Handmade coin tokens once professed love
The original valentine “love tokens” were ordinary silver coins. A lover would grind smooth one side of a coin; then he would have a message engraved on that side. Some of these were homemade. Others less skillful would have the engraving done by a jeweler.
The message usually included names or initials, and more elaborate ones added an inscription or design. Sometimes the whole coin was reshaped, into a heart or oval, although this was done less frequently. A surface decoration such as gilding was applied occasionally, also. Beginning in the 1880’s, enameled tokens were made by cutting into a coin and baking on a design.
Often a hole was drilled so the token could be worn as a charm, pendant, or pin. A girl wasn’t limited to receiving them from only one boy. In fact, a charm bracelet with several love tokens was a measure of her popularity.
The exchange of these love tokens originated in England, but by the mid-1800s, had become a popular custom in the United States. Nickels and dimes were most commonly used, although quarters, half dollars and even silver dollars and gold pieces have also been found made into tokens.
Tokens were rarely made from any coin which did not contain silver or gold. A token made from a copper coin would have been considered a cheap gift.
While many of the love tokens today were offered as valentines, a collector may also find some that were used as gifts within a family or between friends. Look for them in collection of old estate jewelry.