17 Oct The Wedding Coin Tradition: Irish Sixpence Luck Without the Shoe
Something old? Sorted. Something blue? Sorted. A coin tucked into your wedding shoe for the entire day? Your feet may wish to raise an objection.
The wedding coin tradition is a lovely way to carry a wish for happiness into married life. And if you love the sentiment but would rather leave room in your shoes for your feet, Irish sixpence cufflinks offer a playful modern alternative.
The wedding rhyme: something borrowed, something blue
Something old, something new,
Something borrowed, something blue,
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.
That final line is easy to forget, but it gives the rhyme its little pocketful of treasure. The verse is associated with Victorian England, and the sixpence represents a wish for prosperity in the couple’s marriage. It is a charming custom rather than a guarantee of good fortune—although remembering where you put the wedding rings is always a promising start.
A little Irish history for your wedding day
You do not have to follow every detail of an old rhyme to enjoy its meaning. For a couple with Irish roots, an Irish sixpence can bring a personal connection to the celebration: a reminder of home, family or a place that matters to you both.
Choosing an Irish coin is your own adaptation of the familiar sixpence tradition. It is also a lovely conversation starter when someone notices the coins at your cuffs during the reception.
Explore our 1967 Irish sixpence cufflinks or 1942 Irish sixpence cufflinks for examples of old coins ready for a new chapter.
Keep the lucky coin. Give your shoes the day off.
Coin cufflinks move the keepsake from beneath your feet to somewhere people can actually admire it. They are a modern nod to the wedding coin tradition, with no need to spend the first dance wondering whether that strange feeling is romance or a sixpence.
They work particularly well as a gift for a groom, best man, father of the bride or father of the groom. Anyone wearing a shirt with suitable cufflink holes can join in. Check the wedding shirt before choosing: ordinary button cuffs may not accommodate cufflinks.
How to choose a meaningful wedding coin gift
- Choose a family connection. An available coin year might recall a parent’s birth year or a treasured family milestone.
- Celebrate Irish roots. An Irish sixpence can be meaningful even when its date has no special significance.
- Make the wedding party part of the story. Choose the same type of coin for a shared theme, or different available years for each person.
- Add a note. Try: “A little Irish luck for the big day—and absolutely no excuse to miss the dancing.”
Check the individual listing for the coin year, materials and availability. The word “silver” in the old rhyme does not mean every sixpence coin or pair of cufflinks is made from silver.
What if you are not wearing cufflinks?
A coin pendant is another way to carry the sentiment. Our 1959 Irish sixpence pendant offers an alternative for someone who would enjoy wearing their keepsake close to their heart.
You can also keep a separate loose coin as a wedding memento if the traditional shoe idea appeals. The cufflinks linked here are finished accessories, rather than loose coins for placing in a shoe.
A keepsake for more than one day
The flowers have their moment and the cake rarely survives the weekend. Coin cufflinks can come out again for anniversaries, family celebrations and the next occasion that calls for a good shirt.
Something old, something meaningful, something ready for the dance floor. Find your favourite Irish sixpence cufflinks and make the tradition your own.
Tradition reference: The Royal Mint’s guide to the sixpence wedding rhyme.