2012 Schedule of Meetings: 2012: Mar. 7th, Apr. 4th, May oth, June 6th, July 4th, Aug. ist, Sept. 5th, Oct. 3rd, Nov. 7th, and Dec. 5th. No meet- ings Jan.-Feb. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., meeting starts 8 p.m., at the Rockwood Public Library (inside Eramosa Community Centre) at 85 Christie Street (near corner Christie Street and Main Street North Wel- lington Road 27, Rockwood, On. NoB 2Ko. Annual Membership Dues: Regular $10 Couple $12 Junior (14 to age 18) $5 Under 14 Free Membership Contact: c/o: Scott Douglas, 273 Mill St., East Acton Ontario L7J 1J7 Contact: (519) 821-6379 E-mail: swcs@rogers.com Inside this issue: Geelong Ironmonger ae Spain Diez Gramos al cl Kissi Penny U.S. “V” Nickel 1804 Silver Dollar Auction List cee South Wellington Coin Society The Wellington Circular South Wellington Coin Society founded 1997 Volume 15, Issue 6 NEXT MEETING DATE: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST ist, 2012 President’s Message Our next meeting is August 1st, 2012! If you would like to do an education presen- tation at one of our upcoming meetings please see me to arrange. We also welcome displays at our meetings. Lowell welcomes consignments for our monthly auctions too! Due to competing demands, our “Did you know” article will return next month. Many members have family and friends visiting them this summer, how about bringing them out to a meeting — the more the merrier! Enjoy the sun! Cheers! John Learn More on Merchant Tokens of Ontario Our August 1st, 2012, meeting’s Educational Presentation will be SWCS's very own archivist and V-P delivering a presentation on "The Merchant Tokens of Ontario". Scott E. Douglas's main area of numismatic interest is tokens and he has prepared a presentation that will discuss the use of these mediums of exchange in 1800's and 1900's of Ontario. Milk and Bread tokens make up just a small part of his talk and Scott encourages any members to bring items from their collections that may need attributing or evaluation. Scott authored a section of the Canadian Numismatic Correspondence Course II titled The Token—Canada’s Original Currency. Scott is a TSE trader, and a family man. As well, he’s a historian, author, researcher, guest speaker, presenter, facilitator, and numismatist. In 2010 he received the ONA Award of Merit. Scott has served as Regional Director of Canada for Encased Collectors International; charter member / founding President (1997-2000) / Director / Archivist for SWCS; Past President/ Vice-President / Director / Historian / Archivist for Buffalo Numismatic Association; Toronto Coin Club Archivist; London Numismatic Society Director; Vice-President / Secretary-Treasurer of Canadian Association of Token Collectors; and Director of Canadian Numismatic Research Society (who awarded him a fellowship). He has been a frequent speaker at local clubs in Southern Ontario. Scott is credited with numerous publications appearing in numismatics club journals and newsletters. His A Brief History of the Buffalo Numismatic Association was created for the club’s 75% Anniversary. In 2003, in collaboration with Len Buth, he privately published a book on the life of W.R. McColl. And his manuscript Early Canadian Numismatists and their Tokens was published in 2005 by the London Numismatic Society. He is currently working on three additional publications: the story of Jeremiah Gibbs (one of Canada’s most influential numismatists); a complete and up-to-date illustrated listing of the Merchant tokens of Ontario; and a history of the medals of the Toronto Public School Board. As a member of the RCNA Education Committee he has shared his extensive numismatic knowledge through his presentations at Humber College in Toronto and as a 2004 RCNA convention speaker. We are fortunate to have such an esteemed member in our club! 2012-2013 Executive President: John Semedo 519-821-6379 Vice-President / Archivist: Scott Douglas 519-853-3812 Secretary: Robin Semedo 519-821-6379 Editor: Judy Blackman E-mail: jblackman@rogers.com SWCS —Editor c/o 505 Redfox Rd., Waterloo, On. N2K 2V6 Meeting Set-up / Clean- up: Gord Tarzwell and Club Members present at meeting Food & Beverages at Meetings: Mel Brown Auction Director / Club Medals: Lowell Wierstra 519-824-6534 