On Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 9:35:48 PM UTC-5, BCFD36 wrote:
..
>
> We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a
> couple of Mercury dimes and Buffalo nickles. I also seem to remember an
> indian head penny too.

My main supermarket has one of those change collection machines, in which
you dump your jars of loose change. More than once, I've found silver dimes
in the 'reject coin' slot.

Pt

Greetings all,

On Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 10:41:07 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
>

<<much snipped>>

> Pity they didn't do it, then, when the Hunt Brothers were trying to corner the market in silver back in > the 1980s.

AFAIK these laws have been in place for longer than that, like at least the 60s. I first learned about these laws from a National Geographic article from around 1976 (I didn't read it then, I read it in a very nicely preserved NG magazine I bought at a junk sale for the equivilent of about ten US cents). In the article in question (mostly about how wonderful Sweden was, and what wonderful civilized people they were) a farmer describes to the journalist that he has not 1 but 3 Viking caches on his properties. He has to be careful when plowing to avoid hitting the edges of the cache sites, otherwise the damn coins will turn up with the harvest. He explains that he knows the size of each horde, and its approximate value, and that he wishes some enterprising criminals would come along , dig it up and spirit it away in the middle of the night, because then at least he'd be able to use the few extra square meters of field for something economical.

I'm not sure that the Swedish and Danish government are too concerned about what the great abundance of silver would do to the international economy, but they definitely do not want to be left holding a lot of silver that has to be stored securely somewhere, but also is worth less than it costs to keep.

I understand that treasure hunters in Nevada (I think) ran into similar problems.

The same issue documents another farmer (Swede or Dane, I'm not sure) growing wheat on what was effectively a sandbar, and basically irrigating with salt water. He points out that when the tide is low, and the nearby river is flowing strongly the fresh water probably drives out the salt.

>
> William Hyde

Regards
Frank

Hi all,

Completely different twist on this thread. I live in South Africa, and South Africa still has a gold currency that is legal tender.

It''s called the Kruger Rand, and at the top end is a one ounce coin worth, you guessed it, exactly what one ounce of gold is worth today. Smaller denominations go down to halves, quarters, tenths (and I think) 5 cent and 1 cent pieces.

It's legal tender, so if you march into a store with one in your hand and want to buy a packet of gum you can put the coin down and demand that the cashier makes change.

Now according to Google gold is $ 1,845.55 an ounce and a 1 dollar is worth R 16.4 (R = Rands), and some gum is roughly R 10. Change from a Kruger Rand would run into R30248, or between 10 and 30 X what the average cash register ever has in it.

I've never actually heard of someone doing this, but it would be legal, just completely insane.

Apparently a local billionaire (like died in the 50s) used to make a show of dropping the smallest denomination coins into the hat of busker outside the building where he conducted his business. Everyone thought he was either an angel or a demon for throwing his money around like that. After his death it was revealed that the busker was actually a heavily armed part of the man's security detail.

Regards
Frank

BCFD36 wrote:

> We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a
> couple of Mercury dimes

Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of this used as a medium of exchange. Would they carry it around in a jar? That would be even more convenient than pieces of eight for making change. But as a dime? How? A drop sandwiched in a metal casing? If you leave an air bubble in it, you could feel it sloshing around, and being much heavier than a water-filled coin, could be told from a counterfeit just by handling..

> and Buffalo nickles.

I've never heard of a leather currency, I imagine it wouldn't wear out as fast as paper, but I think it would be harder to make than paper or metal. If there's a way to verify it as being from buffalo, it has the property that the more you mint, the more rare the source gets.

> I also seem to remember an
> indian head penny too.

Not. Going. There.

--
-Jack

Jack Bohn <jack.bohn64@gmail.com> writes:
>BCFD36 wrote:
>
>> We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a=20
>> couple of Mercury dimes
>
>Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of th=
>is used as a medium of exchange.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_dime

On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 9:04:11 AM UTC-5, jack....@gmail.com wrote:
> BCFD36 wrote:
>
> > We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a
> > couple of Mercury dimes
> Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of this used as a medium of exchange. Would they carry it around in a jar? That would be even more convenient than pieces of eight for making change. But as a dime? How? A drop sandwiched in a metal casing? If you leave an air bubble in it, you could feel it sloshing around, and being much heavier than a water-filled coin, could be told from a counterfeit just by handling.
>
> > and Buffalo nickles.
>
> I've never heard of a leather currency, I imagine it wouldn't wear out as fast as paper, but I think it would be harder to make than paper or metal. If there's a way to verify it as being from buffalo, it has the property that the more you mint, the more rare the source gets.
> > I also seem to remember an
> > indian head penny too.
> Not. Going. There.

