I've been checking ebay for some obsolete coinage like 2 cent coins, 3 cent coins, and half dimes. I found a lot of coins with holes drilled in them. Why is this?
A lot of time people o the time used them to make jewelry like bracelets, watch chains, necklaces !! It was the only type of jewelry common folk could afford !!
A lot of times it was done so that the coins could be strung and then worn around the neck. You might not be apt to loosing them so easily then. A fifty cent piece or a quarter had some purchasing capability back in those contemporary times........
back in the early 1800s didnt people used to nail large cents to their roof when they built their house or something like that?
I have a '67 JFK half that somebody spent at the store where I work with a hole in the top of the obverse. I bought a cheapo chain off of ebay and for $1.50 I have a cool silver necklace.
I believe they nailed coins over their doorways for good luck. Coins have been used for many purposes. Some of the more interesting altered coins I have are ones that were hand filed into gears.
