Coin around neck

[RedCoat]

What is the significance of a coin hung on a necklace around the neck, is the date on the coin special?

[Jane Masri]

In what context, Redcoat?  On a photo?  More details please as this sounds intriquing!
Jane

[Nick Carver]

It may be a widespread habit - my grandfather worked on Hull docks in the first three decades of the last century (as did his father before him) and I have in my possession a collection of foreign coins, many of which have a small hole in them through which a chain or something of that nature presumably was placed.  I'd be very interested in any comments that might explain it - perhaps the obvious explanation was that it was a way of keeping coins safe, but is that too obvious?

[M.T.H]

What an interesting question RedCoat,

I guess that there could have been a number of reasons for it.

Maybe it was a way of keeping momentos of travels to faraway places, like people do today, or as Nick said, two generations of his family worked at the docks and maybe didn't have the resources to travel to these places and so coins 'given' by visiting seafarers,would,I imagine,be quite sort after.

Another thought that occured to me was whether it had its origins in the tradition of taking the King or Queens shilling when taking up a commision in the Army.As I understand it (hopefully,someone will correct me if I'm wrong) it wasn't uncommon for soldiers to have the coin sewn underneath one of the badges on their uniform.If this was the case then maybe, after they had left the Army,perhaps having had the good fortune to avoid serious injury,they kept the coin and wore it on a chain,in the belief that it was lucky.

Just a thought,Mick

[BenB]

Hi
Sure it is a coin and not a miners tally?

[billgam]

Hi.

10 years ago I was given my grandfathers (mothers side) pocket watch and the chain had about 30 foreign coins hanging from it some presumably from places he visited durning ww1 but others were from India and Turkey.
Prehaps your were from a watch chain and kept as a momento in a similar way..

Bill

[Willow 4873]

Maybe it was a superstition thing - having the fare to pay the ferryman across the river Styx?

[RedCoat]

Well since the coin was dated 1913 and his first born son was born in 1913, we are quite certain that is what it represents, the year of his childrens birth, thanks all for your comments.