ljwierstra@rogers.com Auction Runner: Ryan Zmija Articles of the upcoming newsletters are due to the Editor by no later than the 15th of the current month. Advertising space will be accommodated where space is available. Highlights of Last Meeting Charlie and visitors Danielle (3x), Jessica (2x) and Joey (1x). Donations for door prizes always welcomed. Membership Draw: Scott took home $5! Our next meeting is August so the draw will be for $5. This draw is eligible for “dues paid up” members present at the meeting. five foreign coins. Our Speaker / Education: was our very own Mel, see below for more information. Auction: Once again a success! Consignments welcomed, contact Lowell! King Arthur’s Treasure: Joey won and he was a junior visitor at this meeting. Way to go Joey! Tickets cost one Canadian dollar each or Door Prize Winners: Winners were Mel and Mel Really Digs It! During our SWCS July meeting our very own Mel Brown gave a very interesting account of what led him to become an amateur (though highly enlightened) archaeologist. As a young boy Mel was constantly out of doors, prompted by his family's sporting goods store which provided him with all the equipment for hunting, fishing, scuba diving and camping. Mel became curious about how the aboriginal people in Ontario managed to live off the land in those rugged, primitive times. His friendship with a man who became a professor of Archeology and who recognized that Mel was a serious researcher gave him opportunities to work with more professionals in the field. This was intensified when Mel made several discoveries on his own that became recognized as important historical archaeological sites. As with coin collecting, Mel stressed the need for very slow, careful, methodical care in opening up a site for exploration. His talk was supported by a PowerPoint presentation, a display of photos from his "digs" and some equipment that is used to sift though the soil to retrieve artifacts. Thank you, Mel, for an enlightening talk and introduction into more of your fascinating life! Dr. William Findlayson reported that during 1997 and 1998, while he was busy completing the 4-volume study Archaeological Research in the Crawford Lake Area 1997-2003, much of the field work was continued, as in the past, by Mel Brown who has worked with the author, primarily as a volunteer since 1971. In 1997, work focused on studying the occupation of the area north of Milton by Neutral peoples in the Historic period. A larger sample of artifacts was recovered from the McCarthy site, while the newly found Breckon site was subject to test excavations. In 1998, additional research was conducted at the proto-Neutral, Middleport Itldu site and the proto-Huron Middleport Van Eden site. Work at the Metate in a project of This Land Archaeology Inc. assistance has been provided by Mel Brown and Chris Turton. Iroquoian Peoples of the Land of Rocks and Water A.D. 1000-1650 credits Mel Brown with contributions. Mel has been a support to the Ontario Archaeological Society and the London Archaeological Museum. SWCS NEW EXECUTIVE A LOOK BACK IN TIME Mel Brown, one of the guest presenters at Sunday's Archaeology Adventure Day at Crawford Lake, looks over o of the centre's examples of Iroquois Indian pottery remains. The day also included videos in the Wolf Clan Theatre and a traditional tool- making demonstration in the reconstructed illage by Joe Term of Office: July 1, 2012—June 30, 2015 President: John Semedo Vice-President / Archivist: Scott Douglas Past-President: Mike Hollingshead Secretary: Robin Semedo Treasurer: Len Kuenzig Auction Chairman / Club Medals: Lowell Wierstra Show Chairman: Mike Hollingshead Hospitality: Mel Brown Directors: All of the above. Director Emeritus: Robert Zmija Graham Paine, Champion photographer Volume 15, Issue 6 The Ireland 2 site in Burlington after stripping by Jack Rooney, October 1998. Working for the London Museum of Archaeology are [I to r) Julia Mannard, Bob Pearce, Les Howard, Mel Brown, Helen Sluis and Patricia Smith. The semicircu- lar ditch remains after cutting the ring of post moulds in the palisade around the top of the knoll. Photo by Andy Schoenhofer Fred Researched Trade Tokens of Ontario Another great source for your research if you are lucky