Love Tokens in the Mud

My father died almost twenty months ago now. My brother and I are still periodically making new discoveries as we slowly go through the numerous drawers he had in both workshop and garage. Years and years and years of items carefully stored away and in all probability forgotten by him. Yesterday I discovered this treasure;



a Victorian half penny, dated 1891, drilled and cut in half, with the initials F.G.P stamped on one side, V.A.B.M on the other.



I can only assume it's a love token of sorts, although my mother said my father found it on a river bank whilst he was out fly-fishing one day, so I'm wondering, if, after a lover's tiff it was deliberately thrown into the water, or, perhaps, just carelessly lost by either F.G.P or V.A.B.M.

Having googled coin love tokens this morning, it would appear they became quite popular during Victoria's reign. Many coins had one side filed down to provide a blank canvas on which to elaborately engrave the initials of a loved one, examples of which you can see here;

http://www.sandysvintagecharms.co.uk/charminformationlove.asp


My half coin is of a low denomination and is also quite crudely embossed which would suggest that money was a little tight for F.G.P and V.A.B.M, which makes the love token all the more endearing to me.

I wonder who they were? I wonder what happened to them? I wonder where the other half of the coin ended up?

Most of all I wonder what they'd have made of their little half coin touching the heart of someone so many years into the future?