African magic in Wild West Saloon

The custom of altering coins for good luck was an element of folklore brought to the New World from West Africa by abducted people who were sold into slavery. Before the discovery of this coin in 2000, the most western example of an altered coin hidden beneath floorboards came from Texas. This Virginia City example extends to practice into the Wild West.

Hiding material in the foundation or in the walls of a building is common internationally. In Europe, this often takes the form of a shoe. Elsewhere, people often left a sacrificed animal to act as the guardian for the structure. Alerted coins are more typical of West African and African American culture.