For this post, I chose to focus on my Irish Claddagh ring, one of the objects that I brought with me to our very first class meeting. It is one of, if not the only, object that I keep with me every second of every day. I wear it on a thin gold chain around my neck, so that no matter where I go, I always have it close to me.

The ring is gold and very small. Due to its age, it has lost a bit of its luster, but nonetheless, is still quite a shiny piece of jewelry. I wear this ring around my neck for a few reasons, the first simple one being that it does not fit comfortably on my finger where it is supposed to be. However, more significantly, I wear this ring because it has become much like a family heirloom to me. Unfortunately, I come from a family that is not very rich in traditions. Aside from holiday get togethers, we don’t have many things that really tie us together–that is, except for our Claddagh rings.

My dad’s side of my family is very Irish. All of the girls have been given one of these rings at some point in their lives. My sister was given hers when she turned thirteen, and so was I. To the women in my family, obtaining a Claddagh ring is much like a rite of passage that signifies we’ve made it to womanhood. It also connects us all, and lengthens our long continuous string of rings that have circulated through our family for many generations.

Delving into the history of my object, I can’t say exactly how old the piece is. However, I am able to track its progress through my family. The ring was a gift given to my great-nana in the later years of her life. I am not sure if it was bought new or passed down, but that leaves the ring at somewhere between 25-35 years in my family. My great-nana was often regarded as the matriarch of my family. Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to meet her. She passed away shortly before I was born. A lot of my family thinks there is a strong connection between the timing of her death and the timing of my birth, in the sense that they believe she became a part of me. I am not necessarily a religious person, but it is still a wonderful story to hear about and be told that I carry traits that such a wonderful woman in my family did. Now, I carry her ring as well. My grandmother had had it for nearly a decade before she decided that she wanted me to be the grandchild that received the object.

Thinking of all this as I sit here holding my ring, I can’t help but think about whose hands have held it before mine. There’s a strange sensation knowing that a woman I never even met was once the owner of one of my prized possessions. However, the beautiful thing about that is that I can still feel connected to her.

Claddagh rings were first developed in Ireland during the seventeenth century. Most times, they were used as engagement or wedding rings. The hands that clasp the heart on the ring are meant to symbolize whether or not a woman is taken, depending on how it is worn. If the hands are facing outwards, it means her heart is open to be taken. However, if the hands are facing inwards it means her heart has been taken.

Though I do not use the ring for the same reason, it does still symbolize love for me. Wearing it around my neck means it constantly changes whether it is facing outwards or inwards, which I like to interpret as this idea that I often wear my heart on my sleeve and will give my heart to those deserving of taking it–in both a romantic and a platonic sense.

My Claddagh ring is something that is very important to me and my family. Though delving into its history and origins is fascinating to me, I am equally as interested in thinking about where it will travel after me and who my ring will be given to when I am older. I find this to be a wonderful thought, because it means that I will always remain a part of my family web–always connected to the one’s I love through the objects we pass down.

The item I have decided to look further into is my elephant ring, mainly because I just found it today and i’ve been looking for it for weeks. This item is very important to me, almost like a “lucky charm,” every since I bought it over a year ago. I lost it a few weeks ago, and while usually I just end up forgetting about the item altogether when I lose things, this ring was different. I genuinely missed it and was upset that I did not have it to wear everyday like I usually do. I tried looking for it everywhere; in my apartment, my best friend’s house, my boyfriend’s house and even my car. It genuinely made me happy that I found it today and so I decided to think further into why this ring meant so much to me, as well as a little more history behind the object itself.

Rings can symbolize many different things. To some people it is a mere fashion statement, to others a symbol of marriage, or friendship, or promise. However, it is also used in sports to symbolize championships and to others as a symbol of power. To me, this ring just symbolizes my lucky charm. I’ve always loved elephants and even have a stuffed elephant on my bed that I sleep with every night (cheesy I know.) However, as I looked down at my own ring it was just crazy to think about the many different things rings symbolize to other people.