enough to locate this publication is Fred Bowman’s book Trade Tokens of Ontario (published 1966, 110 pages). Toronto may still have a copy in their library. On a rare occasion they show up on auction sites (such as Moore’s in 2010). Fred has other publications to his credit such as Communion Tokens of the Presbyterian Church of Canada (2 editions), A Bibliography of Canadian Numismatics, Canadian Patterns, Canadian Numismatic Research Index, Tokens of Quebec Province, and Collectors of Canadian Coins of the Past (which is on display in the National Presbyterian Museum), plus his publications on Africa and also Wild Birds. (below is from the RCNA website) Fred Bowman, F.R.N.S., F.C.N.R.S. First Recipient of the J. D. Ferguson Award The Canadian Numismatic Journal October 1969 Vol. 14 No. 10 page 302 & 303: In announcing a 24-Karat Gold Presentation Medal to be known as the J. Douglas Ferguson Award, Mr. Ferguson requested the 1969 award be made to Mr. Fred Bowman. A permanent Board of Award was named by Mr. Ferguson consisting of Fred Bowman, Major Sheldon Carroll, Donald Stewart and the President of the Canadian Numismatic Association. The award is to be given annually to a living numismatist considered to have been most worthy, either through research, writing, publishing or in any other form, who promoted the science of numismatics in Canada and who had not previously received it. The award will be announced and presented at the annual C.N.A. convention banquet. In 1970 it will be made, in accordance with Mr. Ferguson's wish, to Major Sheldon S. Carroll. After 1970, nominations for the recipient of the award may be made by any member of The Canadian Numismatic Association to a member of the Board of Award. A competent designer and engraver will design the dies, and an initial supply of ten 24-karat gold medals will be struck and delivered to the C.N.A. accompanied by a cheque for $2,000.00 for investment. At the present price of gold, the interest from this investment should be sufficient to pay for the striking of the medals to be awarded after the first ten years. Mr. Ferguson is making arrangements to assure this. A set of rules and regulations to govern the administration of the awards will be drawn up by the Board. J. DOUGLAS FERGUSON AWARD 1969 FRED BOWMAN: By the authority of the Board of Award of the Canadian Numismatic Association, I have much pleasure in informing you that you have been awarded the J. Douglas Ferguson Award for distinguished services to the science of numismatics in Canada. You have devoted much of your lifetime to intensive study and research in the field of Canadian numismatics, thereby establishing an international reputation as a numismatic scholar. The records which you have built up are the Past Presidents: 2010-2012 Mike Hollingshead 2008-2009 Mike Hollingshead 2006-2007 Mike Hollingshead Art Stephenson —dates? Bob Zmija —dates? Scott Douglas —dates? Founding-1997-2000 Scott E. Douglas If you know the dates served by Past Presi- dents please let your x tA LLL Ue Member of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association Member of the Ontario Numismatic Association Page 4 Volume 15, Issue 6 most complete fund of knowledge on Canadian numismatics that has ever been assembled. Your tire-less work has added much to the prestige of our hobby both at home and abroad. Your extensive knowledge of numismatics has been made available to oth- ers through your authoritative books and the numerous articles which you have written for publication both in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. Many Canadian numismatists have been helped by your encouragement and advice. Your work as Honorary Curator of the numismatic collection of the Chateau de Ramezay in cataloguing and re-arranging the exhibits has added greatly to the prestige of that magnificent collection. Your respected place in Canadian numismatics was recognized by Canadian numismatic organizations when you were elected first President of the Montreal Coin Club in 1954 and by The Canadian Numismatic Association when you were appointed an Honorary Vice President in 1955. You are now being given the highest award that The Canadian Numismatic Association can bestow. No worthier recipient could be