William III silver sixpence

robfinds

robfinds

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Dec 6, 2007
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Yorkshire England
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Nice finds Rob! One of my first finds (and favorite) when we were on holiday with my family in Devon and I got permission from a local farmer was a William III sixpence worn smooth and bent into an English love token. I think you know the type, they take two coins and have a blacksmith bend them in a vise into a shallow Z shape (I guess the theory is they are the only two coins that match each other). Guy gives one to his sweetheart. I had seen them before but was thrilled to find one!
 

Oh wow. That's a beauty coin. Found a W3 half penny on my side of the pond a few weeks ago.

Great find congrats!
 

Erik in NJ said:
Nice finds Rob! One of my first finds (and favorite) when we were on holiday with my family in Devon and I got permission from a local farmer was a William III sixpence worn smooth and bent into an English love token. I think you know the type, they take two coins and have a blacksmith bend them in a vise into a shallow Z shape (I guess the theory is they are the only two coins that match each other). Guy gives one to his sweetheart. I had seen them before but was thrilled to find one!
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Also, if the female declined the attention or they fell out, the coin was tossed in a field. A little like some rings are, from off bridges.
 

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Erik in NJ said:
Nice finds Rob! One of my first finds (and favorite) when we were on holiday with my family in Devon and I got permission from a local farmer was a William III sixpence worn smooth and bent into an English love token. I think you know the type, they take two coins and have a blacksmith bend them in a vise into a shallow Z shape (I guess the theory is they are the only two coins that match each other). Guy gives one to his sweetheart. I had seen them before but was thrilled to find one!
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Hello Erik, yes love tokens are very nice finds. Probably because they tell a tale, but not the outcome.
 

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Nice find on the sixpence, lots of detail for being a love token.
 

robfinds said:
A lot must have fell out Cru. With the amount that turn up.Still that's love for ya.:laughing7:
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I've had quite a few as well. Its hard to know the truth of why so many turn up in fields that have no footpaths & are out of the way. Other conflicting stories of these, said they were placed at their favourite spot, but I'm not convinced.
 

that's a killer coin, very cool!
congrats!
 

Really? Rarer to find a coin of this type (William III?) than one made into a love token? It seems that most of the examples of English love tokens of this type that I have seen a very well worn coins to the point of almost being smooth (like the one I found). Is there a reason these coins were used as opposed to lesser worn examples?

robfinds said:
Hello pepperj, it's not been made into a love token, it's still a coin. Rarer to find the coins, than a love token.Robert.
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Erik in NJ said:
Really? Rarer to find a coin of this type (William III?) than one made into a love token? It seems that most of the examples of English love tokens of this type that I have seen a very well worn coins to the point of almost being smooth (like the one I found). Is there a reason these coins were used as opposed to lesser worn examples?
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Perhaps they were so worn, they could no longer be passed as a coin.:dontknow:
 

CRUSADER said:
I've had quite a few as well. Its hard to know the truth of why so many turn up in fields that have no footpaths & are out of the way. Other conflicting stories of these, said they were placed at their favourite spot, but I'm not convinced.
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True Cru, as the rhyme goes, there was a crooked man, who walked a crooked mile, he found a crooked sixpence, upon a crooked stile !. Think when you look at the wear on them, these love tokens, were made in the 18th century.Robert.
 

Erik in NJ said:
Really? Rarer to find a coin of this type (William III?) than one made into a love token? It seems that most of the examples of English love tokens of this type that I have seen a very well worn coins to the point of almost being smooth (like the one I found). Is there a reason these coins were used as opposed to lesser worn examples?
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Yes, that is correct. This is how many Dad & I have found (below), & we only have about half of that that are not love tokens.

I've had 1 Queen Anne, & a couple of Geo's but most are Will III. They are so smooth, they must have been done in the late 18th C. Some are Shillings, most are Sixpences, but you even get copper halfpennies/farthings as well.

The worn ones are picked because they are close to being out of circulation. Not acceptable as a coin any more, thats why the ones that stayed in circulation where countermarked by silver smiths.

As so many of them turn up, there must be a good reason, can't all be 'just lost'.
 

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That would be a great find for us!!! Excellent save!!!
 

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