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Rabbit Earrings Made from Irish Coins

by Ann Nolen.
(Santa Rosa, California USA)

I have collected coins for 15 years, so it probably isn’t surprising that I finally figured out how to combine my passion for coins with my passion for making jewelry.

These are 3 Pence coins from Ireland, and I have always thought the coins were very cute.

I hand-painted them in bold purple (why not?) and added bails to make them into earrings.

If you wonder why purple, I guess you haven’t ever read the poem that imspires a lot of women like me to go a little wild. I will share it here:

When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purpleby Jenny Joseph
When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
and satin candles, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
and run my stick along the public railings
and make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
and pick the flowers in other people’s gardens
and learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
and eat three pounds of sausages at a go
or only bread and pickles for a week
and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
and pay our rent and not swear in the street
and set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Thanks!

Ann Nolen
AnimalCoin.com

Comments:

Stylish rabbits
by: Rena

I love the gorgeous colors you use in painting your coins.

This deep purple is wonderful, and really makes the rabbits stand out – I’m sure they’re glorying in their new color!

There are so many folks who are fanatic about wearing purple (which I never realized till I started selling jewelry) that I bet these earrings were snapped up very quickly.

Thank you so much for sharing your unique artistry here, Ann!

Clovers and Aritchokes
by: Michelle

Hi Ann, beautiful work! I just went to look at more on your site, and saw the 2 Shillings coin featuring ‘Crest with clovers and artichokes’.

I thought you might like to know that the crest is made up of the national flowers (leaves, vegetables etc counting as flowers here!)of the four countries that make up Great Britain.

The centre is the Rose of England, the ‘clover’ is the Shamrock of Ireland, the spiky ‘artichokes’ the Thistle of Scotland, and the little one growing from the ground is the Leek of Wales. 😉

Thanks Michelle!
by: Ann Nolen

Michelle,

Thanks so much for explaining this for me. I love this coin and had no idea of the significance. This is exciting!

Thanks, Ann.
AnimalCoin.com