found. Signed: John J. Pittman, C.N.A. President Signed: Louise Graham, C.N.A. General Secretary Ironmonger (reg. no. NU 4196) [References: MuseumVictoria Australia and also Australasian Tokens and Coins by Dr. Arthur Andrews original publish 1921, version 1982] This is Copper one Penny token, minted by Heaton & Sons of Birmingham. Issued by R. Parker, a Geelong Ironmonger, circa 1857. Richard Parker arrived in Victoria in 1839 and established a general store in Elizabeth Street with a Mr Boadle, the partnership dissolved when Boadle left Melbourne. Parker then moved to Collins Street and continued his busi- ness until selling out to Germain Nicholson in 1844, when he moved to Geelong and estab- lished an ironmongery store. Parker was very successful, and opened stores in Clunes, Back Creek (Talbot), Firey Creek and Ararat. Parker issued at least ten varieties of tokens, all with the same inscription and figure on the faces, but with slight variations. When the tokens arrived, they were emptied out in a huge pile in the window, and as small change was scarce, people flocked to the shop to exchange their silver for the more convenient copper. (Later other records show Elizabeth Lucy Parker married to Henry Cambridge ar- rived from England with her husband June 16, 1953 to Geelong on the ship Childe Harold, and the geneology records indicate her to be sister or Robert Parker.) Description as pictured to the left: A copper token (34 mm diameter) featuring the name, address and business of the issuer: R. Parker, Moorabool St. Geelong, Ironmonger and on the reverse, a female figure representing Justice standing facing left. She wears a blindfold and extends a balanced set of scales with her right hand. With her left she holds an in- verted cornucopia from which fruits flow onto the ground. She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm is draped to near the elbow while drapery falls from her extended arm to below the horizon line behind; around above, AUSTRALIA. A three-masted sailing ship on horizon at left of token. Acquisition Information: Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Mr Alfred Chitty, 1976 This is a professional picture taken of R. Parker wearing a slouch hat and puttees. (all pictures except the token are courtesy of the National Library of Australia) Page 5 Volume 15, Issue 6 Spain’s Diez Gramos The Provisional Government ruled Spain 1868-1871. Third Decimal Coinage began 1870 going to 1873 when Revoluntionary Coinage occurred. In 1870 Spain only minted coins in the currency of Uno Centimo (1), Dos Centimos (2), Cinco Centimos (5), and Diez Centimos % (10). Then 1874 Third Decimal Coinage continued. From 1868 to 1982, ‘4| two dates may be found on most Spanish coinage. The larger date is the year of authorization and the smaller date incused on the two 6-pointed- stars found on most types is the year of issue. The latter appears in parentheses in these listings. The homeland mint marks from 1851 to 1980 were OM — Oeschger Mesdach & Co.; 3-pointed star — Segovia after 1868; 4-pointed star — Jubia; 6-pointed star — Madrid; 7-pointed star —Seville; and 8-pointed star — Barcelona; and the letters after the date are initials of the mint officials. During Provisional Government rule, Third Decimal Coinage was 10 Milesimas — 1 Centimo; and 100 Centesimos = 1 Pesta. KM#663, 670 and 675 are the three varieties of 10 Centimos for 1870: e KM #663 DIEZ (10) CENTIMOS - Provisional Government — copper, 1870 OM with a mintage of 170,088,000 ranges in $2 for fine to $300 (and up) for BU (red). Obverse: Rampantion (standing lion with shielf of Spain), oval arms within beaded circle—OM below. Legend: CIEN PIEZAS EN.. Reverse: Allegory of Spain Seated (Liberty) facing right within beaded circle. Legend: DIEZ GRAMOS. Marchionni is the designer’s name. KM #670 DIEZ (10) CENTIMOS - Charles VII - copper, 1875 (b) with a mintage of 100,000 ranges in $15 for fine to $175 (and up) for UNC — VF20 $50, XF40 $100, MS-60 $175... Obverse: Laureate head right within beaded circle. Legend: CARLOS VII P « L» GRACIA... Reverse: Crowned arms above sprigs, flanked by crowned monograms, within beaded circle. Coin is 9.70 gm, 30mm. Note: Pretender issue. KM #675 DIEZ (10) CENTIMOS - Alfonso XII - bronze, 1877 OM with