This is a great collection of engraved Love Tokens from the early 20th and late 19th century - note the incredible workmanship of the engraving with a few of the larger (and more rare) size tokens. Perfect for your own creations - earrings,bracelets,necklaces and more!
In the United States, the love-token tradition began during the Civil War (1861-1865), when soldiers would engrave coins either to carry as dog tags or to send as gifts to their sweethearts back home. After the war, Americans were devastated by the loss of lives and saw time with their family and friends as precious and short. In England, Queen Victoria openly adored her husband, Prince Albert, and when he passed away in 1861, she publicly mourned his death. She made it fashionable for the British and Americans to outwardly express their emotions, particularly with jewelry and trinkets.
Most often, romantic suitors—or family members or friends—would give the one they loved a coin with their own initials as a memento of their feelings. The exception would be for men proposing engagement, who would give a woman initials featuring the first letter of her first name and the first letter of his last as a way to ask her to change her name to his.