The function of a ring is primarily as a fashion accessory, or representation of some status (marriage, friendship, promise, power etc.). This accessory is typically meant to be worn on one of your fingers; however, some wear them around chains on their necks, or around their bracelets, or even “toe” rings. Rings are meant to represent circles which symbolize eternity. This is why I feel most people associate “rings” with love, more specifically engagement and wedding rings. Engagement rings symbolizing this concept of eternity and marriage dates back to the Egyptian times.

My ring, specifically, does not have as interesting of a background story. My ring came from my favorite store on the planet, Forever 21. It was mass produced and found in the jewelry section of the store. There were multiples just like it lining the rack in which I found it. On a wall full of different rings the elephant was the only thing that stood out to me. Something I’ve been looking for, for a while in stores and finally found. There was no real interesting chain for this ring, it started off at the manufacturers and then was shipped to retail stores. I don’t think the use of the ring changed much over time. Like I mentioned earlier, rings were symbolizing marriage back in Egyptian times. They still mean a similar thing in today’s society; however, there appearance and addition of diamonds and other gemstones have changed over time.

I definitely found this to be a fascinating assignment looking into the history and meaning behind rings. I didn’t realize how many different interpretations and symbols rings could represent and how far back into history their origins expand to. I’m so happy I found my lucky ring today and I don’t think it will be leaving my finger again any time soon.  

(besides to take this picture)

The object I chose for this post is my Claddagh ring. I’m practically 100% Irish on both sides, with an ambiguous amount of German on my dad’s side (along with Irish) and a family legend of a splash of royal Norwegian blood on my mom’s side—a love child between my Irish grandma and a Norwegian prince three generations back. But the Irish is what I stick to and feel the most close to. I feel this connection more deeply through my mom’s side, her parents were immigrants from Ireland and three of her older siblings were born there. It wasn’t until I became a teenager that I began to take a deeper interest into my close Irish heritage and their culture. I started to read more about Ireland, watch shows and documentaries, and I started to ask my mom more questions about her memories of Ireland when she would visit as a kid, and the stories that her mom would tell. Her dad didn’t like to talk much about Ireland—he grew up in the West to a poor farming family and experienced hard living. Whereas my grandma grew up in the North, in Derry City, and had fonder memories. My mom loved hearing stories from her mom about growing up in Ireland, and all the cast of characters that my grandma had known while there. My love for Ireland came from my mom’s love for Ireland, which was instilled in her by her mom’s love for Ireland. Out of all of my siblings, (I’m the youngest of four) I was the one to take the keenest interest into Ireland and could talk for hours with my mom about our family there and hear all of the rich stories.

My deep love for Ireland was known in my family, which is why it meant so much to me when one of my brothers got me a Claddagh ring for Christmas a few years ago. I was so excited, elated, and touched when I opened the jewelry box and saw it patiently waiting there. The Claddagh ring is one of the most known symbols of Ireland and I couldn’t wait to proudly wear it. From that day on I have worn it every day and feel out of place when I don’t have it on. I know my brother got it from a local jewelry store in my hometown, but I don’t know anything else about its manufacture—was it designed and created in Ireland and shipped over here? This ring lacks the heirloom quality that most Claddagh rings have, but it inspires me to start that tradition if I have children one day, and pass it down, and keep the story and love of Ireland alive.