....and lets not get started on sovereigns.

pt

"pete...@gmail.com" <petertrei@gmail.com> writes:
>On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 9:04:11 AM UTC-5, jack....@gmail.com wrot=
>e:
>> BCFD36 wrote:=20
>>=20
>> > We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a=
>=20
>> > couple of Mercury dimes
>> Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of t=
>his used as a medium of exchange. Would they carry it around in a jar? That=
> would be even more convenient than pieces of eight for making change. But =
>as a dime? How? A drop sandwiched in a metal casing? If you leave an air bu=
>bble in it, you could feel it sloshing around, and being much heavier than =
>a water-filled coin, could be told from a counterfeit just by handling.=20
>>=20
>> > and Buffalo nickles.=20
>>=20
>> I've never heard of a leather currency, I imagine it wouldn't wear out as=
> fast as paper, but I think it would be harder to make than paper or metal.=
> If there's a way to verify it as being from buffalo, it has the property t=
>hat the more you mint, the more rare the source gets.
>> > I also seem to remember an=20
>> > indian head penny too.
>> Not. Going. There.=20
>
>...and lets not get started on sovereigns.

Two quid, a bob and a couple of crowns.

On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 8:57:04 AM UTC-6, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 9:04:11 AM UTC-5, jack....@gmail.com wrote:
> > BCFD36 wrote:
> >
> > > We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a
> > > couple of Mercury dimes
> > Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of this used as a medium of exchange. Would they carry it around in a jar? That would be even more convenient than pieces of eight for making change. But as a dime? How? A drop sandwiched in a metal casing? If you leave an air bubble in it, you could feel it sloshing around, and being much heavier than a water-filled coin, could be told from a counterfeit just by handling.
> >
+++and Buffalo nickles.
> >
+++I've never heard of a leather currency, I imagine it wouldn't wear out as fast as paper, but I think it would be harder to make than paper or metal.. If there's a way to verify it as being from buffalo, it has the property that the more you mint, the more rare the source gets.

Simple these days with DNA sequencing. Those Japanese high-school students got in the news several years ago by gathering
samples of whale meat from fish markets, sequencing the DNA, and finding that several protected species were being sold.
Also, buffalo, like other livestock, IS a renewable resource. The wild herds were wiped out to make buffalo skin coats but now
they are raised on ranches. One of the biggest suppliers switched from cattle to buffalo because buffalo do not crop the
pasture so short, and the meat gets a premium price because it has a health benefit compared to beef.

+++I also seem to remember an indian head penny too.

++Not. Going. There.

+...and lets not get started on sovereigns.

Especially Edward VIII.

Peter Wezeman
anti-social Darwinist

On Wed, 10 Nov 2021 22:52:25 -0800 (PST), Frank Scrooby
<frank.scrooby@gmail.com> wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>Completely different twist on this thread. I live in South Africa, and South Africa still has a gold currency that is legal tender.
>
>It''s called the Kruger Rand, and at the top end is a one ounce coin worth, you guessed it, exactly what one ounce of gold is worth today. Smaller denominations go down to halves, quarters, tenths (and I think) 5 cent and 1 cent pieces.

Do you need a microscope to see the 1 cent piece? (That is, how large
can a coin weighing 1/100 oz /be/?)

>It's legal tender, so if you march into a store with one in your hand and want to buy a packet of gum you can put the coin down and demand that the cashier makes change.
>
>Now according to Google gold is $ 1,845.55 an ounce and a 1 dollar is worth R 16.4 (R = Rands), and some gum is roughly R 10. Change from a Kruger Rand would run into R30248, or between 10 and 30 X what the average cash register ever has in it.
>
>I've never actually heard of someone doing this, but it would be legal, just completely insane.
>
>Apparently a local billionaire (like died in the 50s) used to make a show of dropping the smallest denomination coins into the hat of busker outside the building where he conducted his business. Everyone thought he was either an angel or a demon for throwing his money around like that. After his death it was revealed that the busker was actually a heavily armed part of the man's security detail.
>
>Regards
>Frank
--
"I begin to envy Petronius."
"I have envied him long since."

