Navajo Necklace with Silver Coins and Turquoise [SOLD]

This squash blossom style necklace is comprised of silver coins. Most silver coins are 90% pure silver, compared to sterling silver which is 92.5% pure silver. Navajo smiths often used coin silver in lieu of sterling because it was readily available.

The artist used United States Mercury dimes to create silver beads. Each dime coin was hammered into a hemisphere and then two were soldered together.  The Mercury dime is a ten-cent coin struck by the United States Mint from 1916 to 1945. Designed by Adolph Weinman, and more correctly referred to as the Winged Liberty Head dime, it gained its common name as the obverse depiction of a young Liberty, identifiable by her winged Phrygian cap, was confused with the Roman god Mercury.

Strung along the beads are individual United States Standing Liberty quarters that are attached by a sturdy piece of silver on which is mounted a small turquoise cab.  The Standing Liberty quarter was a 25-cent coin struck by the United States Mint from 1916 to 1930. It succeeded the Barber quarter, which had been minted since 1892. Featuring the goddess of Liberty on one side and an eagle in flight on the other, the coin was designed by sculptor Hermon Atkins MacNeil.

The naja is a horseshoe shape of cast silver with a beautiful blue turquoise stone mounted in its center.  The necklace has sterling silver cones at the ends and sterling silver hooks.

The necklace is unsigned, but it is obvious the Navajo artist was skilled in working with silver.  It has just been re-strung and is safe to wear.

Condition: this Navajo Necklace with Silver Coins and Turquoise is in excellent condition.

Provenance: from the estate of Santa Fe dealer and collector Martha (Marti) Struever who passed away in August 2017.

Recommended Reading: Navajo Jewelry: A Legacy of Silver and Stone by Lois Jacka