The Nickelace

THE NICKELACE

Neck Wear with Six U.S. Liberty Head Nickels

This neck piece is fashioned with a few different bead types: 8 Antique African glass trade beads, several contemporary Millefiori glass beads, 2 Sterling Silver Cube beads, 6 Antique North American Indian Trade Beads (2 of stone, I think, or sand cast glass) & a few contemporary stone beads.

The chain wire is solid copper of about 18G that has been hand wound into individual chain links & cold-joined together (no soldering) - pretty & strong!

The 6 coins are genuine U.S. Liberty Head 'V' Nickels dated 1901, 1906, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912 and they have all been 'holed' by my own hand and buffed/shined/polished by hand with a polish cloth so they retain some of the original patina, however, they are shiny and meant to be so. The coins are cold-joined together by a chain of hand wound links made from 18G sterling silver wire.

The clasp is hand-crafted from copper wire, and the 'curve' is hammered (to really stiffen it up dontcha know) - all of the clasps that I make have a hammered curve to harden that curvy bend & keep the clasp stiffly in shape.

The overall length is about 25 inches 

(including the clasp)

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The "Unattributed Tiny Coin" Necklace

UNKNOWN TINY COIN

Maybe a Widows Mite?

This neck wear is composed of individual hand wound links of 18G copper wire cold-joined (no soldering) into a chain with a few different types of glass beads: Antique African Trade 'Melon Beads', round Contemporary Millefiori and various shapes of Antique North American Indian Trade. 

The clasp is hand fashioned of copper wire.

The coin is an unattributed copper - it's probably really old. I picked this coin up from Cleveland Coin Shop at Kams Corner, they had it in a neato little 'junk box' of ancient Roman coins, none of which were all that interesting at first glance, but this little guy jumped right out at me and I got it for 5 bucks. 

I holed this little coin and then began to feel like I didn't want to punch holes into coins anymore.

(time for me to learn how to solder)

20 inches long 

including the clasp

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The "A-Bomb" 1945

THE A-BOMB NECK PIECE

1945

U.S. Drops Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima & Nagasaki

This neck wear is fashioned with various antique glass Trade Beads that were intended for use - and may very well have been used - in the North American Indian Trade. The wire is solid copper of about gauge 18 and the piece is composed with two separate segments joined by a hand fashioned copper clasp and a pendant arrangement of 18G sterling silver wire, copper wire and glass Trade Beads as well as the very nice U.S. Walking Liberty half dollar dated 1945 - the coin has been purposefully shined & buffed and holed by my own hand.

This piece is 'close fitting neck wear' as it will not 'slip on' over the head - the clasp must be used to secure the piece around the neck. 

The approximate diameter is 6 inches.

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The "D-Day" 1944

THE D-DAY NECKLACE

1944

D-Day code name "Operation Overlord" lands about 150,000 men on the Normandy coast

And in August the allied forces finally liberate the city of Paris, France

This necklace is fashioned with 22 yummy chevron/mellon style striped Antique Venetian Glass African Trade Beads (I got these on EBAY from Africa and More a dealer of Antique Trade Beads with a 100% positive feedback profile on 2037 transactions) and they do show some beautiful age, so please click the picture to make it BIG and get a closer look! 

There are also 24 small and brilliantly colorful antique Millefiori beads (most probably they are of Venetian origin). The beads are strung onto two segments of solid copper wire of about 16-18G. The clasp is handcrafted from copper wire. The focus pendant is a single antique Walking Liberty type U.S. silver half dollar dated 1944 that has been purposefully buffed & shined and also 'holed' for hanging, and in this case I did punch the hole myself. 

I mention this because some of the coins I procure have holes in them already and some do not and I make a point of distinction between an existing hole and a hole I have punched.

The single bead at the pendant is an antique glass 'cane wound' blue barrel with red stripe. These beads, I am told, were created for use in the North American Indian Trade.

Isn't this a pretty neck piece?

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Remember The Alamo 1836

THE ALAMO NECKLACE

1836

General Santa Ana 'Puts Down' the Texas Rebellion 

This copper wire necklace is fashioned with classic antique cane wound blue glass red stripped barrel shaped trade beads, vintage czech speckled glass disc beads and little 'pony' trade beads (they got that name because the beads were carried on ponies for use in the Native American Indian Trade). 

The focus pendant is composed with a classic large copper penny dated 1836 - with a full LIBERTY - it has been 'previously holed' (in other words, I did not make the hole) and the penny has been cleaned and shined to a nice luster. 

The little clasp is simple and hand crafted from Fine Silver (.999 Ag).

The Alamo is about 24 inches long including the clasp.

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Pictured without the little fine silver clasp attached (yet).

Here hanging & with the fine silver clasp attached.

Half Dime Earrings

CUTE DANGLING HALF DIME 

EAR WEARS

With Handcrafted Pure Silver Ear Wires

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These lil' cute danglers are hand crafted with two slightly damaged Half Dimes, one of them - a famous Capped Bust variety - is in good enough condition to show a very clear date of 1835 (the year of the Texas Revolution) and the other - a Seated Liberty variety - is in a lower grade condition showing no date. 

These are not collector grade coins, obviously, but they are pretty relics, don't you agree? 

These Half Dimes were 'previously holed' in that I did not create the holes, they were created sometime in the past. Coins were holed for a variety of reasons: to wear as jewelry, or to hang somewhere for good luck. 

So here they are to be worn as jewelry and to bring good luck :)

The Ear Wires are hand fashioned from pure solid silver (.999 percent Ag) - not sterling silver (which is only .925 pure) - and they are carefully de-burred and buffed by hand for a very comfortable fit. 

The wrapping wire is pure copper and the beads are glass trade beads.

Gummy Candy 1908 Nickels

GUMMY CANDY BEADS & NICKELS

1908 FORD BUILDS THE MODEL 'T'

"I WILL BUILD A MOTOR CAR FOR THE MULTITUDES" - H. FORD

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Composed of Antique Czech Glass 'Disc' Beads & Pony Beads

U.S. Liberty Head Nickels (Polished)

Copper Wire

Handcrafted Copper Ear Wire - Deburred, Buffed for Comfort.

If you like these with fancy Pure Silver ear wires

They can be changed to accommodate your taste