NUMISMATIC REMEMBRANCES OF GUY FAWKES

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V18 2015 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 18, Number 46, November 15, 2015, Article 21

NUMISMATIC REMEMBRANCES OF GUY FAWKES

A November 5, 2015 article by William Pavey Meskan in the Fourth Garrideb blog on the numismatics of Sherlock Holmes discusses Guy Fawkes and his involvement in the 1605 "Gunpowder Plot" to kill King James I. A second article by Greg Ruby highlighted some "Numismatic Remembrances of Guy Fawkes". Here are some excerpts, but be sure to read the complete articles online. -Editor

A Penny for the Guy

James I (1603-25) silver Thistle Penny.

One of the plotters, Guy Fawkes by name, was caught with dozens of kegs of gunpowder in the basement of the Houses of Parliament. He was waiting for a signal that the King had arrived to open Parliament, to light the fuses. He and his fellow plotters were rounded up and dispatched from this world with very nasty means of execution. But the event is celebrated to this day with bonfires, fireworks and burning Guy in effigy, while children sort of “Trick or Treat,” asking for “a penny for the Guy.” The mask used in the movie V for Vendetta is Guy Fawkes’ visage.

Numismatic Remembrances of Guy Fawkes

In 2005, to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot, the British Royal Mint struck a commemorative Two Pound Coin. The center of the reverse has a circular arrangement of state, the mace, crosier and sword with the denomination ”TWO POUNDS” and the dates “1605” and “2005” with the edge inscription “REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER”. The coin was designed by Peter Forster and was struck in a bimetallic cupro-nickel version for circulation and in silver, silver piedfort (pictured above) and gold.

[And] ... we have a 1935 Buffalo nickel that has been engraved to look like Guy Fawkes This design was created by Stephen D. Cox, who has engraved his initials under the buffalo on the reverse. Only the date and the legend of LIBERTY remain from the original design on the obverse. A chain border surrounds the portrait of Fawkes.

To read the complete articles, see:
A Penny For The Guy (http://fourthgarrideb.com/2015/11/a-penny-for-the-guy/)
Numismatic Remembrances of Guy Fawkes and The Gunpowder Plot (http://fourthgarrideb.com/2015/11/numismatic-remembrances-of-guy-fawkes-and-the-gunpowder-plot/)

THE BOOK BAZARRE

TREASURES LOST AND FOUND! Lost and Found Coin Hoards and Treasures, by Q. David Bowers, reveals the stories of thousands of buried, hidden, forgotten, lost, and rediscovered coins. Richly illustrated, this is a Whitman sampler of delicious numismatic delicacies that every collector will love! 480 pages, hardcover, full color. Get your copy today for $39.95 at Whitman.com or call 800-546-2995.

Wayne Homren, Editor

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V18 2015 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE