Last summer I was given
this little object by my PhD supervisor. As he handed it to me he noticed a
puzzled expression on my face. The object, a champagne cork and pound coin, was
one that I had not encountered before.
In fact, the practice of
placing a coin in a champagne cork has a long tradition. Corks that have been
popped on special occasions, at weddings, birthday parties, or in this case my
PhD viva (the examination of my doctoral thesis), have been made into keepsakes
and good luck charms by many people.
They were also once used
by fishermen, who would cut a slit in the cork floats on their nets and insert a
coin to pay for their catch. This one now sits on a shelf in my office, where I
hope it will work a little lucky magic.
I hope you will share your own lucky objects with us by entering the Amulets Around The World Today photograph competition, which runs from 10 May to 31 July 2012.
Charlotte
I got mine from my phd advisor, a brillant and funny Scot.
ReplyDeleteI've got mine yesterday at my 50th birthday party. Actually when they opened the champagne the cork jumped in my presents bag without noticing . After I found it my colleagues gave me the cork with a coin and told me what to do.
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