The Claddagh ring is one of the most fascinating objects to me. It has a duality to it. It has a utilitarian use, while also used as an adornment. At its most base level, the way in which the Claddagh ring is worn communicates to the world whether you’re single (the heart is out) or whether you’re taken (the heart is in). The message is a bit cheeky, with hints of flirtation embedded. Just by looking at the wearer’s finger, a person can know whether they can pursue this person or not. Then there’s the symbolism in the details of the ring—two hands clasping a heart, with a crown on top. The hands symbolize friendship, the heart, love, and the crown, loyalty. It’s such a simple piece of jewelry that manages to communicate so much all at once. The ring can be given to a lover, a friend, or a family member. There are various versions of the ring—mine is plain silver and very simple, while others can be more flashy with gems. The Claddagh ring is also very progressive—both men and women can wear them. The ring is named after a small fishing village outside of Galway City and has multiple origin stories of how it first came to be—but in all the stories the ring was used to express love. The ring has a significant meaning within families, as it’s typically given by a mother to the oldest daughter, with the purpose of being continuously passed down. When a lot of the Irish first immigrated to America during the famine, this was one of the few possessions a family would have and was kept as an heirloom, and sometimes was their only form of monetary savings.

I received the ring in an untraditional way—from my brother instead of my mom, and I’m the youngest daughter. However, I believe this symbolizes the changing nature in which the ring is viewed and worn. I believe it used to have a much more religious and traditional role, and while it still does, the ring has become a bit more liberalized, just like the country of Ireland itself. In recent years, Ireland is distancing themselves from the controls of the Catholic Church, as a new, more progressive, generation is coming up (they’re the first country to legalize same sex marriage and have made abortions legal). The ring can still be used for sacred purposes, like a wedding ring, or it can just be worn as a proud statement of one’s heritage, or just simply as a piece of jewelry, for those that perhaps aren’t Irish. While the beautiful meaning and symbolism behind the ring still stand, the purpose of the ring, and who can wear it, has become more flexible, in conjunction with a changing, liberalized Ireland.

Source: https://www.celtic-weddingrings.com/claddagh-ring-meaning es

This week, I have chosen to continue discussion of my grandmother’s recipe book, although I feel that its function and usage, as well as chain of ownership, are not exactly groundbreaking. Obviously, it is a recipe book, with “Recipes” clearly stamped across the cover. Unfortunately, there is practically no information on the book whatsoever about its original manufacture other than the words “Made in Hong Kong” in type font on the inside of the back cover, so I cannot be certain about what company may have produced it or the year that it was made. I would not even know how to begin an attempt to discover the manufacturer or its manufacture date with so little data to go on, especially if it was a recipe book that was mass produced during the time period in which my grandmother bought it.

I asked my mother when my grandma may have bought the recipe book and she was unsure, but she estimated that it was probably bought in the 1970’s “judging by the recipes in there.” This implied, to me, that my grandmother only began to write her recipes down after my mother, the youngest of five girls, was born in 1967. Perhaps she had never had time before then to put her recipes on paper, but had been making these desserts and cookies for years; maybe she had never truly explored baking until most of her children were grown and had moved out. I am not sure, and these are questions I will pose to my aunts when I next get an opportunity. My grandmother passed away in 2005, meaning that she likely had this recipe book for approximately 30 to 35 years before my mom took ownership of it.

What is so interesting (and a bit funny) to me is that if my grandmother really had this book for so long, she wrote down very few recipes in that time. My mother and I, of course, treasure the book (my mother more so than me, as it belonged to her mother), but it only contains a grand total of twelve recipes, two of which were written in by my mom, probably after my grandmother had already died. Objectively, this may not seem like an item that would have intrinsic value based on what its function should be: a recipe book with only twelve recipes in it? Yet I cannot explain the deep connection that my mother and I both feel to it, and the sorrow we would both feel if it were to fall apart or become lost.

I cannot say that the book’s use has changed all that much over time, except that perhaps we utilize it now only to make some of the recipes inside rather than continuously adding more recipes, so I suppose it has taken on a bit of a decorative quality. I enjoy baking and cooking, but am by no means an expert. My mother has not added any more recipes in years, and I had never even considered writing in the book despite the fact that a majority of it is empty, the blank yellow pages practically begging to be filled in. I still feel quite odd about the idea of adding anything new, as if it would decrease the sentimental value of the object or as if it would be, in some way, sacrilegious. Maybe one day when I feel ready and as if I have something worthwhile to contribute, I will write in the recipe book, but for now I am content with taking it out of its place on a shelf in the dining room a few times a year, baking my grandma’s gingerbread cookies for Christmastime or making her apple crisp on a whim.

