COINS & CHRISTMAS PUDDING ON THE PORTAL

Christmas pudding is a traditional English desert somewhat akin to American fruitcake. An old tradition suggests hiding a silver threepence in the concoction, with the promise of good fortune for the finder. No doubt more than a few coins have been accidentally ingested. Some related discussion is found via the Newman Portal. During the conversion to decimal currency in 1966, as reported in the Calcoin News, an Australian woman asked “When the 3-pence pieces go, what are we going to put in the Christmas pudding?”

A 1987 issue of the NI Bulletin noted the Bank of England was still receiving requests for silver threepence during the holiday season. The 2004 British Numismatic Journal notes this demand as far back as the 18th century. Modern sensibility has largely done away with the practice, due to concerns about microwaving a coin-filled cake, choking hazards, and the lack of circulating silver coins. Illustrated is a Massachusetts threepence from the Alan Weinberg collection.

Link to Fall, 1966 Calcoin News:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/516438?page=3

Link to March, 1987 NI Bulletin:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/522922?page=9

Link to 2004 British Numismatic Journal:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/535980?page=91

Link to Alan Weinberg Massaschusetts silver image collection:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/Library/ImageCollection/510308

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web