Rolled Up Hammered

[JPK]

Hi folks,I found this rolled up James I Halfgroat,this obviously has been done on purpose & I've been informed that it was done so that coins could be strung up & perhaps worn in a more discreet area,away from any would be thieves.

This seems a plausible reason,but,I've seen very few found,& this is the only one I've got,perhaps a lot of peeps straighten them as soon as they get home,not something I'm about to do btw.

So has anyone any other theories ? Would be pleased to hear them.

.

[TomGoodheart]

The oft quoted reason is so they could be used as love tokens. But I have no idea if there is any contemporary evidence that this is true.

Larger coins like sixpences and shillings are sometimes found doubly bent so that sideways on they take an 'S' shape.

Certainly it would be easier to wear one on a cord like that. But then, piercing would work too ... so why roll them up?

[JPK]

Thanks tom,yes I've had quite a few S - shaped love tokens,mainly Will 3,fair point about piercing,I guess when the coins were new the silver was pliable & easy to roll,maybe less bother than piercing.I don't see this as a love token though.

[Chris Perkins]

If they were rolled up new (for whatever reason) surely they'd be in pukka condition?

[TomGoodheart]

If they were rolled up new (for whatever reason) surely they'd be in pukka condition?

Ah, only on the 'inside' Chris. The exposed areas get quite worn. And of course, it's not that simple to unroll the things without either having them just snap at some point or leaving a fairly obvious crease.

Here's one I straightened a bit. Though it's close to flat again, you can still see the crease.

[JPK]

Did you find that big charlie tom ? Or purchase,I'm just being nosy.

Good job on unrolling btw.

[TomGoodheart]

Did you find that big charlie tom ? Or purchase,I'm just being nosy.

Good job on unrolling btw.

No it was a purchase. Ex Alan Morris' collection.

It had already been straightened a bit but was still rather creased so I didn't have to do all the work thankfully! There's probably a way to properly flatten them but it might involve using an old fashioned mangle or something and I'm not sure I'd want to take the risk!

[Coinery]

Personally, I don't believe they were contemporarily rolled to hide, it would be as easy to discretely hide a flat coin which, in all honesty, would be much easier to spend when needed!

In my opinion, there are not enough, obviously heated and rolled, examples to suggest it was a quirk of the period! I've haven't seen a single other example!

[Chris Perkins]

There were no banknotes bank then, so obviously they were made to snort coke!

[declanwmagee]

There were no banknotes bank then, so obviously they were made to snort coke!

Ah, the life of a top coin dealer, eh, Chris?

[Coinery]

I could just about relive my youth, thinking on how much cooler it would've been snorting through a rolled-up E1 shilling!

[Chris Perkins]

I prefer my coke through a straw, cup-fulls at a time.

[JPK]

I could just about relive my youth, thinking on how much cooler it would've been snorting through a rolled-up E1 shilling!

Surely it have to be a charlie shilling

[Nordle11]

I could just about relive my youth, thinking on how much cooler it would've been snorting through a rolled-up E1 shilling!

Surely it have to be a charlie shilling

He makes a good point!

[Coinery]

I could just about relive my youth, thinking on how much cooler it would've been snorting through a rolled-up E1 shilling!

Surely it have to be a charlie shilling

very good! I knew TG was up to something we weren't all privy to!

[Peter]

I like diet coke.

My nose prefers it.

I can say that is one drug I have never had.

My last little smoke was years ago

[Peter]

Happy days Declan???

[Peckris]

Happy days Declan???

Great movie! At least, the first half is.