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Obverse of Love Token 'For Glyn'
Reverse of Love Token
Obverse of Love Token 'For Glyn'
Reverse of Love Token
Love Tokens
As a major buyer and seller of coins, it is not uncommon for us to acquire coins that have been flattened or smoothed on one side and engraved with a name and a date, sometimes with an expression of love by or for the person named. The copper cartwheel issues of George III are, in our experience, some of the most common coins used for this purpose, presumably because of their large size, giving plenty of room for engraving without being too expensive.
When the practice first began however, engraving was less common, and in the days when illiteracy was common, the coins were simply bent so that they could serve as a reminder of the giver's affection for the recipient.
Love tokens were typically given to fiancés as a promise to marry, often prior to a separation when one party (usually the man) had to leave their sweetheart behind for an extended period of time. Soldiers and sailors would, for obvious reasons, have to spend months, or even years abroad, and workmen would often have to travel far beyond their home district in order to find work. The love token was intended as a reminder to both parties of their intent to marry once reunited, although sometimes, during lengthy absences, these promises were not always kept!
Love tokens were also exchanged between parents, children, grandparents, siblings and even pets. Engraved tokens are often found pierced for wearing as a chain fob, pendent, or as part of a bracelet.
The practice of issuing love tokens was very common up until the First World War, during which it enjoyed an upsurge in popularity as millions of men left home to fight. Thereafter however, the practice declined sharply, so much so that most of those alive today have barely even heard of this practice, which dates back to at least the Middle Ages.
Love tokens are highly collectable in their own right, and given that each one is unique, the scope for collecting these is virtually limitless.
The first featured token is of a heavily worn George IV Crown, which has been altered on one side with the words 'For Glyn 1915' with a signature below. If we were to hazard a guess, we would say that this 'Glyn' was a serviceman from the First World War, and was given this token by his wife or sweetheart, whose signature is featured on the bottom.
The second featured token is a George III shilling which has been engraved on the reverse to commemorate one 'J. Yates Audland' born in 1822. Perhaps he or she was given this as a birthday present, or perhaps it was given at his or her christening, to commemorate their actual birth.
There is much more to be said on this extensive subject, and we will add more information as and when time permits us to do more research in to it.

The Chard Medallion Collection
This page is published as part of a small collection of interesting medallions acquired in the course of our coin business.
Many medallions are of local historical interest, others of wider interest. Many are beautiful examples of medallic art.
Most are not primarily for sale. We hope they will add to your interest and enjoyment of our site.



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