Inspiration. TURN OF THE CENTURY TOKENS

One type of piece that I'm always searching for inspiration for is an every day piece. Something close to the neck, simple, something that becomes a part of you. It just feels good to me to have a piece that I rarely take off. It becomes part of your identity for the time being. I began with my go to, old coins. I love coins because they have this great graphic sensibility. They have been through so many hands, have a patina that can't be recreated, and they have instant history. (I did find several ancient coins that fit the bill that I will be featuring in the months to come.) My search for coins led me to subway tokens/bus/rail tokens. Lets just call them transit tokens.  I have collected at least 40 varieties from all over the country. I've found them to be stunning. They reach back to the early 1900s in date. They are solid, some ornate, and all around just really cool. Several have a letter punched out in the middle. I started working on the idea of building an entire alphabet of them. That has been easier said than done. The letters that I have will make great gifts to someone owning that particular initial. Other tokens  just are very interesting. They pair very well with natural stones too! I've created some necklaces and a few pair of earrings, but will have a lot more designs ready by my September 6, Kankakee Farmers Market. I can't wait to show you my new pieces! I will send pictures of them in my next email!

Thank You for reading!

Have a great day!

Mandy