The item I have chosen to follow its chain of ownership within my family is a Hoosier stand-up hutch or cabinet, that I had no idea had been in may family for so long. This hutch belonged to my great-great-grandparents, who gave it to my grandfather, who we inherited it from when we moved into his house after he passed. I was able to go home this past weekend, and this is how I stumbled upon the idea of writing about this hutch. I was talking about family items with my parents, and we all happened to look at the hutch and say something different about it. I immediately knew that the story behind our dining room hutch would hold a lot of value, and that it would be a great item to trace back in history for four generations.

This Hoosier kitchen cabinet was manufactured by the company in New Castle, Indianna. When researching more about this brand and company, I found that our model is a bit different from the standard model that was popular during the time. The standard Hoosier model was a stand-up kitchen cabinet with a work station attached to it, so that one could store items, and prep meals all in one functional place. Our cabinet, is simply just that; a cabinet. It has five cream colored shelves, and storage options on the inside of the door. It has a darkly stained exterior, with some intricate details on the front of the hutch. It has small holes in the back, so that air can move in and out, and items don’t become stale. Hoosier cabinets quickly became staple items in many households, so I was a bit surprised that I could not find more information about other cabinet models like the one I have. There could be many explanations for this, for example maybe my great-great-grandparents purchased this style before the brand became popular, it could have been given as a gift to them, that for them this style was the most logical, or maybe sometime over the years they altered the cabinet.

Any of these explanations could be true, but I do know for sure that the use of this cabinet has changed a lot over its time. While I have no way of knowing exactly what my great-great-grandparents used this hutch for, I do think that their use of it was representative of the time. On the label on the back, is my great-great-grandma’s address, where the hutch was shipped to after its manufacture. I am thinking that she used it as it was designed, for kitchen storage of items like baking supplies and spices.

Somewhere in this cabinet’s lifetime, it was moved from its home in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to Endicott, New York. Which is where it has stayed for the past two generations. This was passed down from my great-great-grandparents and given to my Poppa, and the time in between I am unsure who’s possession it remained in, or if it ever changed place or function. When this was given to my Poppa, he kept it in the basement of the house, and used it to store his tools. This is where some of the purposes of this cabinet change, as it has left the kitchen, and now been altered. To organize some of his tools, my Poppa drilled holes in the sides of the cabinet from which to hang things.

After the passing of my Poppa, my family and I moved into his house, to keep it in the family. Therefore, my house is full of family items and can even be considered one in and of itself. Since this is my mother’s childhood home, we have kept a lot of things the same, only changing those things that no longer serve us, like paint colors and carpets. Since my mother has had it, she has kept it in our dining room, and used it as a baking and spice cabinet. When discussing the hutch, she mentioned how she remembered cleaning the cabinet of my Poppa’s tools and how she and my father brought it upstairs. Growing up, I had no idea this hutch had been in my family for so long, and that it held so much significance. I’m glad I was able to discover a new family object, and trace its lineage over time, and now I hope that one day this cabinet can be found in my own dining room, where my future family will see it.

I have always been interested in fitness and finding new ways to stay in shape. One of the more recent workout trends I have picked up in boxing. This has been by far my favorite one to be a part of. Although more difficult to pursue now that I am away at college, I still will shadow box or spar at any time I can. I have always been interested in watching movies and fights on boxing. From Muhammad Ali to Joe Frazier and George Foreman fighting till what looked like death in the ring. I was glued to the screen watching these gruesome yet legendary contests of endurance, persistence and character.

These gloves have definitely seen their wear and tear, taking part in hundreds of workouts. They have helped me become stronger both physically and mentally. They serve as a protection for my hands while also adding some weight to supplement a workout. I have used them to help others become passionate about this sport while also feeling the benefits. This stress relieving, confidence boosting activity is something I could not do without my gloves.

