London Coin Purse and Coins

Alice Tait, date unknown

Cotton and polyester

12.7 x 9.5 x .6 cm

Gifted by Mum

Personal Collection

The small coin purse is the first wallet, that I received when I was around four years old. The purse was gifted to me by my mother as I wanted a purse like a ‘grown-up’ during a day trip to London, England. When I first got the purse it only held small objects that held my fascination such as buttons and small figurines such as a Squirtle (Pokemon) and a few coins that I found around my house. Later it held more money as I got pocket money from chores. My family is British and I was born in England. My mum brought my sibling and I to Canada in September 2007 where we have lived ever since. I have only visited England four times in the thirteen years of living in Canada and each time I went back to England, I brought the London coin purse with me..

The purse represents a nod to my childhood in England and the British money that was leftover in it when I moved to Canada. It mostly contains small change, coins such as two and five pence as well as numerous one pence coins - the closest British equivalent to Canadian pennies. Canadian pennies were discontinued in 2012 and seeing the coins always reminds me of the announcement that pennies in Canada were no longer being made. This also reminds me of my school in Dundas, Ontario - fundraising pennies used to make rolls to take to the bank and exchanged for larger notes of equal value so we could donate them to charities. As of today, all that is leftover in my wallet is £1.53 which is the equivalent of $2.68. This purse is precious to me due to the fact that whenever I see the wallet it reminds me of my childhood in England and all the times I have gone back to visit, impossible right now. It also reminds me of simpler times.

Georgia Bradley