Heritage State Promotional Charm Bracelets
In the 1960s, the Heritage Company produced a line of state theme charm bracelets that were used as promotional giveaways that banks gave their customers when they made deposits into an account. Each time a customer made a deposit they were awarded either a starter bracelet or a charm to add to it. I’m not sure how many state themes were produced, it’s likely a function of where the banks were located. I know the collections include Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, I’ve got complete examples of Michigan and Indiana so I thought I’d share them here with you. Notice that both sides of the charms are detailed – one side with a visual and the other with the name of the attraction related to that state. And each bracelet also has a stone or vial of sand representing the state. The charms are stamped with the Heritage hallmark which is a bell with a letter H inside. There are still quite a few of these bracelets that can be found completely in tact and are a collectible part of marketing history and also a charming addition to a bracelet collection.
Category: All About Old Jewelry, Private Jewelry Collection
About the Author (Author Profile)
Wanda Fitzgerald is a Florida native and an vintage charm collector who loves to share her adventures in an e-commerce jewelry business with anyone who is interested.Subscribe
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Thanks so much for this information. I bought a Michigan bracelet from Ruby Lane & was THRILLED to find the information you had on your website. Especially because I’m a librarian I love when someone provides information I would be unable to find otherwise.
Thanks again,
Lucinda
Do you have any more info. on the Michigan charm bracelet, i.e. the value? I bought one exactly like it from my elderly neighbor’s garage sale about 14 years ago and it was recently stolen.
THANK YOU! I inherited a New Jersey state charm bracelet from my grandmother and could not figure out where it was from – it’s just like these here. Excellent!
Glad you found what you were looking for. And thanks for your comment.
Hi…LOVE your website. I have done some research on these Heritage bracelets and have come up with 15 states that had them for sure. They are: Illinois, Oregon, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont, pennsylvania, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Maine, New Hampshire, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
I have complete bracelets of New jersey ( my home state), Massachusetts, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
My Massachusetts one is signed Heraldics on all the charms, but the other 3 all have the Heritage mark.
If any one finds any other states let us know…these are fun to collect 🙂 .
Blessings…Tina
Wow you found some I never knew about. I haven’t bought any of the Heritage state bracelets in a while but you’ve renewed my interest. Thanks for reading my blog and your sweet comments.
I just purchased 6 charms and the starter bracelet bracelet with its 1 charm, still in original cellophane with Depoitors Trust Company, Augusta, Maine! Very helpful to have found this information.