“ That ’ s my secret , and I ’ ll guard it til the day I die ,” she said . “ But I do want people to feel the texture of it . That ’ s part of it for me , is to feel and know that it is coal .”
By 2012 , two years after her first attempt , Dameron ’ s jewelry was selling well . Then , a West Virginia South magazine article came out . “ Once that hit , I never sewed again ,” Dameron said . Around the same time , her husband suggested she incorporate scrip into her jewelry . Scrip — Dameron often finds herself explaining to tourists from outside West Virginia — is currency in the form of metal tokens that mine companies often used to pay their workers in lieu of cash . Scrip was redeemable only at the company store . Dameron knew just who to ask about finding some . “ My dad ’ s neighbor was the egg man and scrip man ,” she said . Jack Chapman had been known to trade his eggs for scrip in the Cool Ridge area . Dameron called him .
“ And now , all these years later , he ’ s just — what a blessing that man has been to my life ,” she said . “ He ’ s 84 , and any time I ’ m looking for a specific piece of scrip for a customer , he ’ ll help me find it .”
As a matter of fact , Dameron said , Chapman co-authored an encyclopedia of scrip , identifying the unique markings and metals of various coal and other mine companies .
“ That encyclopedia has become my go-to guide ,” she said , explaining that customers often come to her saying that a family member worked at a certain mine . Dameron helps them find the jewelry from her supply that features scrip from that mine , or else she tracks some down to use in their custom orders . Some scrip is rarer than other pieces , so prices vary . “ But Mr . Chapman is wonderful to work with . I ’ ll call him and say , ‘ here ’ s my budget , and here ’ s what I need , and can I have it in a day ?’ and he ’ s always so good to me ,” Dameron said . “ He has taught me so much — from how to clean scrip , to the various materials , to the age and rarity of the pieces .”
When she started using scrip in her pieces , business increased even more .
“ People will ask me , ‘ what is that coin ?’ And if they don ’ t know , I ’ m going to educate them ,” she said . “ It ’ s a piece of history . This is how miners were paid . … So , when they buy a piece of scrip jewelry , I write on the back of my business card the name of the scrip , the town , the symbol , the letter number . I encourage people to Google this for history and information .
“ Once the scrip is gone , it ’ s gone . That ’ s why I ’ m so thankful to Mr . Chapman , because I ’ ve learned so much from him . I love to be able to share history . If you don ’ t promote history and heritage it will be gone ,” Dameron said .
Not every piece is obvious coal and scrip . Some jewelry features only a touch of coal . Flower necklaces and earrings , for instance , are mostly colorful , featuring only the tiniest bit of black in their centers .
46 ❖ SOUTH ❖ NOVEMBER - DECEMBER ' 22