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Makers of fine squash blossom necklace beads, 1880s style silver coin badges, custom silver jewelry and arrowheads. Supplier of flint and fire pistons.
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Squash Blossom Bead
The history of the coin bead by RLMyers.
The coin bead has been around ever since the first coins were made. Since I started making these beads I have spent countless hours trying to find who made the first ones. As close as I can figure it was probably the Chinese. The Chinese introduced the first round coin about 250 BC. It even all ready had a hole in the middle of it, so making a bead from it would have been very easy. You have probably seen these ancient Chinese coins. They used them to decorate all kinds of baskets, fans and tassels for a very long time. They used this type coin until about 1912.
I think however the coin bead did not really become popular till around 215 BC when the Romans introduced the silver denarius. That's when the real need for the coin bead came about. The coin bead was an easy way to conceal and carry money. The coins were made from silver and gold so even though it was no longer a coin it still held its real value. So a wayfaring traveler would conceal his money around his neck under his clothing instead of carrying it in his money pouch. When the time came that he needed the money he would simply remove a few beads. There was also a money chain during this time used very similar. Instead of removing a few beads the wearer would remove a few silver or gold links to pay his debt. These forms of carrying money were very popular and are believed to have reached the New World with the Spanish. With the Spanish also came silversmithing. They loved their silver and gold decorative items. After all, the search for precious metals was a major motivational factor for coming to the New World in the first place.
The Spanish soon taught the Mexicans their style of silver and gold uses. I am quiet sure they were easy students. If you have ever seen some of the silver and gold artifacts made by the early tribal people of Mexico you know that they were very apt with working precious metals. From there it wasn't long till these skills were passed to the Southwestern tribal peoples. And there begins the story of the squash blossom bead. The Navajo word describing this type of necklace means "bead that spreads out." Although these necklaces which are referred to as "squash blossom" necklaces appear to have a design that resembles a squash blossom, it is very possible the Navajo copied the design from the pomegranate blossom motif originally worn as silver trouser ornaments by the Spanish and, later, by the Mexicans who came to this area.
The coin beads were very popular in the making of this necklace. Dimes made the perfect size bead. The first dimes were introduced here in America in 1796. But due to the fact that the squash blossom necklace wasn't introduced till the late 1800s. I am fairly sure the first squash blossom coin beads were made from the Seated Liberty Dimes followed by the Barber Dimes and then the Mercury Dimes.
We continue this age long tradition. We make the dime beads out of Barber, Mercury and Roosevelt silver dimes and even the modern clad metal dimes. We also make beads from just about every coin ever minted. Our Shiny Penny Beads are made from pre1982 copper pennies. We are proud to carry on this long lasting tradition and we hope that it lasts till the end of time.
I think however the coin bead did not really become popular till around 215 BC when the Romans introduced the silver denarius. That's when the real need for the coin bead came about. The coin bead was an easy way to conceal and carry money. The coins were made from silver and gold so even though it was no longer a coin it still held its real value. So a wayfaring traveler would conceal his money around his neck under his clothing instead of carrying it in his money pouch. When the time came that he needed the money he would simply remove a few beads. There was also a money chain during this time used very similar. Instead of removing a few beads the wearer would remove a few silver or gold links to pay his debt. These forms of carrying money were very popular and are believed to have reached the New World with the Spanish. With the Spanish also came silversmithing. They loved their silver and gold decorative items. After all, the search for precious metals was a major motivational factor for coming to the New World in the first place.
The Spanish soon taught the Mexicans their style of silver and gold uses. I am quiet sure they were easy students. If you have ever seen some of the silver and gold artifacts made by the early tribal people of Mexico you know that they were very apt with working precious metals. From there it wasn't long till these skills were passed to the Southwestern tribal peoples. And there begins the story of the squash blossom bead. The Navajo word describing this type of necklace means "bead that spreads out." Although these necklaces which are referred to as "squash blossom" necklaces appear to have a design that resembles a squash blossom, it is very possible the Navajo copied the design from the pomegranate blossom motif originally worn as silver trouser ornaments by the Spanish and, later, by the Mexicans who came to this area.
The coin beads were very popular in the making of this necklace. Dimes made the perfect size bead. The first dimes were introduced here in America in 1796. But due to the fact that the squash blossom necklace wasn't introduced till the late 1800s. I am fairly sure the first squash blossom coin beads were made from the Seated Liberty Dimes followed by the Barber Dimes and then the Mercury Dimes.
We continue this age long tradition. We make the dime beads out of Barber, Mercury and Roosevelt silver dimes and even the modern clad metal dimes. We also make beads from just about every coin ever minted. Our Shiny Penny Beads are made from pre1982 copper pennies. We are proud to carry on this long lasting tradition and we hope that it lasts till the end of time.
We make all kinds of coin squash blossom beads and inlaid coin beads too!
The beads on the above left are Shiny Penny Beads, made from real pre1982 copper pennies. On the above right are the Traditional Mercury Dime Squash Blossom Necklace beads, made from pre1945 silver Mercury dimes.
On the below left we have our best seller. Modern Dime beads, these beads are very popular with the jewelry designers of today. On the below right we have our very unique and unusual RLMyers inlaid silver coin beads. We inlay these with turquoise, lapis, malachite, dinosaur bone, catlinite, and just about any other kind of cool rock we find.
Below left is one of our most popular sellers. It is a silver coin squash blossom bead necklace. This piece is made from 114 silver coins none dating newer than 1945. 100 Mercury Dimes, 8 Silver Quarters, 4 Walking Liberty Half Dollars and
2 Morgan Silver Dollars skillfully turned into beads make this 29 inch
necklace command attention.
Below right is the RLMyers inlaid silver coin bead necklace. This stunning piece has 88 pre1946 silver coins with 7 turquoise inlaid beads from the Morgan silver dollar bead down to the Mercury dime beads with small turquoise beads in between.
Below right is the RLMyers inlaid silver coin bead necklace. This stunning piece has 88 pre1946 silver coins with 7 turquoise inlaid beads from the Morgan silver dollar bead down to the Mercury dime beads with small turquoise beads in between.
We also make other squash blossom related items!
Above left are the Traditional Mercury Dime Squash Blossom Earrings. Above right are the Traditional Mercury Dime Buttons. We also make the concho style with the loop on the back.
ALL THE ITEMS ON THIS PAGE CAN BE ORDERED AND PURCHASED FROM OUR MAIN WEBSITE WALLERINGBEAR TRADING POST
