A vintage French silver chain bracelet dating up to the 1960s.
It features a 1800s French 5-franc coin welded onto it.
This is a remarkably heavy silver bracelet; the chain itself is quite thick and carries significant value on its own.
The ruggedness and weight are magnificent. My partner said if it were theirs, they would remove the coin to wear it, which is certainly an option. Haha.
What really stands out is the clasp. It honestly gave me chills. It was my first time seeing one like it, and it was an eye-opening experience.
This is an incredible chain bracelet weighing over 100g, featuring French hallmarks used up until the 1960s.
Accessories adorned with such coins actually have a very long history.
It is said that in Eastern Arab culture, it began when a man would gift gold coins to a woman he had decided to marry,
and the woman would then wear them as jewelry.
With gold coins holding substantial value just in their weight alone,
I imagine the idea was for her to be able to sell them if anything ever happened to him.
Over time, this practice shifted to more affordable silver coins and was passed down through North Africa,
and because that region was a French colony, they became franc coins.
The silver chains were also made to be heavy to ensure the piece had inherent value. (Actually, even at today’s silver market prices, you could likely fetch a pretty good sum if you sold it. Haha.)
I bought this piece simply because I thought it was cool—the bold way the coin is attached created a unique tension that I really liked,
but after learning about the origins behind it, I’ve grown to love it even more.
Since it was intended to be worn by women, it has a shorter length that fits well on Japanese wrists.
Please love it for a long time to come.
free shipping
material - chain silver 925 / coin silver 900
The chain features a wild boar hallmark used until the 1960s, along with marks indicating the workshop or artist.
size - 19.4cm
model wrist - 14cm / 16cm
weight - 148.6g
condition - No issues
