Edition #10: Victorian Love Tokens
Toss a coin to your lover.
It’s the season of love! How much more romantic can you get than a physical representation of your relationship carved into a coin? That’s where a Victorian Love Token comes in. Most commonly fashioned from silver coins, these were tangible displays of love is said to have originated in England and was quickly adopted in the US (though it was outlawed in the late 1800s). The coins were engraved with names, initials, and pictures that held memories and emotions for the wearer — some love token charms were worn during mourning, as well. Love tokens were even given with pictures of pets. It’s no surprise people were more emotional and romantic when they knew they didn’t have long on this earth.
Victorian Love Token, Engraved Dog, “Mary”, 1886 Liberty Dime on Etsy: For most of the non-human love tokens, dogs were a very common theme (with horses being a close second). This one for Mary is just darling.
Antique House & Mountains Scene Love Token Charm on Etsy: The landscape tokens are the most intricately engraved option you’ll find, with delicate details of leaves, rivers, and fields.
Love Token, Three Coin Pendant, Heart Pendant on Etsy: It wasn’t as common to completely change the shape of the coin when creating love tokens. This is a layered heart made from three separate coins stacked on top of each other.
Original Queen Anne * Silver Sixpence Love Token coin with Ewig Treu "everlasting love" engraved on Etsy: This German token translates to “everlasting love” and I think would make anyone melt if you gifted it to them.
Love Token, Gemstones, 1890, Flower, JPC on Etsy: These tiny stones and seed pearls were all the rage in the Victorian era.
RARE Antique Victorian Frogs Under Umbrella Love Token on Etsy: Easily nestled under a tiny umbrella, these doting frogs scream “This could be us.”
Original Silver Victorian Coin Love Token with stone set and initials P D on Etsy: This is the only example I saw that attached a large stone on the untouched side with the engraving being almost secondary.
Love Token, WFF, Bird with Umbrella, 1861 on Etsy: I really, REALLY, wish the initials were WTF, but either way, who wouldn’t want this little guy around their neck?
Victorian Fred Moon Pictorial Love Token Charm on Etsy: Fred Moon is my drag name.
Love Token, Two sides, Bridge, MR, Pictorial, Engraved Coin on Etsy: I like to believe this is the Brooklyn Bridge, based on the cross-weave texture and flags but there’s no label.
Honorable Mentions:
What terms were searched:
Love token
Silver engraved coin
Pictorial love token
Welcome to Finder’s Keepers
This is the newsletter dedicated to leaving no vintage stone unturned. Each edition will cater to a rabbit hole that I fell down one night and include an assortment of vintage finds that make you question “Why did anyone own this?” followed quickly by “Should I own this?”
My method is simple: I attach a keyword or phrase to the item and go digging, spending hours each week combing through hundreds of pages of Etsy and Ebay bric-a-brac until I’ve seen it all. It’s chaotic but satisfactory, like looking through every rack and bin at a thrift store for those of us that partake in the more visceral act of going in person. I also like to sit on my couch.