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V11 2008 INDEX
E-SYLUM ARCHIVE
ARTIST CREATED ICELANDIC NOTE THAT DOESN'T EXIST
When counterfeiters create banknotes that don't exist in
the first place, it's doubly astounding when clerks accept them as real.
Maybe it shouldn't be. If there are no real notes to compare against,
who's to say what's real and what isn't? The latest example of this
situation occurred recently in Iceland. The first excerpt is from an early
news article on the subject; the second is a later article where it came
out that the passed note had been created as part of an art exhibit.
-Editor
Icelandic police in the capital Reykjavik are investigating
a rather unique money counterfeiting case.The story goes... that an opportunistic gentleman went into a Reykjavik convenience store on Monday and paid for his shopping with a 10,000 kronur note. Eye brows should have been raised instantly.
There is no such thing as a 10,000 kronur note in Iceland (yet). The biggest denomination is 5,000kr, and all Icelandic notes feature important historical figures from the countrys past. The new counterfeit note featured the face of current Central Bank chairman, David Oddsson.
The shop sales clerks were apparently not quite awake. Almost incredibly, the note was accepted without question, and the man got around 7,000kr back in change!
To read the complete article, see: Comedy criminal rewarded by stupidity (http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2008/11/06/
victim-deserved-it-criminal-officially-comic-genius/)
A piece from the final project of art student dinn Thr Kjartansson for the Iceland Academy of the Arts, namely fake ISK 10,000 banknotes bearing a picture of Central Bank governor and chairman Davd Oddsson, was passed off as viable currency at a Reykjavk grocery store.
Kjartansson displayed two full bags of the fake banknotes at Kjarvalsstadir Art Museum last spring and had spread some on the floor in front of the bags.
There were around 20,000 fake banknotes in total and Kjartansson said he was aware of that some guests had taken banknotes with them as a souvenir.
Of course Im sorry to hear that people are abusing my artwork, although it isnt such a serious crime considering the amounts some people are stealing nowadays, Kjartansson said, adding that the crime puts his artwork in a new context and gives it a new dimension. It gives it more life and value. And is also a little funny.
To read the complete article, see: Artwork Used as Couterfeit Banknote in Store (http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/
daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=315004)
Wayne Homren, Editor
The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.
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