Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Cool!

They say money doesn't grow on trees.

But it certainly appears to do so on the mysterious coin-studded trunks dotted around the UK's woodland.

The strange phenomenon of gnarled old trees with coins embedded all over their bark has been spotted on trails from the Peak District to the Scottish Highlands.

Tree-mendous: A money tree with copper and silver coins hammered into the wood near Ingleton, North Yorkshire
Tree-mendous: A money tree with copper and silver coins hammered into the wood near Ingleton, North Yorkshire

The coins are usually knocked into felled tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune.

These fascinating spectacles often have coins from centuries ago buried deep in their bark and warped by the passage of time.

The tradition of making offerings to deities at wishing trees dates back hundreds of years, but this combination of the man-made and the natural is far more rare.
Tin and timber: The coins make tree trunk look almost like a heap of treasure
Tin and timber: The coins make tree trunk look almost like a heap of treasure