a mintage of 170,088,000; 1878 OM 68,740,000; and 1879 OM 56,313,000 ranges in 75 cents for fine to $250 (and up) for BU (red). Obverse: Head right. Legend: ALFONSO XII POR LA... (between stars). Reverse: Crowned arms within (OM) sprigs. Legend:below REY CONST. DE ESPANA, above DIEZ CENTIMOS. For you fat bitch: Abandon in the discussion which is renounced continue as giving the reason the other but without wanting to give it a reality. No valer una gorda : La alusion a la citada moneda se debe a su escaso valor (su valor actual, seria 0,06 céntimos de € -0,0006€-) que se equipara al sujeto omitido de la oracién. Not worth a fat: The reference to that currency is due to its low value (current value would be 0.06 cents € € -0.0006 -) which equates to the omitted subject of the sentence. 1879 OM: The fat bitch was the colloquial name with the Spanish currency of 10 cents of peseta. This name was given in allusion to the strange lion (which was confused with a dog) that appeared. The obverse shows the midwife Hispania (inherited from the coin of Hadrian, at the time of the Roman Empire), seated right on rocks, with a branch of olive in her hand that rests next to a captain that translates to Ten Grams and the date of issue. The reverse design was chosen through a contest in which the work presented by Luis Planiol, was elected, serving as a model for the final design of Luis Marchionni, who since 1861 Provisional Government held the post of chief engraver of the Mint in Madrid. The 10 Centimos played an important role in the Spanish economy, until after several attempts to withdraw it from circulation, it was banned from October 29th, 1941 on, and be replaced by new coins of 10 cents minted in aluminum, which no longer showed the same anagrams, but many followed the same calling. Page 6 Volume 15, Issue 6 Sierra Leone Roots [Ref: The Coins and Tokens of the Possessions and Colonies of the British Empire (James Atkins 1889)] The first settlement of Sierra Leone took place in 1776, when a great number of Negroes and about sixty women of bad character were sent out from London at the expense of the British Government to form the Colony. The project, however, did not succeed; and a number of persons, interested in the abolition of the slave trade, took the affair in hand. A capital was raised amongst several subscribers and they became incorporated as the Sierra Leone Company in October, 1791. They established the issue of 6 silver coins and 4 coppers. Silver Coins: 1. Obverse: A lion preparing to spring. SIERRA LEONE COMPANY AFRICA. Reverse: Black and white hands clasped, 100 above and below, ONE DOLLAR PIECE 1791. (KM #6) Half Dollar similar, except in size and value, 50 above and below. “Twenty Cent Piece” similar, 20 above and below. Similar to last, excepting date, which is 1796. 3 4. “Ten Cent Piece” similar, 10 above and below. 5 6 Similar to last, excepting date, which is 1805. There are gilt and bronze proofs of all these pieces, and there is a copper proof of No. 2. Copper Coins: Obverse: As No. 1. Reverse: Two hands clasped, 1 above and below them ONE PENNY PIECE 1791. Similar to last, but from smaller dies. Obverse: As before. Reverse: As before, but ONE CENT PIECE 1791. Similar to last, but dated 1796. There are bronze proofs of all these pieces. [Ref: This information was provided by curators from the People's History Museum.] This We Are All Brethen bronze token was designed by John Phillip, engraved by G.F. Pidgeon, made by the Soho Mint, Birmingham, about 1814. It was at one point purchased as part of the James Klugmann Collection from \ the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1992. all | These tokens are dated 1807, the date of abolition of the slave trade in Britain and its colonies. However, ¥ | they were actually made about 1814 and again in about 1830-50 for use as coinage in the Sierra Leone colony of Freetown. They were commissioned by Zachary Macaulay, a former Governor of Freetown and member of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Freetown was founded in 1787, as a philanthropic venture by the Sierra Leone Company. It was intended to provide an African homeland for formerly enslaved Africans, many of whom had fought for the British in the American War of