On Thu, 11 Nov 2021 14:42:22 GMT, scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal)
wrote:

>Jack Bohn <jack.bohn64@gmail.com> writes:
>>BCFD36 wrote:
>>
>>> We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a=20
>>> couple of Mercury dimes
>>
>>Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of th=
>>is used as a medium of exchange.
>
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_dime

Ha ha ha - my father had some of those in his coin collection though
I've no idea what happened to the US part of the collection. My
brother insists he didn't get it and Dad never spoke of selling it.

I got a small box of about 20 US silver dollars from the 1880s which
are probably worth about $20-30 apiece now but that's it.

On Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:08:29 GMT, scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal)
wrote:

>>...and lets not get started on sovereigns.
>
>Two quid, a bob and a couple of crowns.

The story is that Henry VIII once asked his fool how much a king was
worth and was told 25 shillings.

He was surprised and asked how the fool got that figure and told it
was easy - a sovereign and a crown

On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 5:09:41 PM UTC, Paul S Person wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Nov 2021 22:52:25 -0800 (PST), Frank Scrooby
> <frank....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Hi all,
> >
> >Completely different twist on this thread. I live in South Africa, and South Africa still has a gold currency that is legal tender.
> >
> >It''s called the Kruger Rand, and at the top end is a one ounce coin worth, you guessed it, exactly what one ounce of gold is worth today. Smaller denominations go down to halves, quarters, tenths (and I think) 5 cent and 1 cent pieces.
> Do you need a microscope to see the 1 cent piece? (That is, how large
> can a coin weighing 1/100 oz /be/?)

The Krugerrand dimensions are 2.84mm thick x 32.77 mm dia, ~2395 cubic mm. A 23.95 cubic mm disk 1mm thick would be 5.52mm dia. Small, yes, but not Lilliputian. That said, the smallest minted gold krugerrand coin is the 1/10 oz.

On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 5:09:41 PM UTC, Paul S Person wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Nov 2021 22:52:25 -0800 (PST), Frank Scrooby
> <frank....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Hi all,
> >
> >Completely different twist on this thread. I live in South Africa, and South Africa still has a gold currency that is legal tender.
> >
> >It''s called the Kruger Rand, and at the top end is a one ounce coin worth, you guessed it, exactly what one ounce of gold is worth today. Smaller denominations go down to halves, quarters, tenths (and I think) 5 cent and 1 cent pieces.
> Do you need a microscope to see the 1 cent piece? (That is, how large
> can a coin weighing 1/100 oz /be/?)

Small, but not microscopic - 1mm thick x 5.56 mm diameter fine gold weighs approximately 1/100 troy ounces. A dime is 1.35 mm thick and a pencil ~ 7mm diameter, for reference.

On 9/11/21 2:05 pm, Gary R. Schmidt wrote:
> On 09/11/2021 04:37, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
> [SNIP]
>>
>> Well, IIRC, Australians call Australia "Godzone."
>>
> Yes, but the sheep-shaggers in EnnZed also refer to their country as
> "Godzone".  :-)

My understanding is that many throughout the world, (not Palestinians),
refer to their own country as such, especially those that don't travel much.

We sheep shaggers who do travel a lot used to refer to our country as
God's own but it is now home to many violent Australian criminals
deported because their N.Z. born parents never bothered obtaining
Australian citizenship. N.Z. now has a serious Biker Gang problem with
Australian gangs, used to carrying and using guns, developing N.Z. branches.

