BRITISH PENNY SET IN VOLCANIC LAVA THOUGHT TO BE FROM THE 1944 ERUPTION OF VESUVIUS
« backLava souvenir thought to be from an eruption of Vesuvius, with a British George V coin pressed into the lava while it was molten.
This is a very unusual item as the coin is a British penny minted during the reign of George V (1910-1936). The vast majority of these souvenirs are Italian coins pressed into blobs of molten lava extracted from Vesuvius or Etna when they have been erupting.
During the 18th and 19th centuries it was common for these souvenirs to be produced for visitors who climbed the volcanoes during eruptions, and this practice continued into the 20th century.
Based on the date of the coin it is very likely that this souvenir dates from the last eruption of Vesuvius in 1944 and made for a British Serviceman serving in Italy during the Second World War using one of his own coins.
A fascinating item. Presented in a vintage glass museum display box.
Click on a picture for a larger image.
Size: 5.7 x 5.5 x 1.8 centimetres
Weight: 63 grams
Weight: 63 grams
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