20th Century North American GOOD LUCK COINS
AN OLD GOOD LUCK TOKEN WITH SWAMI LOOKING INTO
CRYSTAL BALL WITH SWASTIKA
"good luck will accompany the bearer"
Thanks to the kindness of Bruce Raplee and Glendon Herber, whom i met through the usenet group rec.collecting.coins, i am now the proud owner of a collection-in-the-making of some really great 20th century North American Lucky Coins. Some of these were advertising tokens, some seem to have been designed as souvenirs, others are arcade-stamped custom tokens, and one is an elongated coin with a "lucky" message instead of the customary touristic images one most commonly finds on rolled pennies.
This is 20th century popular culture in North America, but it represents what has passed into my hands.
Note: In descriptions of non-monetary coins, the designations Obverse and Reverse are entirely arbitrary, so i am calling the side of the coin with the words "Good Luck" the Obverse; if the words "Good Luck" do not appear, then the side with the word "Luck" or "Lucky" is the Obverse.
GOOD LUCK COINS/TOKEN OR "POCKET PIECES"
These are primarily bronze or gold-plated bronze coins made in sizes approximating the U.S. quarter, half-dollar, and silver dollar. Similar in size and design to souvenir good luck coins and advertising good luck coins , they are distinguished by the fact that they do not bear souvenir or advertising messages, merely promises of good luck, especially in money matters. Many display the typical North America lucky icons: horseshoe, four-leaf clover, wishbone, rabbit foot, swastika, and so forth. The height of their manufacture seems to have been in the 1930s, during the Great Depression.
Good Luck Coin, bronze, circa 1930s, 31 mm.
