Coin of the Realm - in honor of tax day

Gunmetal coin lockets, or sovereign holders, like these were popular in the early 20th century and may have been used as watch fobs or hung from chatelaines.


COMPONENTS

• antique (early 1900s) gunmetal sovereign/coin-holder locket
• 1907 Indian-head penny
• antique (early 1900s) steel and brass watch key
• antique (late 1800s) cut-steel button
• new and vintage chains: antiqued copper circle-links chain (lead safe and nickel safe); 100-percent oxidized brass rollo chain made in U.S., small vintage brass chain
• brass connecting rings, which I used to embellish the circle-links chain

The necklace chain is 33 inches. The coin locket is 1.25 inches. There is a small bit of surface rust on the locket, but it's solid: The catch works and the hinge is sound. The necklace slides over the head; there is no clasp on the main chain.

*****

Coin of the realm: The currency that, for any culture, holds value.


Sam Spade: Ten thousand? We were talking about a lot more money than this.
Kasper Gutman: Yes, sir, we were, but this is genuine coin of the realm. With a dollar of this, you can buy ten dollars of talk. —The Maltese Falcon


YOU CAN BUY MY STUFF ON ETSY