1818 LARGE CENT USED AS A “HUMDINGER,”ONE OF THE FIRST COLONIAL CHILDREN’S TOYS.

Description

In his book “Collectable American Coins,” Kenneth E. Bressett devotes an entire page (p. 68) of his book to “Humdingers.” These were children’s toys made from early American copper coins as follow. Two holes are punched near the center of a coin and a string is passed through the holes and tied, creating a closed loop. You then place your hands on either side of the loop so the coin hangs down, and then you swing it around so that finally, when you move your hands in and out, the coin whirls, spinning back and forth between your hands and making a humming sound, hence the name "humdinger."It is rare to find such coins today.