>> What do Australians call themselves?  I've heard "Aussie" used by
>> others.
>>
> "'Strayans" from "'Straya" when we aren't using "Aussie" from "Oz".
>
>     Cheers,
>         Gary    B-)

On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 9:57:04 AM UTC-5, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 9:04:11 AM UTC-5, jack....@gmail.com wrote:
> > BCFD36 wrote:
> >
> > > We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a
> > > couple of Mercury dimes
> > Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of this used as a medium of exchange. Would they carry it around in a jar? That would be even more convenient than pieces of eight for making change. But as a dime? How? A drop sandwiched in a metal casing? If you leave an air bubble in it, you could feel it sloshing around, and being much heavier than a water-filled coin, could be told from a counterfeit just by handling.
> >
> > > and Buffalo nickles.
> >
> > I've never heard of a leather currency, I imagine it wouldn't wear out as fast as paper, but I think it would be harder to make than paper or metal. If there's a way to verify it as being from buffalo, it has the property that the more you mint, the more rare the source gets.
> > > I also seem to remember an
> > > indian head penny too.
> > Not. Going. There.
> ...and lets not get started on sovereigns.
>

No, nay, never!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Rover
--
Kevin R

On Friday, November 26, 2021 at 5:13:29 PM UTC-5, Titus G wrote:
> On 9/11/21 2:05 pm, Gary R. Schmidt wrote:
> > On 09/11/2021 04:37, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
> > [SNIP]
> >>
> >> Well, IIRC, Australians call Australia "Godzone."
> >>
> > Yes, but the sheep-shaggers in EnnZed also refer to their country as
> > "Godzone". :-)
>
> My understanding is that many throughout the world, (not Palestinians),
> refer to their own country as such, especially those that don't travel much.
>
> We sheep shaggers who do travel a lot used to refer to our country as
> God's own but it is now home to many violent Australian criminals
> deported because their N.Z. born parents never bothered obtaining
> Australian citizenship. N.Z. now has a serious Biker Gang problem with
> Australian gangs, used to carrying and using guns, developing N.Z. branches.
>
> >> What do Australians call themselves? I've heard "Aussie" used by
> >> others.
> >>
> > "'Strayans" from "'Straya" when we aren't using "Aussie" from "Oz".
> >

ObSf: Norstrilia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norstrilia

--
Kevin R

On Friday, 26 November 2021 at 22:13:29 UTC, Titus G wrote:
> On 9/11/21 2:05 pm, Gary R. Schmidt wrote:
> > On 09/11/2021 04:37, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
> > [SNIP]
> >>
> >> Well, IIRC, Australians call Australia "Godzone."
> >>
> > Yes, but the sheep-shaggers in EnnZed also refer to their country as
> > "Godzone". :-)
>
> My understanding is that many throughout the world, (not Palestinians),
> refer to their own country as such, especially those that don't travel much.
>
> We sheep shaggers who do travel a lot used to refer to our country as
> God's own but it is now home to many violent Australian criminals
> deported because their N.Z. born parents never bothered obtaining
> Australian citizenship. N.Z. now has a serious Biker Gang problem with
> Australian gangs, used to carrying and using guns, developing N.Z. branches.

Cue Peter Jackson remaking a certain successful
Australian franchise to star himself as _Mad Jax_. :-)

On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 7:04:11 AM UTC-7, jack....@gmail.com wrote:
> BCFD36 wrote:

> > We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a
> > couple of Mercury dimes

> Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of this used
> as a medium of exchange. Would they carry it around in a jar? That would be even
> more convenient than pieces of eight for making change. But as a dime? How? A
> drop sandwiched in a metal casing? If you leave an air bubble in it, you could feel
> it sloshing around, and being much heavier than a water-filled coin, could be told
> from a counterfeit just by handling.

At least you _could_ actually carry mercury around in a jar, whereas moonbeams
don't admit of being transported in that fashion.

If the reference is unfamiliar to you, go here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATftJiWdkw

However, in fact, the coin referred to as a Mercury dime has the same metallic
composition as that of other U.S. dimes prior to 1964: 90% silver and 10%
copper. It is called a Mercury dime because the head of the Roman god
Mercury is featured on one side of the coin.

There is even a Wikipedia article about this series of American 10-cent
pieces:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_dime

John Savard

On 27/11/2021 09:13, Titus G wrote:
> On 9/11/21 2:05 pm, Gary R. Schmidt wrote:
>> On 09/11/2021 04:37, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>> [SNIP]
>>>
>>> Well, IIRC, Australians call Australia "Godzone."
>>>
>> Yes, but the sheep-shaggers in EnnZed also refer to their country as
>> "Godzone".  :-)
>
> My understanding is that many throughout the world, (not Palestinians),
> refer to their own country as such, especially those that don't travel much.
>
> We sheep shaggers who do travel a lot used to refer to our country as
> God's own but it is now home to many violent Australian criminals
> deported because their N.Z. born parents never bothered obtaining
> Australian citizenship. N.Z. now has a serious Biker Gang problem with
> Australian gangs, used to carrying and using guns, developing N.Z. branches.
>
That's true - but it ignores the previous 50 or more years of importing
Maori enforcers. (But Shane Martin was a crim before he became a bikie.)

