Gemini Dream

Your wife has good taste. I usually make a business trip to Houston once a year but so far not in 2020 due to the travel and visit ban in place by both companies. I have American family in Texas. My uncle Jean-Guy joined the U.S. Army from Montreal in 1964. Went to a recruiting station just across the border and applied. 6 months later got his green card. He speaks English and French fluently so I guess he figured he would serve in Vietnam but went to Germany for decades then settled back in the U.S. between Texas and Tennessee until he retired. He is now know as John and has kids, grand-kids and great-grand-kids. He is on my father's side of the family. We lost touch in 2002 went their mother died. My father and I do not speak since I married a beautiful mulatto woman. Anyways, my son and two daughters are grown and really not interested in this piece, they prefer the finer jewelry, family photos and cash. My grand-daughters might be one day but that is to far off to tell now. Let me know if you wife finds another one, or at some point, once I know more about this one, I will consider selling it to a good home especially an American family

That "hole" in the image does not perforate the glass, but you can see through it even with the sort of RAF roundel obscuring the view a little. I also reached out to a scholar who has written extensively about ancient medals and plaquettes but he has never seen anything like this either as he deals in antiquities and referred me to some major auction houses in London, England to see if they can help figure out this mystery for us. I also wrote a jewelry expert in Boston, MA from the Antique Roadshow but her email box was full so who knows if she will get the message.

one additional photo the opposite side.

Hi, the actual holder or pendant case is 1/8 of an inch and the glass or lucite/acrylic is a little smaller at around 1/16+ of an inch. Sorry no coin in this glass but it is freakishly beautiful almost like a holograph image because when you look at it in the light it can seem transparent but then when you lean it on a slight angle it become almost real looking as though there was a solid gold coin trapped inside. The holder (c1900) is quite old from what I have seen on Ebay. It is only one sided, as though someone took an impression of an 1884 coin etc. There are no markings anywhere on the hold that I can see. A real mystery.

Hi Greenstang and fellow Canadian! Would you have any idea what you would call this pendant is about? I inherited it from my great aunt (1925-2011) and know it was my great grandmother's (1885-1968.) My mother (1940) does not know either. My great grandmother came to Canada from the Ukraine in 1914. I thought it might be from her oldest son (1901-1948) because he service in the U.S. Marines during WW2 in the South Pacific. But now have a little research it appears to be some sort of "Art Portrait" jewelry of the decorative arts type. I read up on medals & plaquettes and I believe Europeans made them but it seems to be mostly medals. This one is in an old pendant c.1900, circular glass containing the image of a 1884 Morgan Silver Dollar. The glass looks like the type you find on a fine crystal watch, or a German officers monocle from the 1890's. The model used form the Morgan coin also looks like the lady Leda from Greek Mythology, a very popular subject for medal plaquettes, also Diana the Huntress a bronze plaquette from the 15th. My point is that someone with great talent made this beautiful piece based on the beauty of the coin. I have found many samples on Ebay of the actual Morgan Silver Dollars being used in various ways as pendants. I always love coins since I was a kid (Tom, born 1960) because of the history and their beauty. I have a very modest collection of mostly Canadian, American and British coins with a wide assortment of other foreign coins. Naturally this item came to me but my mother took all the really old gold sovereigns and other coins. Any information or help you can pass along to me will be gratefully appreciated. Thanks and regards, Tom Montreal, Canada