LOOSE CHANGE: JULY 30, 2023

 

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, is an expression that has been around for at least 500 years. It emphasizes the near impossibility of turning something inferior or repellant into a valuable or attractive item. In coin collecting, some attempt this by polishing a common coin, then promoting it as a Proof. Others try to claim that parking lot damage is actually a mint error and worth a lot of money – plus the promoter just happens to have some for sale at high prices.

In this little column, I'm going to use a somewhat interesting variation: You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, applies to authenticators who assign highfalutin titles to some coins without reason, rationale, or evidence. This is not the gradeflation that we all loath; this is giving a coin a specious title and exotic-sounding attribute that does not, in reality, exist. It is a fake title built on self-serving ignorance and possibly a goodly portion of old fashioned greed.

To read the complete article, see:
Roger Burdette: Silk Purse Coins (https://coinweek.com/roger-burdette-silk-purse-coins/)

 

New York City's Evil Twin Brewery and Norway's Lervig Aktiebryggeri Brewery have teamed up to make beer out of pizza and Norwegian cash. When the beer was first made in 2015, the whole point was to be ridiculous. Not only did the two revel-promoting businesses want to give partygoers a unique beer to crack open, but they also wanted each sip to pack a significant punch. If the idea sounds revolting, it somehow isn't, and the nearly 20% ABV "Big Ass Money Stout" delivers unexpectedly smooth notes of coffee, chocolate, and sweet fruit. "It's like drinking five Budweisers in one bottle," one of the brewers described.

Lervig admits that when it was approached with the idea, it didn't hesitate to make a stout with Norwegian products. Cash and frozen pizza were the ingredients that first came to mind, as both could be found easily and were readily available. Frozen pizzas made with ham and peppers were added to boiling vats, and money was thrown in once fermentation was complete.

True to its advertised gimmick, silver cans of Big Ass Money Stout feature noticeable images of pizza slices and graphics of cash. "While it's over the top, the beer is actually pretty damn tasty," admits The Alcohol Professor. "At worst, it's worth trying simply because the experience is so overwhelming and stimulating to the palate." You may want to have a pizza on hand to enjoy alongside a freshly poured pint of this stuff.

To read the complete article, see:
The Norwegian Beer Made Of Actual Paper Money (https://www.tastingtable.com/1346616/norwegian-beer-evil-twin-paper-money/)

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