LOVE TOKENS

"A deeply moving and romantic collection of hand-crafted 'love tokens,' creatively arranged here in the shape of a heart. Popular from the 17th through the 19th centuries, these unique pieces were made by deliberately smoothing down legal currency—predominantly silver sixpences and threepences—to erase the monarch's face or reverse design. They were then hand-engraved or stamped with initials, intimate mottos, or decorative patterns before being bent or holed to be worn close to the heart. Often given by sailors, soldiers, or sweethearts before long separations, these heavily modified coins survive as highly personal, enduring expressions of devotion and working-class folk art."