Similar in a number of European languages – in France it is called ne m’oubliez pas, in Spain no me olvides and in Italy non ti scordar di me – the name forget-me-not originated in folk tales, the most notable of which is a German legend about a knight who swam across a river to fetch blue flowers growing on the opposite bank for his true love. Before he drowned while swimming back, flowers in hand, he flung them to his beloved crying ‘Vergissmeinnicht’, which translates as forget me not.
Giving forget-me-nots at the start of an illicit love affair could be a discreet way to convey a need for trust and confidentiality. Although passionate and romantic love are important elements of their meaning, forget-me-nots can signify deep friendship and familial love as well. In addition, forget-me-nots can be used to convey that the bonds of true love transcend time and space and will continue to exist despite physical separation and even death.
The coin’s reverse features imprints of three real forget-me-nots in bloom next to an ornamental side image of forget-me-nots, which is stylishly printed in colour. The obverse shows a young woman with flowers in her long hair. In the background, the white silhouette of a head in profile is framed by a partially visible clock face, which refers to the passing of time. Unlike many other symbolic meanings associated with flowers, those of the forget-me-not have endured – rather like the timeless love and constancy they convey.
2023 The Forget-me-not (PDF | 809.43 KB)
