I've just bought these Indian Head buttons (one indian head the other a buffalo as I thought they would look so good as button and loop closures on bracelets.  The thing is I'm from UK (living in France) and I don't know anything about them (I was told they were genuine by a realiable seller but that's it) and I was hoping that someone might know more about them ?

 Also I'd love to see photos of other more unusual bracelet catches.

 They are probably genuine as the date is worn off as is common on coins considered 2nd rate to use for buttons. ("Slicks" is what worn coins are called.)

Another clue is the reverse side of each button. Are they both the other side of a coin or are they blank? Blank would be fakes.

Hope that helps. 

Hi Russ, thanks very much for the info, they do have a reverse side so that's goog news.  Could I push my luck a little further and ask you if they are likely to be old or is this a coin that is still in circulation, the loops soldered on the back look very clean and new so maybe they were made recently ?

They have inspired me to start doming coins for charms and I'm going to keep an eye out for old french coins at the vide greniers as some of them are very pretty - I'm doing it with a doming block so unfortunately destroying the back side of the coins so if anyone has any tips to avoid doing this ......

 The US Indian Head nickel (also called Buffalo Nickel  was made from 1913 to 1925.) The coin is still in circulation but very few are seen in common use. That is, if they do show up in circulation someone quickly grabs them.

Coin shops usually have them for sale. "Slicks" are the cheapest and most easily available. Craftspeople regularly make buttons from them.

When I used to make coin buttons I used soft leather in my dapping block to keep the coins from getting damaged. This eats up leather but keeps the coin from loosing detail

 Speaking of French coins, we used to get French West Africa coins with a hole in them. Like the Chinese "I Ching" coin and other coins with holes they made good toggle beads.

Hi Russ, thanks so much, you really are the font of all knowledge.  I was pleased with my buttons before but even more now I know something about them.  Great idea about the holey coins, I think there'll be a lot of bracelets using that idea soon.

 Thanks again

   Thank you for the kind words.

The French West African coins we saw came in 5, 10 and 25 centime denominations. (Maybe 1 centime, too?) The smaller ones were good sizes for toggles. They might be available  in antique or coin shops in France even though I rarely see them today from my African suppliers. I'll see if I can find pictures....

 Hi Russ!

Thanks for your informative postings!  I'd like to know this:

Will I need a a US license to wire-wrap US coins?  If I distort them (by doming) do I need a defacing license?  Also, please a simple explanation on the process of creating patterns on Agate beads by "Etching" acids. (Tibetan Dzi  Beads)

Thanks! Juli ;) 

 You need no license to do anything to the coins. You are not "defacing" the coin.It's your coin and you can do whatever you want with it.

I have friends who cut coins with a fine saw blade to cut out the pattern (buffalo, Indian Head, eagle, the words around the rim, whatever). When they set up a booth at shows they have a big sign explaining "Yes, It's Legal!"

simple explanation on the process of creating patterns on Agate beads

Check out posts on dZi and Tibetan style agates over at Bead Collector.net and at Jamey Allen's  Yahoo's dZi group.

http://beadcollector.net/openforum/ Search for etched agate and dZi bead, set the search time frame back 3 or 4 years

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zibeads/