Undoubtedly, christening is a profoundly memorable family event and a major celebration in the UK. It marks a child’s official introduction to their faith, serving as their initial formal ceremony and a day cherished for years by parents, godparents, and grandparents alike. The challenge always lies in selecting a gift that truly captures the profound significance of this personal occasion. While traditional choices, such as silver crosses, photo frames, or embroidered blankets, are certainly nice, they often feel too impersonal or generic for such a special milestone.
The best christening gifts are the ones that connect to the child specifically, not just to christenings in general. A gift that tells their story, not just the story of the day. That is exactly the idea behind everything we make at Heads and Tails.
We take genuine coins minted in the year the baby was born and transform them into beautifully crafted pieces they will carry long after the christening gown is folded away. A coin that has existed in the world for as long as the child has, made into something they can treasure forever. Add a personalised engraving and you have a christening gift that is genuinely one of a kind.
What Makes a Great Christening Gift?
It is one of the most common questions people ask when they have been invited to a christening, especially if it is their first time attending one. What actually makes a good christening gift? What are you supposed to give?
The best christening gifts share three qualities. They are personal to the child, not just appropriate for the occasion. They last well beyond the christening day itself. And they carry a meaning that deepens as the child grows, rather than fading with time.
Most christening gifts on the market tick the “suitable for a christening” box without going any further. Photo frames with “My Christening” printed across the front. Silver spoons engraved with a generic message. Embroidered blankets with the baby’s name. These are all perfectly pleasant, and they are given with genuine warmth, but they do not tell the child’s story. They could be given at any christening, to any baby, in any year, and they would look and feel exactly the same.
A coin from the baby’s birth year sits in an entirely different category. It has existed in the world for as long as the child has, minted in the same year they arrived, circulating through every day of their life so far. Transformed into a necklace, a keyring, or a pair of cufflinks they will wear decades later, it becomes a christening gift that is as unique as the child receiving it. That is the difference between a good christening gift and one that genuinely lasts.
If you are interested in gifts for newborn babies, read our guide here.
Christening Gifts for Girls
Christening gifts for baby girls tend to default to predictable choices. Pink blankets, teddy bears, silver photo frames, and anything with “princess” printed across it. These are perfectly sweet gestures, but the most thoughtful christening gifts for her are the ones that will still matter when she is ten, twenty, or thirty years old. The gifts that grow with her rather than being packed away after the first year.
A coin from the year she was born is a christening gift that tells her story from the very beginning. It has been in the world for as long as she has, and when it is transformed into something beautiful and wearable, it becomes a piece she can carry with her at every stage of her life.
- Coin Necklaces: a petite, minimalist pendant made from a coin minted in her birth year. Lightweight, elegant, and available in Silver, Gold and Rose Gold, it is a christening gift she can wear as she grows. From her first communion to her school leavers’ ball to her wedding day, a birth year coin necklace is a piece that carries meaning at every milestone.
- Coin Keyrings: a practical, beautifully crafted christening gift that works from christening day through to her first set of house keys. A coin from her birth year on her keyring is a daily companion that tells her story from the very beginning, going with her into every new chapter.
- Coin Bracelets: for a christening gift with a little more presence, a birth year coin bracelet is a wearable piece she can treasure forever. Whether she wears it alone or layers it with other bracelets as she grows, it is a gift that adapts to her style while keeping its meaning intact.
Browse our large range of Coin Necklaces, Coin Keyrings and Coin Bracelets in different finishes to find the perfect christening gift for her.
Christening Gifts for Boys
Christening gifts for baby boys often follow the same predictable pattern. Blue blankets, teddy bears, silver money boxes, and photo frames that sit on a shelf gathering dust. These are perfectly pleasant, but they rarely carry the weight of the occasion. The best christening gifts for him are the ones he will still have decades later, still carrying the same meaning they had on christening day.
A coin minted in the year he was born is a christening gift that grows with him. It is not something to be packed away after the ceremony. It is something he will use, carry and wear at every stage of his life, from childhood through to adulthood.
- Coin Keyrings: the most versatile christening gift for boys in the range. A coin from his birth year handcrafted into a robust, lasting keyring he will use every day as he grows. From his first set of toy keys to his first car keys to the keys to his first home, it is a companion that marks every milestone along the way.
- Coin Cufflinks: for a christening gift with real presence, a birth year coin set into cufflinks is a sophisticated piece he will reach for at every formal occasion throughout his life. His first communion, his school leavers’ ball, his graduation, his wedding day. Granted, he won’t wear these straight away but it’s a timeless, classic and elegant gift
- Coin Money Clips: a practical, understated christening gift that acknowledges the tradition of giving silver for a christening, but makes it personal to him, to his year, to his story. As he grows into adulthood, a birth year coin money clip is an everyday accessory with a meaning built into the material itself.
Browse our large range of Coin Necklaces, Coin Keyrings and Coin Bracelets in different finishes to find the perfect christening gift for him.
Christening Gifts from Godparents
Being chosen as a godparent is one of the greatest honours a parent can give. It is a role that carries genuine weight, a commitment to be there for the child at every stage of their life, and a bond that is formed on christening day and lasts forever. The christening gift from godparents should reflect that significance. Not just a token present, but something genuinely meaningful that marks the start of a lifelong relationship.
A coin from the baby’s birth year, engraved with a personal message from godparents, is a christening gift that carries a meaning no photo frame or silver spoon ever could. It is specific to the child, to the year they were born, to the bond being formed on christening day. Every time the child picks up their keys, fastens their cufflinks, or wears their necklace, they are reminded not just of the christening itself, but of the people who stood beside them from the very beginning.