My gloves have sat on my dresser since I have picked up this hobby. Their may purpose may be to fight however, I keep them out as a reminder. The ones I have out are my first pair and definitely not my last. I remember the first day I used these gloves and how powerful I felt after the workout. I remember breaking in the leather slowly till these gloves became made for my hands. Most gloves are made the same size and weight when used for workout purposes. So, when I broke them in to fit my hands it felt more personalized. They may all look similar but, it was important to me to have my own pair.  The ones made for sparring and fighting vary slightly.

I have always used Title boxing wraps and gloves since that is the gym I started at. However, I never knew the history behind this until now. The brand and gym locations itself were developed only in 2008 in Colorado and has spread to all over the world since. I don’t believe the brand has as much as a meaning as the history behind boxing and the purpose of using gloves.

Boxing gloves have always served the same purpose since they were created. These gloves main purpose are for hand protection for fighting. They have been dated back all the way to 650BC. However since the mid 1800s, the style has not changed much. Although my more modern ones contain velcro unlike the classic models you lace up. You still get the same satisfaction and leathery smell with every wear. The models have varied and developed based on practicality and rules and regulations of fighting. The purpose of protection and as a weapon has remained the same.

My 12 oz classic black and white Title boxing gloves are a great addition to my dresser. They serve as a reminder of my strength and reminder to keep fighting. What I have always noticed about the fighters I have looked up to in and out of the ring is that they always get back up and keep fighting. We all have fights in our own lives and we must keep punching through.

I chose to discuss a new object for this week’s discussion. My Amethyst crystal necklace has become a staple of my wardrobe over the past year and a half.

I purchased it two summers ago at “Hippies, Witches, and Gypsies”, a self-described “eclectic” shop in Troy, New York.

I am the first owner of this Ameythst pendant, but the chain it hangs on belonged to my mom; it was once used to hang her favorite cross. When I wear the pendant I am thus able to carry a bit of my mom with me wherever I go.

Since the gemstone on my necklace was not always a piece of jewelry,  I did a bit of research on how Amethyst crystals are formed. Most of the Amethyst found today was formed between 130-150 million years ago from ancient lava fields. As the lava cools, several pockets are formed which trap gasses and water inside. Crystals are formed over time within these pockets. If Iron or Manganese is present during the crystal formation, the clear quartz crystals will turn purple–thus creating Amethyst crystals. To transform the stone into a piece of jewelry, the stone is generally cleaned with soap and water, ground and shaped with a Dremel tool, sanded, polished, and then wrapped with wire.

I’m not religious, but I am a very spiritual person–so certain “metaphysical” objects, like crystals, are deeply important to me. I have a small collection of crystals that I keep by my bedside–all with different meanings and purposes–but the Amethyst is the only one I wear on my body. The crystal is generally associated with physical and mental healing, protection, and stimulation and soothing of the emotions.  Amethyst has served several purposes throughout history. It was worn by travelers as protection from treachery and surprise attacks, kept soldiers from harm and granted them victory over their enemies, lent assistance to hunters, and was considered a powerful psychic stone of protection against evil forces. It was also believed to protect its wearer from disease and contagion. In the spiritual world, Amethyst provided a connection to a greater being. To the Hebrews, it served as the ninth stone in the breastplate of the High Priest, as well as the twelfth foundation stone for the New Jerusalem. To the Egyptians, it was listed in the Book of the Dead to be carved into heart-shaped amulets for burial. In Eastern cultures, it was used in temple offerings for worship, and to align planetary and astrological influences. It was popular in rosaries and prayer beads, credited with creating a calm, meditative atmosphere.

