Devil Chasing Amulets & Holed Coins

Do you have a witch problem?

Are demons coming into the yard?

Then you need a “devil chaser.”

Certain religious medals – like those of St. Benedict – were popular for this reason. They were widely used to ward off evil in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries – on both sides of the Atlantic. As such, they were more than just medals of devotion, but apotropaic amulets.

Many of these medals were made in Nuremberg (along with jettons and other pieces).

Here is a St. Benedict "devil-chaser" amulet.
The piece was dug in England.
This amulet dates to the seventeenth century.

Today I show you a St. Benedict amulet from the seventeenth century that was dug in England. Many similar pieces are listed on the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Nearly a dozen religious medals have been unearthed at Jamestown – but no devil-chasers. However, a St. Benedict amulet was found at a Colonial Maryland site dating to the first half of the eighteenth century.

These pieces were quietly kept. Held close the to heart for protection from evil. They were not of the Anglican Church; hence they had to be hidden. Despite greater religious tolerance in Virginia and Maryland (as compared with Puritan New England), the use of Old Church icons was discouraged.

This is one of the reasons why holed coins became so popular in the Elizabethan Age and later. Holed coins – that is, regal coins of England – could also serve as protective amulets. Plus, they were more acceptable in the public domain, particularly if the cross side was not facing outward.

These are just tidbits from my upcoming book: Bent, Holed, and Folded.

We will examine the devil-chasers more closely in a future posting. There is a "coded" message on the cross. Plus, I have to tell you about my trip to the MAC Lab.

Collecting Jamestown: Part 18. A Token Like No Other (6).

Herewith the last part of the draft Chapter. Keep in mind it is a draft.

The book is coming along. I am making a trip to an archeological site next week to view a witch bottle -- more on that later.

Angel from the James I King's Touch Ceremony.
This piece was likely touched by the King himself.
This Angel was profiled last August on this blog.

Returning to Jamestown, the mother lode of King’s Touch tokens came to light when the cellar of the Factory was excavated in the late 1990s: twenty pieces were found in a sealed context with a terminus post quem of 1611. As noted before, this longhouse was used as a trading depot. Another five pieces were retrieved from a well located along the north bulwark of the fort. Four more came from the floor of the blacksmith shop and bakery.

One of the first King’s Touch tokens found during the Jamestown Rediscovery excavations was dug from the topsoil near a ditch in the southeast corner of the fort. This ruddy piece was sharply bent and suspicious. The bend was in the fashion of talismanic pieces; yet, it is unclear whether it was damaged or deliberately bent. Its location near the surface suggests that the plow is a culprit – but who knows?

All told, the story of these King’s Touch tokens in American soil is nothing short of fantastic. Of course, there is continued speculation about whether or not they are tickets to the King’s Touch service. They could be pattern pieces that were never adopted for use, as they are virtually unknown in England. But one thing is sure, they became trade goods once they were brought to Jamestown. Beverly Straube, then JR curator, conjectured that these tokens were part of a plan to set up a fort economy. Maybe so, but that is not what happened.

For the better part of a decade, I searched for one of these elusive pieces. I am still empty-handed. But, gold Touch Pieces are available once or twice in a blue moon. Since they represent one of the most magical talismans of the era, I chased after one even though none have been found in a colonial context. Eventually, a dealer found one for me: a battered Angel dug from a field near York. The coin was holed and offered with an tantalizing guarantee (plus a wink and a nod): James I had touched it! 

Hope you liked the draft Chapter.

American Eagle Congratulations Set: Anger at the Dealer in the Mirror

The face of collecting is changing. And it is not pretty. Collectors are angry and demanding rare coins as if they are entitled to them.

Coin World magazine just reported a sellout of the newest American Eagles – a Congratulations Set (whatever!) that contains a proof 2017-S piece. Nearly 75,000 sets were sold in about 120 seconds.

And collectors are MAD! They want rare coins, and they expect to get one on the cheap. Or two. Or three. But most of them said that they just wanted one. Yea, right!

Big shiny coins, fresh from the press – what’s the big deal, why are they crying?

All American Coin: Including the part about exclusive access.
My advice: Go out and collect something fun.
And collect on your own terms -- be creative.

These coins will always be available. They will always be slabbed (or contained within some sort of protective holder), and most will grade MS69 or MS70. After a nuclear war, these coins will be all that remains – still shiny – along with the roaches and plastic water bottles.

The rare Eagles look like all the other Eagles (except for the tiny S mintmark). But, that S doesn’t have a story to tell. In this case, it is just an S.

So why are they crying? They are crying because they are hoodwinked into thinking that coin collecting is about buying low and selling high.

They are crying because they have been brainwashed into thinking that coin collecting is about having one from each mint. (Yes, you read that correctly, old Mister Heaton did us a disservice). Set collecting according to a formula is boring -- particularly in the modern age. And, P-D-S-W collecting is boring on ahistoric Eagles.

Now, there is nothing wrong with Eagles. They are pretty enough. Shiny. Big and heavy. All American.

But let’s be real, collecting American Eagles is a bit like painting by the numbers. And, there is nothing wrong with that either ... except when people get MAD.

Collecting new US Mint Products is like playing the lottery. Except that folks get MAD when they don’t win. They demand fairness. “I work hard.” “I have been collecting for years.” “I’m a true collector.” “I help the elderly cross busy streets.” This is what they say.

But not everyone gets to have a rare coin – as least not at the issue price. Isn’t this what defines a rare coin? Besides, $200 on EBay is not so bad.

I suppose the US Mint could have put household ordering limits on the Congratulations Set. But, folks would still complain (because everyone is a dealer in these circumstances -- some would have bought two or three or more in order to make a profit). Coin Hogs.

It is no wonder that the rising generation is not interested in coins. All they see is a bunch of tired collectors complaining about not making a buck. And, if not complaining about Eagles, then they complain about grading, pricing, and so on – all the things that don’t matter.

Old Sails: French Galleon is one the best Ships on Coins

Today we have a beautiful ship to consider: a French Galleon from the early seventeenth century.

This fully rigged ship is near shore with sails furled. The waters are calm with swirls of splashing against the hull. The hull is boldly blanked with gun ports (or big nails) showing. The aft castle is commanding, perhaps ostentatious -- this is a grand vessel for sure. A French shield with three lis is set above the mainland, reminding us that we are in French waters.

This is municipal jeton of Ville de Paris. The ship represents the arms of the city. It was produced during the reign of Henry IV (1589-1610) and is cataloged in Mitchner as 3389b; sadly, it is not pictured.

The legend on the reverse (ship side) reads: HIC VERTEX NOBIS SEMPER SUBLIMIS. This is a quote from Latin poet Virgil. He wrote this line in about 29BC in his first book (four in all) of Georgica. This line (#242) has been translated in various ways to mean: “The one pole to us is still elevated.” Basically, I take this to mean that city and its trade is positive, perhaps moved by a higher force. Of course, I welcome any opinions on this.

The obverse (not shown) depicts a king with a sword in his right hand and a branch of peace in his left hand. The legend reads: SEV PACEM SEV BELLA GERAS. This phrasing translates: “Peace is beautiful and good.” These words anticipate the legend on the reverse.

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, I have quite a fondness for the French ship jetons. The vessels are detailed and realistic yet shaped with an artistic flair that makes them beautiful to the eye. The brassy copper ages to produce an interesting patina that brings out the contours. This is a great coin to pass around! And it was loved for 400 years.

Tell me, who doesn’t like a French galleon from 1604?

*A footnote: You want to get kids interested in collecting? Show them an old ship coin with a deep patina and just enough wear and tear to entice the eye.