regarding putting holes into coins for safe keeping, when did pockets
on pants become customary? Many western I've watched have the ranch
hands putting coin change into a shirt pocket.

 

Another theory about double holes is they were used to sew coins into the jackets of soldiers going to war. They didn't want them too accessible for fear of robbery or gambling. So the moms sewed them on after the dads punched a couple of holes in them.

Single holed coins are more typical of being worn as jewelry. The holes are usually smaller and toward the edge, usually at the top near the E.

Oops! I see that theory has already been brought up. Sorry for the duplication.

 

I suspect coins used in this manner will have larger diameters for larger nails.

 

Yes and no. In the WEST we typically use one hole in the center for jewelry. Think about it though. Its really a horrible idea, the item flips back and forth all of the time, you are twisting the chain to have the item flat, etc. In the East, (India, Central Asia, China), they always put two holes for jewelry, so that the item always lays flat and the chain is flat. Way better idea.

 

There was a story -- unproven at the time, that the holes were made in many coins so that the owner could use a piece of thread or cloth to tie them together for safe keeping.

I remember hearing this as a kid.

Years later [possibly early 1980's] someone was in upstate NY [I believe] and saw a Civil War uniform in an 'antique' store for sale.

He really liked it and the owner said, ya think that is cool, look at this, and pulled a piece of cloth out of the pocket and showed a group of coins with a piece of thread thru them.
Thus proving the rumor/theory.

 

Can't beat the price for two large cents no matter what shape they are in. Yours are not that bad. Did you buy anything else? Thanks for sharing.

 

I got a couple other coins which were in other posts. Liberty head lamination error, nickel 3 cent piece, 2 cent piece, civil war tokens, cap bust dime. I haven’t posted some of the stuff yet but most of the coins I bought were my first of the type.

It’s the second coin show I’ve been to

 

I suspect there are MANY coin shows in your future for decades to come.

 

The Thai satang was deliberately minted with a hole, other countries as well. They were strung together in groups of a larger denomination, in the absence of coin rolls. My spouse's grandmother was in the rice business and this is exactly what they did. Of course, you wouldn't need two holes for that. Makes me wonder when we first had coin rolls or tubes to use for this, since we never minted any holed coins that I know of.

 

Many Asian countries used the Chinese Cash Coin as a model. It was in use for many centuries.

 

Yes, you're correct. I was just suggesting the reason for putting holes into large cents.