I found some nice stuff when moving things from one house to the next yesterday. Unfortunately, my feelings of joy were immediately dampened by a run of finding rubbish. The original plan was to leave that in Nottingham and have a skip to take it away. Unfortunately, over the years, things built up and became mixed and it’s become a lot harder to separate the two. This is particularly true at the moment, as I have a bad back and standing for extended periods can be quite trying.
The joy returned when I had an email accepting a poem. It’s a magazine that has published me before, but a new editor, who has constantly turned me down when acting as a guest editor at this magazine and at others. This counts as a small victory on two counts and validates the policy of increasing the number of submissions rather than cherry picking the ones that are more likely to be successful.
The items were relatively modest, a battered white metal medallion, a worn coin and a 2d transport token.
The Nelson medallion is a membership token for the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Society. The Society was founded n 1839, so it post-dates Nelson by a few years. This one is dated 1882 and has a number scratched to the left of Nelson’s face – 3157. The slot on the top allows it to be worn on a ribbon as proof of membership. The charity was set up to provide lifeboats and support for shipwrecked sailors or their widows, orphans and parents. They decided to give up the lifeboats in the 1850s and specialise in the care of survivors and dependents.
The coin is a 1 Franc coin of 1808. The mint Mark “A” seen to the right of the date denotes the Paris Mint. The 1808 A coin makes up 49% of the coin’s mintage and is thus the commonest and cheapest one. Added to its worn condition and this is a coin with a lot of history but not much else going for it. In 1808 Napoleon tried to extend the trade embargo against the UK and invaded the Iberian Peninsula, putting his brother on the throne of Spain and starting the Peninsula war, which would, in 1814, see Wellington’s victorious army sweep into France across the Pyrenees. Sic semper tyrannis.
The token is a 2d ticket for one of the Liverpool horse-drawn buses of the 19th Century, probably 1850s – 70s, but I still need to do a bit of work on that one. This is quite a dark, well-worn specimen, which is good in this context, as somebody mde some copies a few years ago, which always makes me suspicious of examples in good condition.
Sympathy for the bad back which makes doing anything infinitely more tedious. Sorting out which is nice stuff and which is rubbish must be a problem. The sliding scale of nice to rubbish must mean that there is a lot of stuff which is hard to classify as either. I am hoping never to have to move.
It’s a complex process, as I am realising more and more as I come gace to face with the consequences of my bad buying decisions over the years. I have, for instance, about a thousand modern cap badges still in original wrappings. Sold slowly they will show a good profit. Sold quickly in auction they will probably make a loss. When I bought them I was planning on 20 more years in the antiques trade, but became a gardener instead. Good for my immediate cash flow, disaster for my stock control. 🙂
I hope that they get you some return.
Mostly they will, but you have to be realistic at some point. I will use my new knowledge to make another deposit in the Bank of Hindsight.
You certainly are keeping the momentum going. Congrats! Enjoyed reading about those coins and token
Thank you Laurie. I’ve just been reading about the border dispute between Canada and main e – Lobster Wars? https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20170927-canadas-tiny-disputed-island
Yes, lobster wars. That island belongs with Canada. Such a beautiful place. But mostly Maine and Canada have great affection for each other, and families span both sides of the border. Of course, all that’s going on in DC, that might change. I am reading about Zhetel, a Polish village that in the 1930s welcomed everyone, including Jews. Until it didn’t.
Complicated history, particularly the bit where it started off in Poland and moved to Belarus, and the bit where the Jews and Russians worked together.
When Trump signs his executive order for Mexicans to start wearing cactus badges and Canadians to wear red maple leaves, he might find the accompanying chart useful, though Musk probably already has a copy.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/classification-system-in-nazi-concentration-camps
If those days come, it’s time for a full-fledged resistance.
Such fascinating history from these tokens. We have my Mum’s perching stool to ease standing work
It might be something I have to look at, though I’m still in the stage of getting Julia to do it at the moment. Eventually she will need a stool . . . 🙂
I imagine you could write a history of the British Isles by referencing everything with a medallion or coin. It could keep you busy while you await the dread knock of the reaper.
That’s one of my numismatic talks – the history of the 20th century in 101 medallions. It has to be 101 because I can never work out what the exact date is for a century so I go 1900-2000. Perhaps I should resurrect it for TP.
Excellent
I will revitalise it and may post some of it.when I run out of inspiration later.
I don’t believe you will ever run out of inspiration.
It sometimes feels that way as I sit and wonder what I’m going to write about. Then my mind goes into full drivel mode and I produce 500 words of rambling. . . 🙂
I am the same but I try to limit myself to 750 words.
Congratulations on the new acceptance, Simon!
Thank you Lavinia. It just goes to show the value of keeping the momentum going..