You’ve probably heard about all the superstitions associated with walking under ladders, crossing the paths of black cats, or breaking mirrors. But did you know that some people believe luck is also tied to coins?
“Find A Penny Pick It Up, All Day Long You’ll Have Good Luck”
This popular rhyme goes back generations and carries forth this way: “Find a penny / Pick it up / All day long / You’ll have good luck.” Sounds good, right? Well, there’s a little followup couplet, too: “...If it’s heads down / leave it on the ground.” You see, the belief is that only a penny (or one-cent coin) that is head’s side (or obverse) up represents good luck. Find one that is reverse up? Well, you better watch your footing – and daren't step on any cracks, lest we break anyone’s back!
Lucky Coins Hold The Key To Good Things?
How many people do you know who hang onto lucky coins? Perhaps even you have a coin you carry around and deem to possess an air of fair luck. Lucky coins have been around for ages, and whether or not they actually portend good things for the bearers is not to be conclusively ascertained in this article. But needless to say, lucky coins are a “thing” – little numismatic talismans that are cherished by many and frequently passed down to the next generation, often in the form of a pocketworn low ball coin.
And A Sixpence In Her Shoe…
There’s an old wedding tradition that goes something like this: “Something old / Something new / Something borrowed / Something blue / And a sixpence in her shoe.” The first four items respectively symbolize well wishes for connections to the bride’s family, hope for the couple’s marriage, something that ushers in good luck for the newlyweds, and a blessing of love and purity for the couple. But the sixpence? The British coin is traditionally given to the bride by her father and represents wishes for prosperity to envelope the new couple.