Money, it is said, makes the world go round. While that can be debated on various fronts (from astronomical to metaphysical) it is true that capitalism and its accumulation of wealth before all else has an outsized impact on people’s lives. Commerce is often treated as a taboo subject in magic circles. There are adages that one shouldn’t perform spells for pay or read the Tarot for cash. On the other hand, money is discussed as a type of energy by some in the occult, as a way to perhaps divorce it from the market. All of this makes talking about money and spellwork complicated. But just because it is difficult doesn’t mean we shouldn’t delve into the ways that money can be used in our magic.
Specifically, here, I’m looking at coins. Coins, I find, are really useful materia magica because they are portable, plentiful, and tap into various energies–earth, wealth, metal, travel, prosperity, abundance, etc. On their face, they can be used in jar spells, pouches and talismans. But I want to dig a little deeper, looking at not only the iconography of various coins, but their metal makeup and how that can be used to cast highly specialized spells. Because I am American, I am most familiar with the currency of the United States, and so that is the focus of my writing here. You can extrapolate from the ideas below, however, to work out ways to incorporate other coinage into your magic practice.
Coins minted in the United States are currently made up of zinc (for pennies) and cupro-nickel, a composition of copper and nickel, (for nickels, dimes and quarters). The metals do have their own magical energies, and all of them have been used in various ratios in coins since the country started minting its own currency. Nickel has properties related to the home and opening doors (among others) which makes it a very useful metal for commerce magic. Copper conducts energy and has healing properties as well as energies associated with prosperity and change. Zinc is useful for warding and invisibility, which makes it a perfect metal to be used in pennies, a coin that some would like to see removed from circulation.
In the past, however, coins were minted from metals like silver, bronze, even steel, which gives us even more flexibility in our spell casting. To that point I want to focus on three different coins: the Wheat Penny, the Buffalo Nickel and the Mercury Dime. These three coins were minted with higher amounts of costly metals than subsequent coins. They are also more likely to be found in circulation than previous versions that have even higher proportions of precious metals.
The Wheat Penny
The Wheat Penny is easily recognizable with the profile of Abraham Lincoln on one side and two heads of wheat on the other. Its composition has varied widely since it was originally minted, with a few notable years including metals one wouldn’t expect to find in coins. For example, in 1909 and then again in the years 1946-158 the Wheat Penny had tin in the mix along with bronze, copper and zinc. Tin, which has magical properties related to knowledge and divination, as well as softening, makes such pennies perfect for charm casting oracles, as well as in spells where you are trying to soften someone’s attitude or stance. If you are trying to influence someone to see things your way, you could carry this coin on you when interacting with them.
In 1943, the Wheat Penny was made from 100% steel and plated with zinc. The zinc would corrode, and the penny would turn silver/green. Steel shares the same magical properties as nickel. With its zinc coating, this coin is well-suited for any spells where you are trying to find a way into something through stealth or back channels. Add it to spell jars related to finances when you need to find previously unthought of ways to make money. Or utilize it in protection spells when you want your home to be overlooked on physical, astral and magical planes.
Maybe you are looking to wage magical war against corporations, billionaires or capitalism itself. Or maybe you want to work to support and defend labor unions. The Wheat Penny minted between 1944-1946 would be a very valuable spell component. The bronze that coated the outer layer of these pennies was bronze made from spent shell casings. This was due to a metal shortage thanks to World War II. The energy of these pennies is aggressive and active. Bronze has magical energies of communication and resilience, and this bronze in particular has an active and aggressive aura. These pennies are for spells that sound a clarion call for change. Wear them in pouches when participating in strikes and protests against exploitative corporations.
Bad Penny Hex
The Salvation Army is known for being trans- and homophobic along with pushing an evangelical Christian doctrine that is more interested in judging who is worthy of help than actually giving that help. Every holiday season volunteers set up camp outside of shops, ring their bells, and collect donations. Usually I ignore them, but recently I decided to take a more magical approach. I call it the Bad Penny Hex and it involves taking pennies, usually the dingiest, most scuffed up ones I can find, and charging them with bad and negative energy. I visualize the penny giving off the most offensive, antagonistic aura, one that repels others, thus driving away people who would otherwise drop their loose change into the red buckets. I imagine the organization going bankrupt and having to dissolve. I spend time envisioning a holiday season free of their ringing bells. And then I drop those pennies into the buckets. It’s the kind of hexing that coins were made for.
