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What has she round her neck?

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  • What has she round her neck?



    That's a monster chain the lady is wearing. Is there any possibility it supports a coin, rather than a locket? (And please, don't tell me she's famous: many of the photos in this album are royalty or theatricals!)
    Phoenix - with charred feathers
    Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

  • #2
    Well, I've just been through all 183 pages of the V&A jewellery collection and found nothing like it, but I wonder if they could help? Not sure if they answer that sort of query.

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    • #3
      It looks like a coin, a medal or a Wedgewood silhouette.

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      • #4
        It looks like one of those brown things with a lady on it in white. Not sure what they are called though.

        Remembering: Cuthbert Gregory 1889 - 1916, George Arnold Connelly 1886 - 1917, Thomas Lowe Davenport 1890 - 1917, Roland Davenport Farmer 1885 - 1916, William Davenport Sheffield 1879 - 1915, Cuthbert Gregory 1918 - 1944

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        • #5
          I thought it looked a bit like Wedgewood, too . The design appears to be embossed, not flat like a coin.

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          • #6
            You are thinking of a cameo Tom.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Tom Tom View Post
              It looks like one of those brown things with a lady on it in white. Not sure what they are called though.
              Do you mean a cameo, Tom?

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              • #8
                I agree it looks like a cameo, but its quite a size isn't it. And I thought cameos were usually on ribbons, that's a whopper chain, it looks quite heavy.
                ~ with love from Little Nell~
                Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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                • #9
                  Just googled cameo and yes that is what I meant, but now I am not sure looking at the images in google.


                  Remembering: Cuthbert Gregory 1889 - 1916, George Arnold Connelly 1886 - 1917, Thomas Lowe Davenport 1890 - 1917, Roland Davenport Farmer 1885 - 1916, William Davenport Sheffield 1879 - 1915, Cuthbert Gregory 1918 - 1944

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                  • #10
                    I don't think it's a cameo, the chain is substantial, I think it is more likely to be a coin. But the victorians did like substantial jewellery.

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                    • #11
                      It won't enlarge more than this without pixellating too much
                      Think Barbara's right about it not being a cameo ... it looks quite thick and does not seem to be in a 'surround'

                      ~ FOR PHOTO RESTORATIONS PLEASE SCAN AT A RESOLUTION OF 300-600 WITH THE SCALE AT 100% MINIMUM ~ http://restoreandcolour.brainwaving.co.uk

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                      • #12
                        What do we think about the earrings -are they made to match or just happen to complement the pendant? They don't look heavy enough to pull the earlobes down.

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                        • #13
                          Thank you for all your suggestions. The reason I asked was there was a story within the family of a portrait (not a photo) of a woman wearing "the last coin her husband ever earned" on a chain round her neck. This wouldn't be the same woman, but I did wonder whether it was the same coin, but it looks much too high relief. But that chain just look like overkill for, say, a cameo.
                          Phoenix - with charred feathers
                          Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

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                          • #14
                            It looks like a man with a beard and a hat like a fez to me ....



                            What is his history?
                            Let's re-arrange the deck-chairs

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                            • #15
                              Now you mention it, Mark, so it does. It cannot be an islamic coin as that would not have featured a head. I wonder, though, if it might have been a commemorative medal for someone like Osman Pasha? That's the right period, but I know nothing about fashions in victorian jewellery and whether he was regarded as a hero or a villain to the British.
                              That does rather put the kybosh on the idea of it being a british coin.
                              Phoenix - with charred feathers
                              Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

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                              • #16
                                Not sure it's a head but the thing that strikes me is that it does look quite thick and large and there is apparently no mount

                                there's a Victorian Gutta brooch here which looks similar in thickness/proportion

                                victorian coins + brooches - Google Image Search
                                ~ FOR PHOTO RESTORATIONS PLEASE SCAN AT A RESOLUTION OF 300-600 WITH THE SCALE AT 100% MINIMUM ~ http://restoreandcolour.brainwaving.co.uk

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                                • #17
                                  Is it too big to be a gold sovereign?..

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                                  • #18
                                    Sovereigns are really small & thin, it is medal thickness, but looks as if it is intended to be ornamental. Maybe OC would have an idea, she knows a lot about jewellery.

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                                    • #19
                                      I don't think the chain is as heavy and substantial as it looks.

                                      I have seen these kind of chains and they are very finely woven gold thread and actually quite lightweight.

                                      As for the coin/disc, I wonder if it is faience? Faience is basically fossilised clay, easy to work and carve because it is quite soft even though it is very dense.

                                      Faience is an Egyptian thing mainly and comes in all colours from bright vivd turquioise through to black. Much valued now, but would have been considered little more than costume jewellery in Victorian times, and I would imagine have been ideal for striking a commemorative medallion.

                                      EDIT - the coin is mounted I think.

                                      OC

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                                      • #20
                                        I have had a good shufti through my reference books and have found a very similar chain, although slightly more elaborate.

                                        The style is dated at 1885-1890 (height of popularity). It was meant to be worn very long and tucked into the belt to hold it steady, or looped up to a fob on the upper breast - as a lightweight chain it would have flapped about and curled up etc. Sometimes they had a "blind" pendant on a slider about half way down, which would open at the back to conceal a lock of hair.

                                        The one in your photo may be a cut down and the coin/medallion would give it the necessary weight to make it hang properly.

                                        Wish I could see it in the flesh!

                                        Bob - I'm not aware of Victorians wearing coins as pendants, but that doesn't mean they didn't, of course!

                                        OC

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