Old Sails: Suffering the Winds

Some of the best ships can be found on Jetons.
   After the popularity of the counting board faded in the late 1500s, jetons morphed into propaganda pieces, souvenirs, and remuneration tokens. It was a clever move for the mint masters. As a result, some beautiful ships were launched.
   One of my favorite jetons is this softly worn piece dabbed with a reddish patina. It is made of brassy alloy common to the era. It was probably a pocket piece for several decades before being set aside and passed between collectors. I like to imagine the various owners who contemplated the ship -- perhaps wondering what it was like on the open seas, wondering where this particular ship was going, wondering about the New World. After all, the piece is nearly 400 years old!
   The ship style is familiar to jeton collectors, as the accentuated curve of the midships coupled with the stacked stern castle and bold, somewhat pointed, fore deck is characteristic of many French ship jetons of the era. The curved hull planking, bold with nails, is also of this style. The billowing sails complete the signature. The same artist likely did them all. A very similar ship can be seen on some Cardinal Richelieu pieces.

French Jeton from Dijon with caravel pitted against
winds blowing in both directions. The banner assures
the lone mariner that this ship is protected.

   I would classify the vessel as a caravel -- it has the classic U-shape. We are treated to port view, sailing away from us so that the stern rudder is clear. The sea is choppy and strong winds blow from both directions -- port and starboard. The clouds are personified with lips blowing. Of note, the sole mariner has a large presence and is clearly out of scale -- perhaps to show how alone a sailor can be in the sea and at the mercy of the winds.
   My interpretation of this is swayed by the legend which reads: TVRBANT. SED. EXTOLLVNT. The Vs are actually Us. The words (in Latin) translate to: "They agitate it, and they raise it." I checked the translation in French which was similar: "Distracting, but lifting." These phrases refer to the winds. Blowing one way and then another, we suffer them, and we depend on them. The phrase is biblical and comes from Job 30:22.
   The large banner, artfully weaved into the scene reads: HOC. SIDERBTVTVS. This one puzzles me. It translates to: "This (ship? Sea?) is safe or protected." Maybe it means that with faith, we are protected. I am not totally sure about this. And, I do not know if the sole sailor has a specific identity. Perhaps you have an opinion?
   Nonetheless, this jeton is a wonderful addition for the ship collector. It is the perfect period piece for the necromancer!

Collecting Jamestown: Part 5. Cuarto from Santo Domingo.

We have a crusty old coin to consider.

Here is the obverse with a crowned Y.

   This one will appeal to colonial collectors on at least two levels: it is the earliest Jamestown coin, AND it is among the first coins minted in the New World! Many collectors who seek out coins that were used in colonial North America have probably missed this one. But here it is!

   It is a Spanish Colonial cob of four maravedis. This copper piece was worth about one-fourth of a silver real -- hence, the name cuarto. However, values fluctuated widely over time. The relationship between silver and gold changed frequently, and the lowly maravedis was adjusted to account for this. In this regard, the denomination served as a unit of account. 

   Nonetheless, the four maravedis piece was never more than small change. I wonder how much rum it would buy -- certainly a few mouthfuls. Unfortunately, there was no rum in Jamestown.

   A cuarto just like the one pictured was dug from a blacksmith cellar in 2007 and is considered to be a relic of the early fort period -- probably before 1610. The piece was already a half-century old when lost, as it was minted in Santo Domingo between 1542 and 1556. 

   Other relics found nearby included a copper thimble, one bone die, a shell from Bermuda (a keepsake?), and many military items such as edged weapons, breastplates, even a helmet. Excavation of the cellar also produced two English farthings and a silver half-penny (but I will save these for a future posting).

Here is the reverse with the pillars of Hercules.

   It is no wonder that so many military items were found since the cellar is believed to be part of a metalworking shop. Armor and weapons were repaired and modified there. Later on, the cellar was refitted with two brick ovens and served as a bakery. All of this happened within the first few years of settlement.
   The building was labeled by the archeologists as Structure 183. It was unusual by modern standards, as it was all cellar with a low roof. As with many early fort structures, it was an earthfast building constructed by sinking poles in the ground.
   Getting back to our relic coin, the cuarto features a large Greek Y for Johanna. The Y is flanked by the assayer's initial (F) on the left and the denomination (IIII) on the right. It was minted under the direction of Francisco Rodriquez. The legend reads: KAROLVS.ET.IOANNA.REGIS. This translates to Charles and Joanna, Kings. Charles was the son of Johanna, and he assumed the crown in 1516 when Ferdinand died (father of Joanna). Joanna shared the throne but was too ill to govern. 

   The reverse shows the crowned Pillars of Hercules with the mint marks S and P. Some might wonder why not SD instead of SP -- Dan Sedwick has suggested that the original name was Santo Domingo del Puerto.

   This cuarto is a charming relic, sandblasted by Mother Nature and given a rusty tone. The central details are clear but the legends are gone. Irregular edges provide a primitive vibe. As such, this relic looks the part and is perfect. It is undoubtably filled with spirits! What a prize for the Jamestown collector and the necromancer. Now go find one!  

