Monthly Archives: January 2025

Coin Pendant Jewelry

I was surprised to find a Quarter with BATS on it. I had no idea that American Samoa had a national park, nor did I realize that a quarter, featuring the Fruit Bat was available.
The back (or front) of this Bat Coin.

I happened to find a National Park Quarter, from the National Park of American Samoa, last week. This Quarter was very distinctive, with Fruit Bats on the front.

I have wrapped coins for people in the past; Pieces of Eight, Silver Dollars, State Quarters, and other random antique coins, turning them into pendants. Antique buttons are another pendant possibility.

A personal example was when I found an old, tarnished Quarter in the gravel of a Seafood Restaurant near Jacksonville, last year. It was a 1977 Quarter, the year I married Bonnie. This Quarter was probably dropped in the late 70’s. I cleaned the coin just enough that the high points were more enhanced than the lower background. This coin had a heavy brown tarnish, covering its’ surface. Patina? or Grunge?

Savvy Rockhounds always watch the ground. By nature, they habitually look down. That’s how I found this Anniversary Quarter. For 45 years, Thousands of people walked right over this coin. I dubbed it my parking lot quarter.

A very stained Quarter was found as I exited my vehicle at a Seafood Restaurant near Jacksonville.
!977 was the year I married my wife in an Apple Orchard in Rochester, Michigan. I guess, after 47 Years, we’re stuck with each other.

I make simple Unisex pendants that do not detract from the coins (the coins are always the star, not my wire wrapping). As you can see from this National Park of American Samoa Quarter, neat and simple is my goal.

Any coin can be made into a pendant, be it gold or silver. I use 14k, double gold fill wire, or tarnish resistant Argentium Sterling. Wrapping a coin is not destructive, and protects any coin.

The wire bundle, encircling the coin, is taller that the coin, as are the wires that are pulled over the coins. There is never any guarantee that if you drop a coin, it will come out unscathed, but your chances are much better if your coin is wire wrapped.

Did you ever think that your valuable (Nostalgic or collectable) coin, could be made into jewelry? Do you have a treasured coin from overseas travel? Do you have, like most people, a small collection of coins that have good memories? Did your grandparents give you a coin you might want made into a pendant? How about a State Quarter, for someone that has moved to another State, or a Quarter featuring a favorite National Park. What a great little gift!

The cost varies, depending on the precious metal you choose, the shape, and the size of your coin.

I treat all these coins as it they were my own. I base my business on honesty and integrity, and I know how much these collectables mean to you. If you need a special coin gift or personal pendant, call us.

Fishing Over the Bridge OR Under the Bridge ???

Side by side Fish bed comparisons.

Once upon a time, on a spring day in Michigan, two Bluegills created their nests. One nested in a lovely lake in Kalkaska County, while one nested in a scenic lake on Isle Royale. Of course both fish made nests from their local rocks and minerals.

All The Kalkaska fish could find was loads of sand and Petoskey Stone pebbles (Our State Stone), while the other fish built her nest from our State Gemstone, the Isle Royale Greenstone. She was decorative, adding Agate, Datolite, and Thomsonite to make her bed homey.

The lakebed is a Copper Nugget, The nest is Datolite, Thomsonite, Lake Superior Agate, and an overabundance of Isle Royale Greenstone beads (originally from Isle Royale.

The Yooper fish had to be bigger and stronger in order to move heavy metals, the other, although, a very fine fish, was able to move her pebbles with a swish of her tail.

The Yooper had to wait for almost summer to nest, while the Troll fish (she lives Under the Bridge) was able to nest in late May.

These fish both sported great spring coloration, and were very fine mothers. Again, the Yooper fish had to defend against much larger fish (but had the muscles to succeed), while the smaller Troll Fish mostly had to scare off Bass, and Trout .

The Yooper fish is tough, bred to survive the 300 inches of snow that tries to block her stream pathways and lakes. Maybe that’s why her coloring is whiter, light pink with flecks of rainbow colors. The Troll fish lives in a longer growing season, so that might explain why she has more blues and greens.

This was two weeks work, and loads of frustration, (who drills little Greenstones?)

Let me know if you prefer fishing under the bridge OR over the Bridge.

About the Author

As a boy, I earned my candy money by selling fish. From my grown up life, I have a couple of prize-winning blue gills hanging on my wall, caught in the spring, while those blue-gills were “on their beds”. Now that I’m older and not really fishing much anymore, this is my creative story about my creative pieces. by Don Reed