Since this discussion continues, here are two images of the scarce One Billion Mark, (long scale) Notgeld from Westphalia. In the U.S. we’d call this One Trillion marks.

Labor Exchange notes come in several sizes depending on the denomination as well as at least two different colors.

The article on the Washington-Liberty Bell Centennial Medal in your January 20, 2013 issue reminded me that the Liberty Bell was a featured exhibit at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915 in San Francisco. The U.S. government actually sent this sacred American treasure on a specially constructed railcar to the Exposition, with several whistle stops along the way for public viewings. The events are recorded in various photographs, postcards and booklets from the period. The first time I heard of this I was incredulous; one can only imagine the improbability of a repeat occurrence today.

If it wasn’t mentioned, the entire Fonrobert sale catalog is on Google Books—free download. The Fonrobert catalog has far and away the most detailed descriptions of low- and medium-value U.S. tokens, many worth less than a dollar at the time!

How much is it worth outside the Australian bush, say, in Melbourne?

Get it? Dumb, but then I’m Canadian, eh!

The story seems to mix freely avoirdupois ounces (28.4 grams) with Troy ounces (31.1 grams). 16 avoirdupois ounces make up our common pound, 454 grams. 12 Troy ounces make a Troy pound, an obsolete measure, but the Troy ounce is the measure used for evaluating precious metals, like gold. However you measure it, 5 1/2 pounds of gold is certainly not an insignificant amount, nearly 100 troy ounces. At least they didn't give its weight in stones, and I'm sure it was more interesting than an old bonnet (car hood--have to translate, it's written in English).