Independence. After the company was dissolved in 1808, Macaulay took up the company on his own and traded with other parts of west Africa. He was later joined by his nephew, Kenneth Macaulay, son of Leicester MP Thomas Babbington, a founder member of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. The text on the reverse of the bronze 36mm 17.43gm token is in Arabic, and translates as ‘Sale of slaves prohibited in 1807, Christian era, in the reign of George III: verily, we are all brothers’. The Arabic text was possibly included as the Arab slave trade continued long after British abolition. This token may have been seen as a way of spreading the abolitionist message. Page 7 Volume 15, Issue 6 This medal was made to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade. It shows a Western man shaking hands with an African man in a loin cloth and cape. Above is the caption 'We are all brethren’, and below 'Slave trade abolished by Great Britain 1807’. On the reverse of the coin is an inscription in Arabic, anna kull akhwa, Arabs from the Middle East traded goods and enslaved people with northern and eastern Africans. This is the Sierra Leone (KM-Tn1.1) 17.01gm penny 1807 bronze token, and David Vice says in his Coinage of British West Africa, that the pieces made not in proof state were intended to circulate at trading establishments in Sierra Britain outlawed the slave trade in 1807 and the following year took over this territory from the Sierra Leone Company of London. This in- teresting and historic piece thereby marks a sea change for the colony. Those over 24 grams are not tokens but medals struck after 1814. 1/4 Golde Sierra Leone palladium coins minted in 1966 de- 1/2 Golde picting a the 5th Anniversary of Independence Sierra Leone with a mintage of 100 coins TOKEN COMMEMORATING THE ABO- LITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE Sierra Leone, 1807 from the Franklin Smith Collection Cleaning Rice, Sierra Leone, The Wellington Circular Registered Fourah Bay ONE. Road, Freetown. ‘reetown, Sierra Leone, et = - > = Panning for diamonds in Sierra Population: Six million Area: 71,740 sq km (27,699 sq miles) Life expectancy: 48 years (men), 49 years (women) Main exports: Diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish GNI per capita: $340 (£214) Adult literacy rate: 41% Maternal mortality ratio (est per 100,000 live births): 970 Some 50,000 people died in the 11-year civil conflict which ended in 2002 ¢ « 3 Zz = = ources: UN/World Bank [Ref. Wikipedia for Education Purposes] Sierra Leone is also known in relation to diamond trading, conflict diamond (also called a converted diamond, blood diamond, hot diamond, or war diamond) refers to diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, invading army’s war efforts, or a warlord’s activity. The phenomenon of conflict minerals has the same nature. From 1989 to 2003, Liberia was engaged in a civil war. In 2000, the United Nations accused Liberian President Charles G. Taylor of supporting the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) insurgency in neighbouring Sierra Leone with weapons and training in exchange for diamonds. In 2001, the UN applied sanctions on the Liberian diamond trade. In August 2003, Taylor stepped down as president and, after being exiled to Nigeria, faced trial in The Hague. On July 21, 2006 he pleaded not guilty to crimes against humanity and war crimes, of which he was found guilty in April 2012 and on May 30% 2012, he was sent to Jail for a 50-year sentence in a high security prison in Great Britain. Around the time of the 1998 United States Embassy bombings, al-Qaeda allegedly bought gems from Liberia as some of its other financial assets were frozen. Having regained peace, Liberia is attempting to construct a legitimate diamond mining industry. The UN has lifted sanctions and Liberia is now a member of the Kimberley Process. Volume 15, Issue 6 [Ref Mark Doyle, BBC News, Koidu — May 2012] The West @ African state of Sierra Leone has taken another symbolic step away from its wartime image as the home of the "blood diamond". An Israeli-owned company has started operating a big new stone-crushing plant at a modern diamond mine in the east of the country. It is the area where the rebel war in Sierra