Holed Silver Coins

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Who doesn't like coins?
They are an exciting way to collect American history with a real "value" to them.
As a digger, there's always been an extra thrill when finding a coin that has been "holed". In other words, pierced to allow the coin to be suspended.
I've found coins that were pierced by means of a nail, like this example photo of one of my earlier finds, and holed by a pocket knife, etc.
Through the years, I've heard many reasons for this and I wanted to share some of these and hopefully launch a discussion on this topic.

My grandmother told me that as little girl she remembers blacks holing coins and attaching them to their ankles to ward off evil spirits. The blacks in those days were very superstitious and some of their reasoning could have roots in their African heritage.
I've also read where people would nail coins to a beam in their house for good luck, much like you would've nailed a horseshoe over your door for good fortune.
And of course, since people's pockets could be very unreliable, coins were strung together and hung around the neck for safe-keeping while traveling to the store, etc.

Thanks for letting me share and I hope to hear other possible means that people holed their coins.
Tom thanks for posting. Very interesting with some especially interesting dialogue.
I was hunting a Union winter camp with my best friend in 1965 and he found 256 , 1862; 25 cent pieces in one spot. Some still had paper wrapped around them. He gave me a few and I decided to give them back to him last year ....55 years later.
 
Stone - I don’t know the history of smashing pennies. I would make a wild guess it probably started in the 20th century.
Thanks, W-W not trying to derail Toms forum :laugh: but I searched it. Mostly came up with "will a penny on the track derail a train?". But did find pennies supposedly crushed by Lincolns funeral train when going through Pa in 1865.
 
Thanks, W-W not trying to derail Toms forum :laugh: but I searched it. Mostly came up with "will a penny on the track derail a train?". But did find pennies supposedly crushed by Lincolns funeral train when going through Pa in 1865.
I think smashing coins on the railroad track is as old as there have been railroads. Although, I would suspect only those with the economic means to do so were the ones laying that copper on the rails.:smile:
 
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