A coin more than 100 years contains possible the smallest view of Tunbridge Wells ever created.
The coin was found during building work at a farm near Goudhurst and is now with Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery.
The Victorian silver sixpence is just three-quarters of inch across and had been made into a pendant.
One side has been ground smooth and engraved with a miniature view of the Pantiles as seen from the square in front of the Bath House.
Experts say the work is skilfully done, and looks like the work of a professional engraver with a set of tools to create different effects - like the texture of the foliage of the row of lime trees along the edge of the Upper Walk.
Although the coin’s date would have been on the side that has been erased, from the style of the Queen’s head on the other side it can be dated from between 1893 and 1901.
The coin would originally have had a suspension loop soldered onto the top edge, but this has broken off, which is presumably how it came to be lost.
While it is common to use coins in jewellery, it is more unusual to re-engrave them. The Victorians sometimes used this technique to make love tokens, but museum staff have never before seen it used for a local souvenir.
POSTED: 19/05/2007 03:15:00
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