The Buffalo Nickel
Also known as the “Indian Head” nickel, this coin features what is meant to represent a “Native American”, a design drawn by a white man. The reverse depicts an American Bison. The original coin, minted between the years of 1913 and 1938, are composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel. Due to its history, this coin is best used in spellwork regarding indigenous and conservation/ecological issues. The generic profile, said to be an amalgamation created from the likenesses of several Indigenous tribe chieftains, focuses the energies on the many people of the Americas who were and continue to be oppressed by white supremacy and the government.
Using the coin adds in economic energies, leading one to naturally look at spells that target financial interests that are aligned against indigenous peoples. Nickel’s energies for opening doors, paired with copper’s properties of prosperity further refine the Buffalo Nickel’s usefulness to spells aimed at fundraising. This can be taken even further, by including the coin in freezing or binding spells to target the funds of corporations or organizations that are actively harming indigenous populations.
The Mercury Dime
The Mercury Dime, minted between 1916 and 1945, contains 90% silver and 10% copper. The head side depicts Liberty wearing a winged cap. The reverse shows a fasces and an olive branch. The fasces is a bundle of wood that is bound together and is a symbol of unity and strength and, fun fact, has been a symbol of the National Fascist Party in Italy as well as being the word from which we get fascism. The olive branch symbolizes peace. The whole design is, symbolically speaking, a hot mess. Which might lead some to think that it isn’t very useful as materia magica, no matter the silver content. I don’t agree, however, because witchcraft is an art built on subversion. Here we have a coin that seems tailor-made for some “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” magic.
The concept of liberty as a value and as a deity has been used in the past in politics. Combined with the fasces, this makes the Mercury Dime perfect for spells targeting politicians, governments, officials and political parties. With the links to fascism in not only the fasces but the symbology of strength and unity, the political leanings of those this magic would work the best against is pretty clear, but I’ll spell it out: any right-leaning, conservative, fascist, or authoritarian ideology that would sacrifice the individual to consolidate power.
While silver is good for protection on an energetic and psychic level, it also serves as an amplifier for and conductor of magical energy. This means that it is going to enhance and broadcast not only with the intentions and energies you put into your spellwork, but also the energies of change brought by copper.
Wear or carry the Mercury Dime when you are going to BLM and anti-fascist protests. Add it to any spellwork that targets groups that seek to gain strength and unity through the oppression of others. Draw out the energies of liberty and peace from the coin and use them to banish the authoritarian energies. Use the image of the fasces as your focal point, ascribe it to the group you are working against, and visualize it broken easily and permanently. Add the coin to your altar for any anti-fascist spellwork you are doing over a length of time. If you are sending money to groups like the ACLU, the Anti-Defamation League, Human Rights Watch, etc. consecrate your donation by placing the coin on a print out of the receipt for your donation (if it was made online) or by placing the check or cash donation. If you are collecting or working money magic to bring in donations for such organizations, make the Mercury Dime the first piece of materia magica in your spell jar or other working.
A final note: despite bearing the image of Liberty, the coin is commonly called the Mercury Dime due to confusing the two. This adds another layer of significance to the dime, making it appropriate to use in spells for Trans issues. It is especially effective to use in magic meant to protect trans people from harm by transphobic people and organizations. If you are making a protective pouch, talisman or spell for yourself or a trans friend, this is a good coin to add. Before using the coin, hold it in your hands during the full moon and suffuse it with aggressive, protective energies. Any harm leveled at the person to be protected should be bounced back at the assailant in kind. Despite the olive branch on the reverse side, this is not a time for peace: if someone looks to break a trans woman’s leg, they get the damage sent back to them. Witchcraft often uses the Bible for spellcasting. This is definitely “eye for an eye” territory.
Coins become symbols of the country which mints them. As such they are powerful materia magica that can be used in spells targeting the government, corporations, concepts like worker exploitation, living wages, and social justice issues. That coins travel around, passing through various hands, gives them momentum and energy that can be included in your spells. And their physical makeup gives you access to powerful energies. Search your couch cushions, dig through your change jar, or keep an eye out for a lucky penny on the street, and soon you’ll have a handful of components for some powerful magic.
This article first appeared in Llewellyn’s 2023 Magical Almanac.