Coins and Notes

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Just as people throw coins into wishing wells for good luck or to make a wish, so there is also a tradition in various parts of England (and elsewhere) of hammering coins into trees for the same reasons. The tradition dates back hundreds of years, back to the days when it was believed that deities and spirits lived in trees and that offerings could be rewarded. The coins are usually knocked into felled tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune. Removing a coin, however, will bring bad luck and illness.

Gallery:

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Some coin (and money) trivia, which I call Bytecoin . . .

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Australia introduced decimal currency on February 14, 1966, which put an end to the traditional sixpence and threepence (the latter pronounced “thrippence”, the “thrip” rhyming with “skip”) into Christmas puddings for lucky finders on Christmas day after dinner, Decimal coins, being made of different metals, can’t be used in the puddings.

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The Holey dollar is the name given to coins used in the early history of two British settlements: Prince Edward Island (now part of Canada) and New South Wales (now part of Australia). The middle was punched out of Spanish dollars, creating two parts: a small coin, known as a "dump" in Australia, and a "holey dollar". This coin was one of the first coins struck in Australia.

The Holey Dollar

The Dump

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The dollar sign is believed to have originated from old Spanish eight reale coins (the coins known to pirates as “pieces of eight”). The reverse of these coins features a pillar of Hercules with a ribbon wrapped around, looking very much like the modern $ symbol.

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The word dollar comes from the European town of Joachimsthal, where silver was mined in the 1500s and then turned into coins called Joachimsthalers (pic below). Over the years, this name was shortened to ‘thaler’, and eventually became ‘dollar’.

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