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The E-Sylum:  Volume 4, Number 35, August 26, 2001, Article 9

THE WIZARD OF OZ IN NUMISMATICS 

   Last's week's discussion of the new Schornstein book on 
   Bryan Money raised a number of questions about the origin 
   of the theory regarding parallels to the 1890's gold and silver 
   question in L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz. 

   Bill Bischoff writes: "For what it's worth, I discussed with 
   Walter Breen by telephone in the early spring of 1989 the 
   possibility that he might be willing to talk at the forthcoming 
   COAC on gold, which I was then involved in organizing.  We 
   talked for at least an hour, and all the allegories you mention 
   were already part of his conceptual framework.  So, unless he 
   was in contact with Hugh Rockoff,  Breen's ideas go back to 
   "an article titled 'The Wizard of Oz: Parable on Populism' by 
   Henry M. Littlefield in American Quarterly 16 (Spring 1964), 
   pp. 47-58."  I don't know if Rockoff cites Breen, but it would 
   have been appropriate, since Breen's remarks were delivered 
   in the late fall of 1989, before the Rockoff book came out." 

   Mark Rabinowitz writes: "In this issue of the E-Sylum, my first 
   via regular distribution, you have a note about the Wizard of Oz 
   parallels which raises some interesting questions.  A book I just 
   finished, Peter L. Bernstein's "The Power of Gold: The History 
   of an Obsession" (which, by the way, I heartily recommend to 
   E-Sylum readers if they have not already read it), also notes the 
   parallels and cites the same Rockoff article.  In addition to the 
   Yellow Brick Road representing the Gold Standard and the 
   other parallels you mentioned, Bernstein also notes the following: 

   Land of Oz (ounce) = the east, "where gold is the favorite" 
   The cyclone which comes from the west = the movement for 
       unlimited coinage of silver 
   Dorothy = the plucky, kindhearted American who represents 
        the little people against the moguls of finance 
   Emerald City = Washington 
   The Wizard = the personification of humbug 

   Unfortunately I don't have the answers to the questions you 
   raised, but thinking about this some more, I have another 
   question: is it merely a coincidence that just a year or so after 
   the U.S. went off gold in 1971, freeing all currencies to float, 
   Elton John released the song, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road?" 
   "Oh, I've finally decided my future lies / beyond the yellow 
   brick road." 

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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