Own a piece of history. Our Lady Godiva coin was minted during the 1790's! Yes, it's over 200 years old! During these years in Great Britain there was a shortage of small coins used for everyday transactions. Municipalities and merchants were allowed to manufacturer their own "half pennies". This particular "token" is from the town of Coventry. Since their inception, these tokens were collected as keepsakes because they were so interesting - and that is how they have survived. There are several varieties of this coin in our collection please contact us if you are interested.
Why did Coventry choose a Lady Godiva motif? Lady Godiva hailed from Coventry. Legend has it that Lady Godiva contested the severe taxes her husband, Leofric, had imposed on the people of Coventry. Leofric decided that if she rode through the town naked, he would lift the heavy tax burden. As the story goes, Lady Godiva had tremendous compassion for the people, and she completed this task to help them.
Why is the coin so dark colored? The coin has "patina" or oxidation occurring, which is a sign of it's age. Should you prefer, you could polish the coin and it would be significantly brighter.
As each token is a slightly different shape, each setting is handmade - a silver portrait setting so that the coin can be viewed from both sides. We have paired this coin with an 18 inch silver curb chain.
See our other equestrian-themed jewelry made with coins here.
