NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: OCTOBER 2, 2011

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V14 2011 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 14, Number 41, October 2, 2011, Article 19

Legal Guide for the Visual Artist
This didn't make it into last week's issue - sorry! Loren Gatch writes:

On the topic of currency mutilation, and legal reproductions of currency, I've found this source useful: Tad Crawford, Legal Guide for the Visual Artist 5th ed. (Alworth Press 2010).

In fact, if you search Google Books using "currency reproductions" as terms, you will find the snippet of the book that deals precisely with this issue (pp. 101-2).

The Progression from Early Thalers to the U.S. dollar
Last week I asked " Can anyone point to a nicely illustrated page showing the progression from early thalers to the U.S. dollar?" Ken Bressett writes:

Perhaps not exactly what you asked for, but take a look at pages 126 and 127 of my book Milestone Coins, Whitman Publishing 2007, to see my explanation and pictures. I can send a scan of those pages if (heaven forbid) you don’t have the book. Attached is a picture of an original Joachimstaler.

Sadly, I don't have a copy of Ken's book. All the more reason for all of us to go out and get a copy. I'm glad to learn that someone has compiled such a progression - it's a great way to teach people (numismatists included) how today's dollar came to be. -Editor

Maryland Paper Money Correction
Regarding last week's Featured Web Page, Ken Berger writes:

I went to the website you had listed & found the following statement: "Within the American colonies Maryland was the first to issue paper money in dollar denominations in 1766.".

This is highly misleading. According to Newman, these notes were authorized at the 1 November 1766 Session and payable between 25 June and 25 December 1777. The bills themselves are dated 1 January 1767 and, in fact, this is how Newman refers to them. Therefore, I would argue that the statement written by Giedroyc in his article is incorrect.

Reading the item in this week's edition reporting that "Canada Introduces Quarters Commemorating Things That Don't Exist," reminded me of a series of articles under the authorship of the late Carl Allenbaugh presented in 18 installments from August of 1971 through March of 1973.

Presented under the banner of "The British Empire of Sorts," the series addressed the then remnants of the British Empire which were still existing directly under the British flag, from Gibraltar to the Falkland Islands to the British Indian Ocean Territory and points far and wide between. While some had coinage distinct to their existence, these somewhat tongue-in-cheek presentations referenced both what existed and the whimsical coins that might be.

While none of the dozen or so whimsical designs offered up in the installments ever came to be, many of the entities which at the time did not boast distinct coinages were subsequently so recognized.

Argentina's booksellers are accusing the government of censorship, saying more than a million imported books have stacked up in customs as authorities try to rebuild the country's printing houses.

The dispute is about commerce, not ideology, and publishing houses are only the latest sector of the economy to experience the strong-arm tactics of a government determined to rebuild domestic industrial capacity.

President Cristina Fernandez didn't directly address the customs controversy Thursday night when she inaugurated the new Museum of the Book and the Language. But she said her government is dedicated to restoring Argentina's ability to take care of itself in an uncertain world.

"The world is going in one direction and at times it seems like we're going to the opposite, but this is the necessary path to recover a country that already knew how to do things," she said.

The newspaper Clarin published a lengthy article Thursday describing how in order to liberate their books from customs' impound warehouses, publishers have been forced to meet with representatives of Commerce Secretary Guillermo Moreno and present plans for shifting their production to domestic printing houses.

More Numismatic Jokes
On the topic of numismatic jokes, martin Purdy has this to say about Pete Smith's " Did you know that 64 Kennedy Halves are now worth thirty-two dollars?". He writes:

The English version of this, which still catches people out sometimes (sorry if it's been mentioned before), is that 1920 pennies are worth 8 pounds (at 240 pre-decimal pennies to the pound ... work it out).

This is old as the hills, but if you haven’t heard it before: Which is worth more, six dozen dozen dimes or a half dozen dozen dollars? (Surprise! The dimes are worth $86.40 and the dollars $72.)

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