The most popular christening gifts from godparents in our collection are coin necklaces and coin keyrings, both of which can be personalised with our engraving service at no additional cost. Add the godparents’ names, the christening date, or a short personal message, and the gift becomes something that belongs to nobody else. Our engraving service allows you to create a truly one of a kind christening gift that the child will treasure for life.
Personalised Christening Gifts
A christening gift that has been specifically created for one child, marked with their name or a message chosen just for them, lands entirely differently to something picked up from a high street shop and wrapped at the last minute. The difference is felt immediately, and remembered long after the christening day has passed.
At Heads and Tails, personalisation is already built into the very concept of what we make. A coin from the baby’s birth year is uniquely theirs before a single word is engraved. But our engraving service takes that one step further, transforming an already meaningful piece into something that could not belong to anyone else.
- Precision engraving: almost every piece in our collection can be engraved with the baby’s name, the christening date, or a short personal message from godparents or family. Whether you choose something simple like “Christened 12th May 2025” or something more heartfelt like “With love from your godparents”, engraved christening gifts carry a weight that lasts forever. Our engraving is precision finished to the highest standard, ensuring the message is as lasting as the piece itself.
- Choose your coin and finish: every personalised christening gift can be fully configured to your taste. Choose from a range of genuine British coins, Sixpences, Farthings, Threepences, Florins, Shillings and more, and select from Silver, Gold or Rose Gold finishes. Whether you prefer something classic and traditional or something warmer and more contemporary, there is a combination that is exactly right for the child.
- Luxury gift wrapping: every order can arrive beautifully presented in luxury gift wrapping, paired with a greeting card, so your christening gift is completely ready to give from the moment it arrives. Particularly useful for godparents or family members who want the gift to feel considered and thoughtful without the stress of presentation on top of everything else.
Traditional Christening Gifts vs. Modern Presents
There is a long standing tradition of giving silver at a christening. Silver spoons, silver cups, silver photo frames, all beautiful, all meaningful in their own right. For generations, these have been the go to christening gifts, passed down through families and treasured as heirlooms.
At Heads and Tails, our range honours that tradition while adding something extra. A coin is made from genuine silver or silver toned metal, so it carries the same symbolic weight as traditional silver gifts. But it goes one step further. A birth year coin is not just silver for the sake of tradition, it is silver from the exact year the child was born, transformed into something they will actually use, carry and wear as they grow.
Traditional christening gifts are beautiful, but they often sit on a shelf gathering dust. A silver cup that never gets used. A photo frame that stays in the box. A spoon that becomes a display piece rather than something the child connects with. A birth year coin keyring, necklace or bracelet is something the child will actually reach for every day, a living keepsake rather than a static ornament. It honours the tradition of giving silver while creating something genuinely practical and personal.
That is the balance we try to strike with every piece we make. Rooted in tradition, designed for real life and practical use. Gifts should be cherished but also used and enjoyed, they aren’t just symbols.
Do You Give Gifts at a Christening?
This is one of the most common questions people ask when they have been invited to a christening, especially if it is their first time. Do you give gifts at a christening? And if so, what kind of gift is appropriate?
The short answer is yes, it is customary to give a gift at a christening, though the gift is typically for the baby rather than the parents. Christening gifts are usually something the child can keep as they grow, a lasting reminder of the day they were welcomed into their faith. There is no obligation to spend a particular amount, and the thought behind the gift matters far more than the price tag.
If you are uncertain about what to give, a birth year coin gift solves the problem perfectly. It is appropriate for any christening, personal to the child receiving it, and it requires knowing only one thing, the year the baby was born. Whether you choose a coin keyring, a coin necklace, or a pair of cufflinks, the gift carries a meaning that lasts well beyond christening day.
Why a Coin from Their Birth Year Makes the Perfect Christening Gift
There is no shortage of christening gift ideas out there. A quick search will return pages of options, silver crosses, embroidered blankets, photo albums, prayer books, personalised prints. Most of them are perfectly lovely. Very few of them are genuinely memorable.
The reason most christening gifts blend into one another is that they celebrate the occasion without acknowledging the individual. They say “this is a christening” without saying anything about who the child is, when they were born, or what makes them unique. And for an occasion this significant, that gap matters.
A coin minted in the year the baby was born sits in an entirely different category. It has existed in the world for as long as the child has, minted in the same year they arrived, circulating through every day of their life so far. Transformed into something beautifully crafted and personally engraved, it becomes a christening gift that tells their story rather than just marking the date of the ceremony.
That specificity is what no marketplace, no photo gift site, and no religious gift retailer can replicate. Because it is not a design choice or a clever marketing angle. It is simply the truth of what the coin is and where it came from.
Why Choose Heads & Tails for Your Next Christening Gift?
With over 100,000 gifts handmade and thousands of five star reviews from customers across the country, you can shop with complete confidence. Every order comes with a 12 month guarantee, a 60 day no quibble returns policy, and fast dispatch, often within one working day. Every coin is genuine, never a replica, never a reproduction, just real British currency from the year the child was born, given a new life as something worth keeping forever.
Whether you are shopping as a godparent, a grandparent, a close friend or a family member, the right christening gift is one that feels as special as the day itself. Not just something appropriate for a christening, but something that belongs to this child, born in this year, welcomed into the world on this particular day. Browse our full collection below, or use our year search tool to find everything available from the coin minted in baby’s birth year. Because the best christening gifts are not the ones that look good on the day. They are the ones still being treasured decades later.