Hey guys, My dad got me this silver tetradrachm (Alexander the Great Lifetime issue) necklace as a gift for my graduation recently and it's probably the most beautiful coin I own now (definitely the oldest). Does anyone else have any cool ancient coins that they wear as jewelry, rings, medallions or what have you? Here's a few pictures and some of the info mine came with. Front: Back: Date Range: 336-323 B.C. Denomination: Tetradrachm Mint: Babylon Weight: 23.1 total (includes the pendant I believe) Grade: VF
There will be several forum members disappointed with an ancient in a setting; but I think it was tastefully done.
I wanted an ancient coin pendant but couldn't bring myself to use one of my existing coins, and I've been too busy to try to make a cast copy of one. Last month at CICF I came across a wonderful drachm of Philip III already set in a bezel. I snatched it up for $90 . I wear it almost every day.
Probably not the same maker. Half-round silver or karat gold wire is a standard stock item in jewelry supply stores. It is frequently used for making bezels and prong settings. Soldering two half-round wires together to make prongs for a "frame" is one of the most common designs used for setting coins and other flat objects. Some mills may even have pre-made half-round side-by-side soldered wire.
Both these necklaces are outstanding! Like @TIF I could not bring myself to use one of my existing coins, so I bought an AR Miliaresion of Nikiphoros II with a hole, and wear it with a silver chain.
I can't bring myself to put a coin in jewelry but I do carry one with my every day in a small flip in my wallet. It's nothing too expensive, a fairly worn Republican denarius of M. Aemilius Scaurus and P. Plautius Hypsaeus but it's got good metal(I.e. not crystalline as far as I can tell, so shouldn't break easily). Its mostly my show piece when I discuss ancients with someone and one of the few that I don't worry about keeping in a safety deposit box because it's cheap and wouldn't be too bad if I lost it.
I've worn the coin below for somewhere around 25 years. Lower grade, especially the reverse, so I didnt feel it would hurt. Also, the bezel can be easily removed without any damage to the coin.
I agree with those above who are not fans of coin jewelry. I bought my second ancient coin from a dealer who put lots of coins in jewelry because that is what people wanted. They are still in business at: http://www.hnex.com/
Trust me, I would never use any of the other coins I own for jewelry purposes. I'm willing to make an exception here since it came to me like this and it's a gift from my dad. I don't plan on sleeping with it on or wearing it to places where I may have to remove it (airports, amusement parks, etc.). I plan to take good care of it.
You know, I have never had to remove my necklace in airports, and I travel international a lot... I wear a medical medallion, fitbit, and 0.35TOZ gold coins on my necklace. I have never been asked to remove it... Odd.
If anyone has any old copies of The Celator from the beginning (mid 1990's?), you will see advertisements I placed for coin jewelry. One I now wear, one my grandmother was buried with. I like to think it went a good place.
I suppose there are coins that belong in jewelry more than others but I still prefer to see it limited to ones made long ago or using fakes since the people who put new victims under the prongs don't always know what they are doing or what the coin is. For example the photo below shows a coin of Magnentius with Siscia mint mark and large Chi Rho reverse mounted as a necklace. The fool (aka: me) that did it did not realize then that it is the only one known and very few Siscia coins of any reverse exist for Magnentius. Of course he takes refuge in the fact that the coin is probably barbarous and the obverse is something like about Poor condition. My wife has worn it with some regularity in the last 15 years and it will continue to be in that ring for the near future. If my wife no longer wants it, I'll return it to the collection as ugly as it is and continue to hope I find another one just like it but with an obverse.