ISTR Abe Saffron, or perhaps George Freeman, saying about the 1970s
something along the lines of, "I like to use Islanders, such as Samoans
and Tongans for sending a reminder, because they're gentle people.
They'd maybe shake some change out of someone's pockets, or break an
arm, but when someone needed a good kicking, and I don't care how much
they're damaged, I'll send a couple of Maori. They learned their stuff
running with the young gangs over there, didn't have to teach them much
at all."

Cheers,
Gary B-)

On 27/11/21 5:30 pm, Gary R. Schmidt wrote:
> On 27/11/2021 09:13, Titus G wrote:
>> On 9/11/21 2:05 pm, Gary R. Schmidt wrote:
>>> On 09/11/2021 04:37, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>>> [SNIP]
>>>>
>>>> Well, IIRC, Australians call Australia "Godzone."
>>>>
>>> Yes, but the sheep-shaggers in EnnZed also refer to their country as
>>> "Godzone".  :-)
>>
>> My understanding is that many throughout the world, (not Palestinians),
>> refer to their own country as such, especially those that don't travel
>> much.
>>
>> We sheep shaggers who do travel a lot used to refer to our country as
>> God's own but it is now home to many violent Australian criminals
>> deported because their N.Z. born parents never bothered obtaining
>> Australian citizenship. N.Z. now has a serious Biker Gang problem with
>> Australian gangs, used to carrying and using guns, developing N.Z.
>> branches.
>>
> That's true - but it ignores the previous 50 or more years of importing
> Maori enforcers.  (But Shane Martin was a crim before he became a bikie.)

snip
I know little about this matter, no history, no names: just what is
happening here now.
Apart from the sheep shaggers' film, _Once Were Warriors_ which depicted
Maori gang allegiance and violence, set earlier than the 1970's

On Friday, November 26, 2021 at 7:57:04 PM UTC-7, Quadibloc wrote:
> On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 7:04:11 AM UTC-7, jack....@gmail.com wrote:
> > BCFD36 wrote:
>
> > > We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a
> > > couple of Mercury dimes
>
> > Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of this used
> > as a medium of exchange. Would they carry it around in a jar? That would be even
> > more convenient than pieces of eight for making change. But as a dime? How? A
> > drop sandwiched in a metal casing? If you leave an air bubble in it, you could feel
> > it sloshing around, and being much heavier than a water-filled coin, could be told
> > from a counterfeit just by handling.
> At least you _could_ actually carry mercury around in a jar, whereas moonbeams
> don't admit of being transported in that fashion.
>
> If the reference is unfamiliar to you, go here:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATftJiWdkw
>
> However, in fact, the coin referred to as a Mercury dime has the same metallic
> composition as that of other U.S. dimes prior to 1964: 90% silver and 10%
> copper. It is called a Mercury dime because the head of the Roman god
> Mercury is featured on one side of the coin.
>
> There is even a Wikipedia article about this series of American 10-cent
> pieces:
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_dime

Of course, some might ask, why I even bothered with a
"correction", since clearly it's obvious that you were just joking,
but were prompted to do so by the construction of the sentence
to which you replied, where gold, silver, and Mercury could have been
seen as modifiers... on the same level, and hence presumably
of the same type.

Anyhow, one of my web pages was illustrated by a tiny diagram because
at the time I made it, I couldn't manage to get good quality photographs
of the coins I wished to use as examples.

