MSI633

PAIR OF SILVER COIN EARRING PLUGS (EAR TUNNELS) – FRENCH INDOCHINA COINS (1921 & 1922)
HANDCRAFTED IN LAOS | HISTORIC COIN JEWELRY | ONE-OF-A-KIND PAIR
THIS UNIQUE PAIR OF EARRING PLUGS (EAR TUNNELS) IS CRAFTED FROM TWO ORIGINAL SILVER TRADE COINS FROM FRENCH INDOCHINA, DATED 1921 AND 1922. THESE COINS WERE MINTED UNDER FRENCH COLONIAL RULE FOR CIRCULATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, INCLUDING MODERN-DAY VIETNAM, LAOS, AND CAMBODIA.

COINS DATE FROM THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY (1921–1922)
PLUG CONVERSION LIKELY OCCURRED MID-20TH CENTURY TO LATE 20TH CENTURY, AS HILL TRIBE AND VILLAGE SILVERSMITHS REPURPOSED COLONIAL COINS INTO PERSONAL ADORNMENT, PARTICULARLY POST-INDEPENDENCE WHEN COINS LOST MONETARY VALUE.
MOST LIKELY ETHNIC GROUP:
TAI LUE OR LAO LOUM (LOWLAND LAO), WHO SOMETIMES INCORPORATED COINS INTO ADORNMENT
ALTERNATIVELY, HMONG SILVERSMITHS IN LAOS/VIETNAM BORDER REGIONS WERE KNOWN FOR MODIFYING COLONIAL COINS INTO BODY JEWELRY, ESPECIALLY PLUGS OR PENDANTS

EACH COIN FEATURES THE ICONIC SEATED FIGURE OF LIBERTY (MARIANNE) ON THE OBVERSE, SYMBOLIZING THE FRENCH REPUBLIC. THE REVERSE BEARS THE INSCRIPTION:
"INDO-CHINE FRANÇAISE – TITRE 0.680 – POIDS 5 GR." INDICATING THEIR SILVER CONTENT OF 68% AND ORIGINAL WEIGHT OF 5 GRAMS.

PLUG DETAILS:
FEATURE – 1921 COIN PLUG – 1922 COIN PLUG
COIN YEAR – 1921 – 1922
FRONT COIN DIAMETER – 25 MM – 25 MM
EARLOBE SIZE – 5 MM – 5 MM
BACK FLARE DIAMETER – 10 MM – 8 MM
LONG – 9 MM – 9 MM
WEIGHT – 5.19 G – 5.28 G

HAND-FABRICATED IN LAOS, THE ORIGINAL COINS HAVE BEEN METICULOUSLY CONVERTED INTO WEARABLE BODY JEWELRY BY DRILLING AND CONNECTING 5MM FLARED TUBES FOR INSERT IN EARLOBE HOLE WHILE PRESERVING THEIR FULL FACES AND INSCRIPTIONS. THE FLARED BACKS ENSURE A SECURE AND COMFORTABLE FIT FOR STRETCHED LOBES AT 5MM GAUGE.

CONDITION: VERY GOOD, INTACT, NICE PATINA, NICE WEAR FROM USAGE
NOT 100% IDENTICAL: 1 PLUG’S TUBE IS SOLDERED IN HOLE, AND THE OTHER IS HAMMERED IN HOLE.
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