Georgian 1798 Love Token Engraved Coin - Leaden Heart - 'When This You See Remember Me - Elizabeth Hopkins June 2'

Georgian 1798 Love Token Engraved Coin - a coin rubbed out and engraved 'When This you See Remember me EH June 2' and with 'Elizabeth Hopkins 1798' on the reverse. Elizabeth Hopkins is engraved in joined script with two acorns or ferns above and a nice engraved detailing all the way around the edge. The date and engraved message are indicative that it is a love token from a convict being sent to the penal colonies in Australia, as this was a popular message left by those sent away, and these particular love tokens were called 'Leaden Hearts'. The token measures 2.7cm diameter and it weighs 7.9g. [p] Love tokens are generally known to be a small gift or gesture of affection. A Love Token is actually a coin that’s been rubbed smooth and hand engraved with initials, names or sayings. These coins were given as gifts until the early twentieth century and were symbols of promise or remembrance. [p] Coins have also been carried for luck, but it was easy to confuse your lucky coin with other coins in your purse and people would accidentally spend them. In Great Britain it became common to mark your lucky coin to prevent that from happening by bending it twice, one side up and the other side down. These coins were known as benders and this is where the term a crooked sixpence came from! [p] It was in the late seventeenth century that people also began to engrave their lucky coins. In addition to marking lucky coins, people also began to engrave coins to mark births, deaths, unions and marriages. [p] Coins were also engraved by people being shipped from England to the penal colonies in Australia - these were also known as 'Leaden Hearts'. Some mention the name of the imprisoned and the number of years to be served and others have sentimental references. A classic engraving is: “When this you see, remember me.” This is extremely sad when you consider the crimes committed were often very minor. [p] It is believed that during the late Georgian era suitors began to present engraved coins to young ladies as tokens of love. By the early nineteenth century the custom of presenting “Love Tokens” made its way to the United States. [p] To create a Love Token a person would take their coin to a jeweller or engraver who would smooth out one, and sometimes both, sides of the coin. The coin would then be re-engraved by hand with the initials of the giver, names, an important date, place or event. Coins were worth a lot more in those days, so destroying your currency for someone you loved was a way to show how much they meant to you. [p] In the later half of the nineteenth century, Love Tokens were also given as gifts to family members as well as friends. Some Love Tokens have holes in them so the recipient could wear the token around her neck or on her wrist. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the United States Government outlawed the practice of engraving coins and the custom of exchanging Love Tokens went out of style in America.