Brief Summary…
- Recycled silver Half Crown coin circa 1880’s – 1900’s
- Meticulously hand cut, carved and engraved
- Made using only traditional hand tools and techniques
- Necklace chain included, various length options
- Optional free engraved details on reverse
- Optional Silver, Copper or Bonze wee charm
- Hairy Growler Shepherd’s Crook Necklace Catch: Sterling Silver
- Size : Approx 45mm * 45mm (beautiful and unmissable!)
- Symbolism : wisdom, guidance, Love, Playfulness, Curiosity, Imagination
- Handcrafted & Recycled in Cambridge
- Made carefully with love
A little more detail…
The Owl and the Pussycat
From The Isle of Whimsy Collection
There are places that exist somewhere between memory and imagination.
Places reached not by road or rail, but by moonlight, curiosity, and a willingness to believe that the world is stranger and more magical than it first appears.
The Isle of Whimsy is one such place.
This necklace tells the story of a voyage there.
Hand cut, carved and engraved from a 150 year old sterling silver half crown coin, this miniature silver scene brings together two of literature’s most beloved travellers: the Owl and the Pussycat. Sailing across swirling seas beneath a watchful crescent moon, they journey toward an island where nonsense is wisdom, friendship is treasure, and adventure waits beyond every horizon.
Every element has been created by hand using traditional jeweller’s saw piercing, engraving and carving techniques. The original coin has been transformed from forgotten currency into a wearable work of storytelling.
The silver itself carries a history older than anyone alive today. Long before becoming a necklace, this half crown passed through Victorian hands, travelled through shops and marketplaces, and witnessed generations of ordinary lives. Now it begins a new chapter as part of the Hairy Growler living archive.
The crescent moon hangs beside the vessel as both guide and witness. Throughout folklore the moon belongs to dreamers, wanderers and lovers. It illuminates paths that daylight cannot reveal and shines brightest for those brave enough to leave familiar shores.
Within the boat sits the Owl, keeper of wisdom and quiet knowledge. Beside him stands the Pussycat, spirited, curious and unafraid of the unknown. Together they represent a balance found throughout the Hairy Growler world: wisdom paired with wonder, thought balanced by adventure.
The little silver boat itself is more than a vessel.
It is the imagination.
It is the fragile craft that carries us beyond the ordinary and into the realms of possibility.
The anchor suspended below serves as a gentle reminder that even the wildest dreamers need something that grounds them. The best journeys are not escapes from reality but deeper explorations of it.
Symbolism
The Owl
- Wisdom
- Intuition
- Hidden knowledge
- Guidance through darkness
The Pussycat
- Curiosity
- Independence
- Playfulness
- Courageous exploration
The Moon
- Imagination
- Dreams
- Cycles of change
- Quiet illumination
The Boat
- Journey
- Discovery
- Adventure
- Transformation
The Anchor
- Home
- Stability
- Belonging
- Safe return
- Love
Craftsmanship
Created from an authentic 150 year old sterling silver half crown coin.
Each necklace is individually:
- Hand saw pierced
- Hand carved
- Hand engraved
- Hand finished and polished
No casting. No mass production. No two will ever be entirely identical.
Tiny tool marks, subtle variations and the character of the original silver are preserved as part of the piece’s story.
A Piece from the Isle of Whimsy
The Isle of Whimsy collection celebrates the strange, the playful and the quietly magical.
It is a place where owls play music, cats sail the seas, moons smile down upon impossible adventures, and old silver remembers how to dream.
This necklace is for those who still believe that wonder matters.
For collectors of stories.
For travellers of the imagination.
For anyone who knows that the best voyages begin with a simple question:
“What if?”
Hairy Growler Maker’s Note
A half crown was once made to measure value.
I prefer it measuring wonder.
One hundred and fifty years ago this silver helped people navigate the practical business of everyday life. Today it carries an owl, a cat and a moon across impossible seas.
I think that is a much finer use for it.
The ‘off-cut’ surrounding silver coin is included with the necklace which connects the wearer beautifully with the necklace’s former history and heritage.
Size Approx : 45mm * 45mm (Large! and lovely)
Dawn JORDAN (verified owner) –
Well, as soon as I saw that an Owl and the Pussycat necklace had been created I had to have that to match my earrings. It took a little while to be made but on seeing all the detail I am not surprised. Absolutely mind blowingly beautiful and I am really happy with it. Thanks so much Les.