Coining the coin-tree : contextualising a contemporary British custom
This thesis offers an archaeological and ethnographic examination of the coin-tree custom, which is essentially what its name suggests: the practice of inserting coins into trees. These trees are often in the form of logs or stumps, and they are commonly located beside well-traversed footpaths in rural/semi-rural areas. The custom can be traced back to the 1860s in Scotland, but has experienced a late 20th/early 21st-century renaissance, with clusters of coin-trees emerging across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. No previous academic attempt has been made to either catalogue these structures or contextualise the practice; it is the aim of this thesis, therefore, to do both. Proffering a catalogue of 197 individual coin-trees distributed across 34 sites (detailed in the appendices), this thesis draws on a wide range of resources in order to elucidate the custom: literary works, both historical and contemporary; the empirical data of the coin-trees themselves; and the ethnographic material of over 200 participant interviews. The history of the custom is traced, including a consideration of why it has experienced a recent resurgence â particularly at a time popularly
Houlbrook, Ceri
Coin-tree ; Contemporary custom ; Folklore archaeology
Coining the coin-tree : contextualising a contemporary British custom. This thesis offers an archaeological and ethnographic examination of the coin-tree custom, which is essentially what its name suggests: the practice of inserting coins into trees. These trees are often in the form of logs or stumps, and they are commonly located beside well-traversed footpaths in rural/semi-rural areas. The custom can be traced back to the 1860s in Scotland, but has experienced a late 20th/early 21st-century renaissance, with clusters of coin-trees emerging across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. No previous academic attempt has been made to either catalogue these structures or contextualise the practice; it is the aim of this thesis, therefore, to do both. Proffering a catalogue of 197 individual coin-trees distributed across 34 sites (detailed in the appendices), this thesis draws on a wide range of resources in order to elucidate the custom: literary works, both historical and contemporary; the empirical data of the coin-trees themselves; and the ethnographic material of over 200 participant interviews. The history of the custom is traced, including a consideration of why it has experienced a recent resurgence â particularly at a time popularly
coin tree contextualising contemporary british custom offer archaeological_ethnographic examination coin tree custom essentially name suggests practice insert coin tree tree often form log commonly locate beside well rural semi rural_area custom trace_back scotland experience late early century date renaissance cluster coin emerge across_england wales scotland northern_ireland republic ireland previous academic attempt_make either catalogue structure contextualise practice aim_therefore both catalogue individual coin distribute_across site detailed appendix draws wide_range resource order_elucidate custom literary_work historical_contemporary empirical_data coin ethnographic material participant interview history custom trace include consideration experience recent resurgence particularly time popularly