NNP

Amulet.  A talismanic medal to ward off evil or illness, usually intended to be worn around the neck. Amulets must come in contact with the person they are to remedy and these typically are pendant charms. Their design is associated with myth, folklore, magic, superstition, or witchcraft, and perhaps the commonest amulets are crosses or religious medals hung around the neck, still a modern practice. In contrast, the original concept of amulets were pendants of grotesque or mystical design, often of animals both actual and mythological. The manufacture of amulets closely followed that of coin and medal technology. Jewelry amulets (as rings, bracelets, brooches, as well as pendants) were worn on other parts of the body and sometimes made as lockets or a case to contain a religious relic – some artifact or substance inside (called a “reliquary”).  See talisman. Coins believed to have the ability to ward off evil or to stave off illness were called touchpieces.

excerpted with permission from

An Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology

For Artists, Makers, Collectors and Curators

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY D. WAYNE JOHNSON

Roger W. Burdette, Editor