It may be a classic case of confirmation bias, but when I wear my amethyst pendant I really do feel calmer, more focused, and generally more in tune with myself and the world around me. It’s become a prized object of mine, and one that I feel deeply connected with. I once left my coin purse, which was carrying the pendant, on a Trailways bus and assumed I would never see it again. Three months later, I received a call out of the blue from the bus station in town saying they had found the purse. I like to think the pendant found its way back to me. Since that day, I’ve taken special care of the necklace and hope–regardless of the validity of crystal lure–that it’s doing the same for me.

https://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/amethyst

The object I have chosen to discuss for this blog post is one that is very near to my heart, quite literally.  It is a necklace that I have worn every day for over a year now. I have taken it off less than five times since the day I first put it on, one of those times being a few minutes ago while taking photos of it for this post.  When I first began wearing this necklace, I had no clue that it held and historical family value. I found it in one of my old jewelry boxes while looking for a new necklace to wear.

When I was younger, I had a bad habit of hoarding necklaces that I would never wear.  About three years ago, I decided that I would only wear one necklace and that I would not take it off or replace it until it either broke or began to tarnish, or a year had passed.  I would keep the necklace on at all times, even while exercising, swimming, or showering. I knew that if I were to remove it, even briefly, the likelihood of putting it back on would be slim to none.  I had successfully worn two necklaces to the breaking point before wearing the one pictured, a gold colored necklace with a unique chain made up of shapes similar to cylinders and spheres, though more angular and connected by pieces of chain so thin they sometimes appear to be floating.  The charm is gold colored and resembles a flower, with the center being a small stone that I assumed was cubic zirconia. This necklace originally served the function of being worn until it breaks to prevent myself from purchasing any more necklaces.

My necklace continued to serve this purpose until a day in July this past summer.  I was wearing it, as I had for nearly seven months at that point, when my grandmother said “I love that you always wear that necklace”.  She said it in a way that made me curious, what was so special about this necklace? I’ve had it for years and it had just been sitting in a box.  I inquired further and my grandmother revealed that she had given the necklace to me when I was very young and that not only were the gold and gem real, but that the gem was originally a part of her engagement ring.  She at some point several years ago had had the ring reset and a gem was removed. She had it made into a necklace for me, her oldest granddaughter.

I do not know where exactly she had the necklace created.  I would guess that it was at a gold jeweler in New York City, as I remember going there with her and my mom as a child.  I was not there when the necklace was made, but I remember my grandmother telling me that it was her favorite jeweler and that she went there for most of her jewelry needs.  The clasp of the chain has some markings, but I think they are to show that the necklace contains a certain amount of gold. They do not seem to indicate any one specific jeweler.

I had no idea that this necklace that I continue to wear around my neck everyday has so much family significance.  In that moment, the necklace took on a new function. It now serves as a reminder of the love between my Grandma and Grandpa that has survived for over 50 years.  On my Grandma’s eighteenth birthday, she moved out of her childhood home. My Grandparents got married a few days later. I know consider this necklace symbolic of my grandparents love and it often serves as a comfort to me.  I have a habit of playing with it when I am nervous, by holding it, I am reminded of its origins and I smile.

This necklace has changed my routine of purchasing a necklace once a year as well.  It is very well made and I intend to wear it for a very long time. I have mentioned in class that my family does not have heirlooms, however, I hope to one day pass this necklace down to my own children.

In my freshman year, my sculpture professor asked the class to make a box using plywood. We had to construct a container that could hold any object we wanted but there was a catch. There had to be a relationship between the vessel and its contents. We were provided with plywood, wood glue, nails, screws and clamps. I ended up making a wooden camera with a handmade camera roll with my freshman year memories. I wanted to make a camera because I have always loved the idea of capturing memories in a tin box for the future. My wooden camera had the New Paltz school logo on the outside so it could be a merchandise bought at the bookstore and the inside had pictures from my first year here. The relationship was the memories and friendships that college helped to create. I started making the wooden camera in early November of 2016 and was able to finish it within a week.

