Victorian Love Tokens: Small Objects, Big Stories

There is something deeply touching about the idea of a Victorian Love Token. Not jewellery made to dazzle or impress, but something created quietly, patiently, and with great care. Often made from an ordinary coin, these tokens were smoothed down and engraved by hand with initials, dates or tiny symbols — hearts, flowers, clasped hands — small marks that carried enormous meaning.

Love Tokens began to appear in Britain in the late 18th century and became especially popular during the Georgian and Victorian periods. Most were made from everyday silver coins, chosen not for extravagance but for durability and familiarity. Sailors carried them on long voyages, soldiers took them to war, and convicts were known to give them to loved ones before transportation — small, portable reminders of home, love and connection in uncertain times.

What makes them so special is that every Love Token was handmade. There were no machines engraving these pieces, no templates or shortcuts. Each letter was cut by hand, each surface patiently smoothed, each mark made slowly and deliberately. They are imperfect in the most human way — slightly uneven, softly worn, shaped by the hands that made them and the lives that carried them. Their beauty lies in that honesty.

The photograph shows a Victorian Love Token I recently found online. I couldn’t resist it. It bears my initials and is decorated with a simple, repeating design that immediately felt like me. I’m still not entirely sure what I’m going to do with it yet — whether it becomes a piece of jewellery or simply stays as it is — but I love it for its simplicity, and for the love it represents.

What I find most moving about Love Tokens is that they weren’t precious because of their materials. They were precious because of intention. Someone took the time to make them. To sit and engrave those letters. To turn something ordinary into something meaningful. They are objects made slowly, thoughtfully, and with care — values that feel increasingly important in a fast, mass-produced world.

In many ways, Victorian Love Tokens feel surprisingly modern. We still long for objects that mean something. Jewellery that marks love, connection, friendship or remembrance. Pieces that feel personal rather than performative. Something that slips into everyday life and quietly gathers meaning over time.

Perhaps that’s why I’m so drawn to them. My own jewellery has always been about sentiment and storytelling — about handmade pieces that don’t shout, but stay. Jewellery made slowly, with intention, designed to be worn and lived with, not just admired.

Love Tokens remind us that the most meaningful objects are often the simplest ones. erhaps that’s the true beauty of a Love Token. Not that it tells a loud or dramatic story, but that it holds space for something deeply personal. A reminder of love, intention and care, carried quietly through time. And whether it becomes jewellery or simply remains treasured as it is, its meaning is already complete.

‍

‍