This has been fixed, and so you can see a nice picture of a
Mercury dime, next to a Standing Liberty quarter, a Walking Liberty half dollar,
and a Peace dollar, on this page of my web site:

http://www.quadibloc.com/other/cnv03.htm

John Savard

Quadibloc wrote:
> On Friday, November 26, 2021 at 7:57:04 PM UTC-7, Quadibloc wrote:
> > On Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 7:04:11 AM UTC-7, jack....@gmail.com wrote:
> > > BCFD36 wrote:
> >
> > > > We never got any gold coins, but did get silver I'm sure as well as a
> > > > couple of Mercury dimes
> >
> > > Mercury. Of the seven metals known to the ancients, I've never heard of this used
> > > as a medium of exchange. Would they carry it around in a jar? That would be even
> > > more convenient than pieces of eight for making change. But as a dime? How? A
> > > drop sandwiched in a metal casing? If you leave an air bubble in it, you could feel
> > > it sloshing around, and being much heavier than a water-filled coin, could be told
> > > from a counterfeit just by handling.
> > At least you _could_ actually carry mercury around in a jar, whereas moonbeams
> > don't admit of being transported in that fashion.
> >
> >
> > However, in fact, the coin referred to as a Mercury dime has the same metallic
> > composition as that of other U.S. dimes prior to 1964: 90% silver and 10%
> > copper. It is called a Mercury dime because the head of the Roman god
> > Mercury is featured on one side of the coin.
> >
> Of course, some might ask, why I even bothered with a
> "correction", since clearly it's obvious that you were just joking,
> but were prompted to do so by the construction of the sentence
> to which you replied, where gold, silver, and Mercury could have been
> seen as modifiers... on the same level, and hence presumably
> of the same type.

Thanks for that. All my nieces and nephews are on to me, and mostly don't fall for it.
(There was a one-season sitcom where Jonathan Winters played the father of two adult children, Randy Quaid and Bonnie Hunt, with one of them having children of their own. Jonathan Winters was doing his brilliant ad-lib comedy, and those two had to act like, "That's just Dad being Dad.")

> Anyhow, one of my web pages was illustrated by a tiny diagram because
> at the time I made it, I couldn't manage to get good quality photographs
> of the coins I wished to use as examples.
>
> This has been fixed, and so you can see a nice picture of a
> Mercury dime, next to a Standing Liberty quarter, a Walking Liberty half dollar,
> and a Peace dollar, on this page of my web site:
>
> http://www.quadibloc.com/other/cnv03.htm

Well, the obverse side. Had to do an image search to see what Walking Liberty (Liberty at liberty?) would look like. Interesting that the US doesn't have its own art or mythology and has to adopt older forms or form a simulation of having its own. Currency as object d'art -- it doesn't really have to look good, just complex enough to be hard to counterfeit. I had Youtube recommend me a video using gallium, which is another metal hard to fake (if it were more valuable, would there be more incentive?) Coins made from it could use simple, thick-line cartoons, and probably should, to make damage from handling them less noticeable. Also bring back the bag of coins hung from your belt, not to carry them in your pocket!

--
-Jack

On Sunday, November 28, 2021 at 6:09:48 PM UTC-7, jack....@gmail.com wrote:

> Well, the obverse side.

Yes, that suited the purpose of the diagram: the most identifiable side of the coin, the one
bearing the denomination, is shown to serve a diagram illustrating an approximate relationship
between their diameters based on their denomination.

I've found a source I believe not to be protected by copyright for images of the U.S. gold coins,
which will allow me to add to that page a similar diagram for the quarter eagle, half eagle,
eagle and double eagle.

John Savard

On Sunday, November 28, 2021 at 6:09:48 PM UTC-7, jack....@gmail.com wrote:

> Well, the obverse side.

Actually, no. The reverse side.

I know it may seem _per_verse, but in numismatics, the side of a coin with
the denomination is termed the reverse (back) and the side which usually
just has the monarch's head is termed the obverse (front).

John Savard

On Monday, November 29, 2021 at 2:07:47 AM UTC-5, Quadibloc wrote:
> On Sunday, November 28, 2021 at 6:09:48 PM UTC-7, jack....@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > Well, the obverse side.
> Actually, no. The reverse side.
>
> I know it may seem _per_verse, but in numismatics, the side of a coin with
> the denomination is termed the reverse (back) and the side which usually
> just has the monarch's head is termed the obverse (front).
>

Of course, US coins don't have depictions of monarchs. We have
faces of former Presidents, and other figures, historical and
mythological.

That 's not Hermes on the "Mercury dime," anyway, but Liberty
(Roman "Libertas") in her Phrygian cap.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_dime

--
Kevin R