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Thursday, November 06, 2014
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe
What is a sixpence?
A sixpence was a coin used in the British Empire beginning in 1551.
One sixpence represented six pennies.
The last year of use of the sixpence coin was 1967.
How did the sixpence tradition begin?
In the middle ages, the people were very superstitious. They believed that much of their life was controlled by evil spirits. Anything they could do to ward off those spirits was wise. They felt that those evil spirits were particularly active during rites of passage, such as weddings, so it was important to use good luck charms to keep the bride and groom safe on their wedding day. Any type of talisman from a horseshoe to a lucky coin was considered a good omen.
During the early 1600's it was customary for the Lord of the Manor to give his bride a piece of silver as a wedding gift. This was symbolically represented by a sixpence coin. It later became a tradition to include a sixpence in the dowry that was given by the bride's family to the groom. That tradition of the sixpence as a symbol of good luck continues today.
Some families have passed down the same sixpence through the generations to continue the hope for good luck to future brides. It's also nice to seek out a sixpence minted in the year of your parents or grandparents wedding, birth years, or some other important family occasion.
Have a wedding coming up and want to keep the tradition? Stop in and visit us at KMG Gold and check out our selection of Sixpence coins.