Minting coins in the middle ages (Credit North Wind Picture archive)
History and Heritage of coin rings
The history of Coin Rings is rich and full of meaning. Dating back to ancient times coin rings were made as a way to demonstrate power and authority held by nobility and other individuals of high social rank. Coins were first minted around 600 BC in what is now modern day Turkey and the adaptation to coin jewelry followed soon thereafter. We have no substantial evidence of coin ring jewelry until later however when they were often made by goldsmiths or blacksmiths as custom pieces.
In the more modern world the advent of coin rings was brough about primarily by sailors and military personal who would hand make them while away from their families and loved ones on ships and deployment. The traditional method involves using a heavy spoon to lightly tap the rim of the coin to slowly turn the metal outwards and form the ring. This process was tedious and took many hours of work on the part of the sailors, but resulted in a unique and timeless piece of jewelry.
With the advent of newer tools and processes, the art of making coin rings has become much less labor intensive and tiring. This newer method now involves punching a hole in the center of the coin and then “folding” the coin outwards so that the details can be seen on both the inside and outside of the ring. This newer method also allows the coin’s detail to be better preserved on the surface of the ring.
The choice as to what type of coin to use in the process is an important one. In ancient times it was most often gold or silver coins that were extremely valuable and represented the ruling class or king. Amongst American military personnel and sailors, the choice was often times a US silver dollar. This is still a popular choice today amongst coin ring enthusiasts. However the choice need not be limited to only these options. Nearly any coin can be made into a coin ring but silver and gold rings are definitely the most popular as they hold their value more than other metals and they won’t turn your finger green when you wear them.
Overall, the history and heritage of coin rings is rich and full of nuance. We preserve the legacy of these rings as we grow and
Modern Coin Ring Making Tools