White Copper Wheat Wrapped Coin Adjustable Ring

A wheat ear wrapped round a coin: the ear passes through the square hole and goes round once. The ear puns on the word for years, the coin is money, and together they read as money year after year — folk puns are usually that literal. Some read it as peace year after year instead, and both readings hold. The awns of the ear must all point the same way; scatter the direction and it looks like weeds. And the base of the ear should tuck into the hole of the coin. Left outside, it looks pasted on, and anyone can see it.

An open ring depends on the overlap. The two ends cross, and the band can be spread a little or closed a little; over time it loosens, and you press it back gently from the inside. Do not spread it wide again and again, because the metal fatigues and it breaks at the overlap. The overlap needs width; narrow, and the ends shift out of line. The inside faces want polishing, since a rough surface rubs the finger raw, especially once you sweat. And the metal remembers the angle it has been bent to. Bend it often enough and it will not come back.

The grains of the ear should be separated one by one. Crowd them and the thing becomes a twist of rope. The coin’s characters need to be clear and the hole true; an off-centre hole throws the whole ear crooked. White copper cuts fine line like this more clearly than casting does, because the graver leaves a crisper edge. Use a sharp burin — a dull one raises burrs and the edges of the characters curl over. The tips of the awns must be stopped, or they scratch. And the gauge of the ear should match the face of the ring; too thick an ear and the face looks narrow.

White and yellow each have their partisans. White copper is clean and goes with plain clothing; the yellower version carries more age and looks better with cotton, linen, coarse weave. Thick fingers should take a wider face, since a narrow one looks weak on them. With large knuckles, turn the opening towards the palm so it does not dig when you make a fist. A bright polish makes the characters look deeper; a matt antiqued finish blurs the pattern a little. Sweaty hands in summer darken the inside, so wipe it when you get home.

For an elder who farms, wheat fits better than any other motif; for a friend in the city, the pun on years is enough and it sounds well. The ring does not choose an age, it chooses a size, and if you cannot measure, take the open one. Take it off to wash your hands; soap left in the seams darkens them. Do not wear it to cook or knead dough, because what works into the cuts is hard to get out. It makes a good small gift: the price does not frighten anyone and the meaning is ready-made. Worn alone it looks well; stacked with others it gets busy.