A Market Find With Attitude

Small detecting finds make their way to Charing Cross Market most Saturdays, and this one is a proper curio.

It is a small solid hand, possibly silver, with the fingers clasped and the thumb pushed between them.

That gesture is known as the fig sign, or mano fica. It has carried different meanings in different places. In some contexts it was used as a charm for good luck, protection and fertility. In others, it was a rude or contemptuous gesture, so the meaning could change completely depending on where and how it was used.

That is what makes this little piece so interesting. One small hand could be a charm, an insult, a wish for luck, or a symbol of fertility.

There may also be a connection with the old phrase “I don’t give a fig”, though that origin is not certain. Some link it to the fig hand gesture as a sign of contempt, while others see “fig” simply as something small and worthless.

Either way, it is a tiny object with a surprising amount of attitude.