The fine and delicate art of cutting authentic coins and tokens to create jewelry is considered an acceptable art form. Alteration of currency with the intent to create jewelry is not an illegal process; it only becomes illegal when the defacer does it with fraudulent intent.
Coin-cutting for the purpose of creating attractive jewelry is a hobby that Woody Lacey of Hafford has found challenging. Woody does not alter a coin to deceive anyone on the actual value of the coin and the price he charges for the finished product is strictly for the art involved. His intent is very clear.
Woody is artistically inclined and has spent many years carving birds from wood. A change in medium has allowed his creative side to flourish as he accentuates detail in preparation for creating jewelry in the form of pendants, earrings, lapel pins and key rings.
When Woody selects a coin to cut, he examines the detail to indicate if the coin will lend itself to the cutting process. Once he has determined if the coin's feature can be accentuated, he fastens the coin to a homemade hinge-style vise. He then proceeds to pierce the spaces that will be removed to allow for the insertion of the blade of the jeweller's saw, which is similar to a coping saw but with a finer blade. The metal takes its toll on the delicate blade and often Woody may go through more than one blade during one cutting session.
The process consists entirely of manual labour. Woody makes it look easy but the technique requires control of the saw, cutting the rim of the coin and outlining the detail. One slip of the saw can lead to the delicate area being ruined.
Some coin cutters cut a pre-conceived design into the coin while others, like Woody, simply accentuate the existing design. Custom orders are accepted for a specific year or design. Popular items have been the Saskatchewan Roughrider and coloured double poppy veteran coins. Some unique creations are derived from bullion rounds of the American prospector and panda bear, foreign, American and Canadian coins.
Epoxy resin application prevents the coin from tarnishing and prevents fine projections from snagging on clothing or breaking.
Woody offers a variety of styles of unique hand-cut coin jewelry. There are dozens of coins and tokens that look attractive when cut out and Woody is always looking for more coins that will lend themselves to the art form.
