Love Tokens of Old

People have always used trinkets to show their love, whether in the form of jewelry, locks of hair, or even fancy spoons. In the Victorian era, love tokens — ordinary coins that were engraved for a loved one — were a popular choice.

The practice of exchanging love tokens dates back to at least the 18th century (and possibly even earlier), and it reached its peak in the United States and Great Britain in the late 19th century.

One possible influence on love tokens were treizains (French for “thirteen”), a set of 13 custom-carved coins given to French couples on their wedding days. Some early love tokens were also carved by people about to be sent off to Britain’s penal colony in Australia for the loved ones they were leaving behind; sometimes called “prisoner tokens,” these were typically carved by tapping out little dots with a hammer and nail. Meanwhile, love tokens took off in America during the U.S. Civil War, when many soldiers had someone waiting for them back home.

By the middle of the Victorian era, love tokens had become — like most hallmarks of the time — quite ornate. Engravers found extra work carving elaborate designs for customers to give not just to romantic partners, but also to family members and dear friends, too. They could even be used to propose marriage; diamonds weren’t marketed as an engagement must-have until the 1930s. Initials — typically those of the recipient — were common coin designs, as were birds — often bluebirds for happiness, or lovebirds, or turtle doves for romance — and landscapes. But because these were deeply personal gifts, all sorts of images that were meaningful to the recipient or the relationship made their way into the carvings. The popularity of love tokens declined by the turn of the 20th century, when they were largely usurped by lockets — although soldiers in both world wars carved coins in the trenches for their loved ones back at home.

Here’s to love!