I started by cutting out individual plywood to be measured into nine layers and attached by wood glue. Then I measured out the sides and the pieces that will eventually go on top of the camera. I wanted to recreate a camera from the older generations because I have always liked dark room photo development. After assembling the proper pieces and gluing them down, I painted the hawk on the back and the New Paltz logo on the front right hand corner. Sanding down each of the sides and crevasses took a lot of time. I wanted the camera door to have an ability to open and close so viewers could see the handmade camera roll on the inside. With the help of my professor, I was able to drill a hole into the thin wood and insert a toothpick that would help the door swing open and close. Then, I printed out some photos in black and white and colored it to make it look like a camera roll.

Originally I had planned to keep it in my room as decoration because I had put so much work into it and I couldn’t just throw it out. However, I ended up giving it to my old photography teacher who inspired me to love black room photo development. I went home during winter break and I gave it to him as a gift. He inspired me to go to New Paltz to pursue education and art, but when I got here, I learned that I couldn’t do both without spending an extra year. I haven’t had a chance to visit my art teacher since freshman year but I hope it continues to inspire others to pursue their dreams too.

Expanding on my discussion of the 1907 Silver United States Barber dime, I decided to research how the value people place on currency shifts over time. In my last blog post, I discussed the role of the Barber Dime in early twentieth century American society: purchasing consumer friendly goods which helped make life more comfortable. While a dime produced in 2019 may not hold as much value as a fifty-dollar bill, a dime to destitute families one hundred years ago meant placing another meal on the table, buying coal to heat a tenement apartment, and sending letters to relatives. One person I know who still places immense value on a dime is my one-hundred-year-old great aunt. Growing up in a tenement building in New York City without a father and six other siblings, my great aunt was instilled with the virtue of appreciating any value of currency. Whether she earned a couple of pennies delivering bread for a local bakery or a few quarters hand sewing clothing, she knew any amount of money helped my great grandmother in supporting their family. Even though this type of appreciation for smaller currency may not be as common in younger generations, I would argue that this appreciation still exists, but it has shifted to larger standards of currency – twenties, fifties, and one hundred-dollar bills.

Over the course of one hundred years, the Barber Dime’s function in society has shifted, transitioning from daily currency to a rare collectible. While I realize the Barber Dime I found was being used to purchase a snack from a vending machine, most of these coins are not used for daily expenditures. According to the Littleton Coin Company’s website, a Barber Dime, if kept in good condition, can be sold at auction for $16 (1907-S Barber Dime 1). Even though this may not be a significant amount when compared to other rare coins, it shows how the dime has only gained value in the antique coin market, indicating that the Barber Dime’s role has shifted towards a collectible item.  

As discussed in my previous blog post, the Barber Dime was originally manufactured in 1907 in the San Francisco Mint, where 3.1 million copies were produced (1907-S Barber Dime 1). The designer Charles E. Barber, the sixth Chief Engraver in the United States Mint and the individual who the dime is named after, drafted and approved the design for the coin (1907-S Barber Dime). Past this information, I unfortunately do not know anything else about the Barber Dime. I do not know if the currency was abandoned after the establishment of the Federal Reserve, or whether the relationship between circulation and time of the coin has shown a linear or exponential decrease of usage in daily expenditures. I also do not know the previous chain of ownership, so unless I pursued forensic analysis, I will have little information regarding the coin’s prior ownership.

As an individual who enjoys United States history, I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment. I was able to invest time into researching an item I had kept in a drawer for nearly two years. Up until this point, I had never put much thought into the history of the dime, the role it performed in the early twentieth century, or the role it serves now as a collectible item. In the future, I fully intend to allocate more time towards researching the purpose and role currency served in American society during the Progressive Era.

Works Cited

 “1907-S Barber Silver Dime.” Littleton Coin Company, Littleton Coin Company, https://www.littletoncoin.com/shop/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=29555&r eferralCode=WRB&productId=18058&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_6eGvfSd4AIVgo-            zCh0ifwR2EAQYAiABEgLZI_D_BwE. Accessed 3 February 2019.