Loving the Unloved: Slabs Profane Old Coins

Ahhhh! I am surrounded by Slabs!
   I awoke this morning in a sweat. I had dreamt that I was trapped inside a thick plastic holder. I could not breath.
   Some doctors have said that eating before bedtime is associated with more vivid dreaming -- so maybe I should not have eaten all those gummy bears.
   But slabs have been on my mind lately. And, they are in the news. There are some new designations coming out. For example, MAC will be stickering classic coins with new "grade enhancement" labels. For the buffalos, we will get "full split tail." For the Washington Qs, we will get "full split beak." Wow! We have really moved beyond horns and feathers.
   Perhaps we need to sound the horns:  Ta-Ta!
   But don't worry if you cannot see these details with your own eyes. The facts will be printed on the label! There is no need to look at the coin.
   I suppose that you could have a PGCS slab with both CAC and MAC stickers. The more stickers the better the coin! Soon enough, the whole slab will be nothing but stickers.

All relic coins are Perfect. No need to grade them on some
arcane numeric scale. Rather, just look at the coin and decide
if you like it or not. 

But what about my lowly cent from 1820? Does it deserve a special designation? It was spent, saved, and pondered. Maybe, it was smacked on the counter of a dry-goods store for peppermints. Maybe, it was flipped to decide a schoolyard bet. Maybe, it traveled to the new state of Missouri on a wagon. Maybe, much more.
   Then, suddenly, it was lost. The pause!
   If we are going to revere a coin, well then, I would choose the lowly cent over a herd of Buffs with split-tails!
   This cent lived. It worked. It was part of history. It is a relic. It did not spend it whole life in a collector's tray.
   But this lowly cent does not need a slab to tell its story -- the story is written on its face! Just as we show the crush of life on our aging faces, so too, the coin boasts of its own trek.
   So you ask, is he suggesting a new slab designation for his lowly cent? OF COURSE NOT. Slabs profane relic coins. And, slabs rob collectors of their curatorial skills. Besides, slabs are ugly. And finally, slabs prevent the consummation between the object and the collector.
   Too weird for you? Then go buy a slab with a split-tail!
   But for the necromancer, let's consider a special envelop for our 1820 cent. Let's make our own label. And, let's put our own sticker on it (I'm gonna go with the skull). Here goes:

1820/19 N1 Sweet old Matron, worked and weathered, with rusty surfaces highlighted by deep violet tones and a dusting of pumpkin and ocher. A perfect relic steeped in thumb-prints and soil.

 

Collecting Coins is NOT Rational: Part 2.

Back in January I threw a dart at the Rational Collector. The dart hit the bullseye. There are no rational collectors!
   But some folks disagree. Is it because they have read many a thick book on numismatics? Is it because they keep a tally of sale prices? Maybe, they have fattened their wallet by trading in coins.
   Boastful? Yes. Valid reasons why collecting is rational? No.
   Here is why.
   First off, possessing a coin for enjoyment makes no rational sense. What can you actually do with it? Roll it down the hall? Flip it (heads or tails) in front of friends? Bounce it into a brewer's cup? Of course, most "rational" folks will say: "No stupid, I will study it!"

The tower of Babel.
Slabs are antithetic of collecting.

   I have a quick answer for that. You do not need to possess a coin in order to study it. That is what books are for. And for the pioneer numismatist, museums/society collections have many of the examples you want to examine. Finally, you can seek out some irrational collectors -- they will have that rare die-state (the one with the meaty cud) that fascinates you. BUT, you do not need to possess it!
   So here we have our first test of rationality. Do you need to possess the coin? If your answer is: "yes, I want it" or more often, "yes, I need it" -- well, clearly this is irrational behavior.
   No one needs an old coin! No one who is rational that is.
   To wit, collectors need coins because they have formed an emotional bond with the object. An emotional bond? Yes, an emotional bond! This is blatantly irrational. Humans form emotional bonds to other humans, not objects! No other beast -- dog, cat, horse, chicken, fish -- loves an object!
   So here we have our second test of rationality. Are you emotionally attached to the coin? Or, does you heart flutter when you view it? If your answer is: "yes, I want it" or more often, "yes, I need it" -- well, clearly this is irrational behavior.
   No one loves an old coin! No one who is rational that is.
   Think about it this way. When you see a coin (in your specialty area: say, a nice Cap cent with big cheeks) that is missing from your collection, you become obsessed. Your conscious world narrows; you start calculating and strategizing; you size up the competition; you are struck with fear -- nothing else matters! Of course, there is a dissenting part of you (some aberrant, albeit rational, neuron) that argues with weak voice that the world would not end if you failed to attain the prize. But collectors have long learned to ignore that feeble hint of rationality. We WANT the coin! we NEED the coin! And, we will do whatever it takes to get it!
   Bid high! Bid higher! Bid the highest!
   So here is our third test of rationality. Will you pay more than "book" value for the coin? If your answer is: "yes, I want it" or more often, "yes, I need it" -- well, clearly this is irrational behavior.
   Here we go again ...
   No old coin is worth more than "book" value. No one who is rational would pay more than "book" value that is. Hell, the coin is not worth book!
   I know what you are thinking. You want to talk about Art. You want to discuss demand. You want to blow smoke and bring out the mirrors (all the while holding your rationality behind your back in the form of crossed fingers). Don't bother -- you have already lost the argument. Art is not rational. And, neither is Love.

Now of course, the necromancer does not suffer these existential threats (at least not as acutely) that plague most collectors. Instead, the necromancer embraces the irrationality of collecting. We collect because we love the objects we desire. There is no escaping this tautological spiral. This is why it is irrational. We simply cannot get our head around it. Nowhere is this "crystal" than when we love the unloved. And, nowhere is the grand delusion of rationality so obvious than when hold a slab.