The Traditional Role of Coins at Birthday Parties.

By Sarah Stott of the Royal Mint

The Traditional Role of Coins at Birthday Parties.

Coins and birthdays have had a long standing connection that has existed for centuries. In fact, some say that the traditional role of coins has been in place since Biblical times and that many of our modern coin-related customs at birthday celebrations are based upon the story of the three wise men. The story of the three wise men (also known as the three kings) bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus is extremely familiar. However, there is part of this story that is perhaps less well known. It is said that the three wise men could not decide who should present their gift to the new-born Jesus first and so enlisted the help of a baker. The baker gave them a loaf of bread with a bean baked into it and said that whoever got the slice with the bean in it would be first to give Jesus his birthday gift. As this story was retold over centuries, the bean was replaced for a coin and it is during the medieval period in Britain that the birthday coin cake (or the three kings’ cake) became more popular.

As the three kings cake grew in popularity, so did the symbolism surrounding the items baked into the cake. It is believed that the coin symbolises good luck and that whoever received the slice of cake with the coin it would become wealthy. In medieval Britain, other trinkets were also added to the birthday cake, including the thimble which unfortunately meant that the one who found it would never marry. This tradition of baking coins into cakes or bread has spread around the world and is celebrated in other countries like the United States and Spain.

Coins also have a traditional role to play at birthdays in countries outside of Britain. In China, one of the most important custom’s on a child’s first birthday is called Zhuazhou. This tradition is essentially a test that will determine a child’s capabilities and future. The baby will be surrounded by trinkets and whatever trinkets the child picks up will decide its interests, career and inclination for their future years. The coin is a prominent trinket as it will indicate whether the baby will be rich and financially secure.

Whilst these customs are still alive and practiced today, there is now a more modern role of coins at birthday parties. Many people choose to present commemorative coins that depict the year of birth as gifts so that they can be treasured as keepsakes. Often the symbolism and goodwill behind these gifts are the same as the traditional birthday coins, with friends and family giving their blessing and hopes for the future. This is extended as many coin gifts come with space to include a message, which helps to make the gift personal and special. Although we live in a vastly different world than when coin traditions began, it seems that they continue to have a significant role in celebrating birthdays, whether given as keepsake gifts or baked into birthday cake.