18th Century: Two British Gold Guineas Made into a Locket

Two British Gold Guineas made into a Locket. Both are Spade Guineas of George III dated 1787 and 1794.

The locket is made from two parts, the case and the lid, hinged together. The side of the case is made from a base-metal ring (for strength) which has been covered by sheet gold hammered to fit the ring and then bonded to the base which is the 1794 Gold Guinea. The edge of the case is reeded to look like a coin. The lid is made from the 1787 Guinea.  The hinge is constructed from five arms, two of which are bonded to the lid and three to the case. The pin of the hinge is hollow to allow the link ring to pass throught. One the other side is the pressure clasp.

This a a very well made piece of coin jewellry.  The design is plain but robust.  The inner sides of the coins show little wear but the outer sides are rubbed and polished indicating that the locket has been worn for some time.  My guess is that locket was made in the late 1700s or early 1800s.  There are no hallmarks; so I am unable to tell the purity of the additional pieces.  However, with the exception of the ring which supports the side of the case, I am certain that they are gold.  All the parts are undamaged and in original working order. 

Measurements:  A gold Guinea has a diameter of 23.4 mm and a mass of 8.4 gm.  The actual pure gold content is 0.246 troy oz fine for a total gold content of just under 1/2 oz.  The overall mass of the locket is 23.3 gm.  The additional mass over and above the two coins is therefore 6.6 gm.  The height of the locket is 7.0 mm and the depth of the inner recess is 4.3 mm.