Leone began in 1991 and - not coincidentally - the place where most of the country's diamonds are found. The contrast between the modern new plant, based in the town of Koidu, and traditional hand-dug alluvial mining could not be more stark. The plant is part of a wave of foreign investments in mining, roads and buildings that have transformed the face of Sierra Leone in the past few years. SA ee ’ L : The Mayor of Koidu, Sahr Musa Sessie-Gbenda, said: "Before the war this was a major trading centre because it's near the borders of Guinea and Liberia. "Then during the hostilities the economy took a nose dive. Now, people are trying to rebuild again." Koidu is still a very poor place by international standards. I didn't see a single properly tarmacked road in the town and most people here have to get by without running water or mains electricity. But the markets are buzzing with activity and bulldozers are beginning to dig storm drains along major routes and grade some of the tracks. The owner of the newly refurbished mine that trades under the name Koidu Holdings, is an Israeli billionaire, Beny Steinmetz. By chance he was in Koidu when I visited and although he said he never gave broadcast interviews, I managed to persuade him to say a few words. He did not say much - billionaires, I suppose, do not have to. "This is the future,” he said. "It means work for the people and income for the country". When I visited Koidu in the late 1990s it was a moonscape of small pits dug by civilians but largely controlled by armed rebels who stood over them to "tax" any gemstones they found. The thirst for diamonds, called "blood diamonds" because many were used to buy rebel guns, was so intense back then that people were digging up the foundations of houses in search of gems. At the time, I did not understand why the footings of houses were so attractive to the diggers. But an engineer at the new mine explained the phenomenon to me on my return visit this year. "In the 1970s and 80s people built the foundations of their houses here using gravel waste from a long abandoned diamond mine," the engineer said. "Over the years the demand for diamonds increased, so what was waste a long time ago could be exploited again, especially because the rebels had slave labour to do the work for them." "That's why, when you came here in the late 1990s," the engineer told me, "you saw people digging up their living rooms!" Today there are still thousands of people living off traditional hand-dug mines in the Koidu area. Digging and panning for diamonds by hand is backbreaking work, but for many people it is the only work available. The new plant that runs 24 hours a day only employs a small percentage of the people in the area who would like jobs there. Sierra Leone's foreign investment boom, mainly in iron ore and diamond mines but also in roads and new homes, has created small islands of prosperity and the possibility of increased tax revenues for the state. But the majority of Sierra Leoneans are still extremely poor and it is still an open question how much of this new investment money will, in the development economists' phrase, "trickle down" to ordinary people. The vast majority of Serra Leoneans make a living out er : : : ; : Some of Koidu's diamond mines are now mechanized of agriculture. A cocoa trader in Koidu, Job = A > Koademba, said small scale investments in farms were ee ” (SORA ig essential if more people were to be brought out of poverty. "Lots of people have land," Mr Koademba said, "but having land without money to invest in it - to buy seeds and tools - is like having a car without any fuel in it. It's no use." Mr Koademba is undoubtedly right. But it is also true that in the past decade or so Koidu has changed beyond all recognition. Where there were rebels with guns, there are now police officers. Where there were hungry, displaced people, there are now lively market traders. A bad image or 3; reputation sticks like glue - especially in Africa. So itis worth saying again. There are no more "blood diamonds" in Sierra Leone. Page 10 The Wellington Circular Kissi penny or Kilindi [Ref: By Miss Cellania in Mentalfloss on Jan 13, 2012 at ; 5:04 for education purposes only] Money hasn’t always been strictly confined to coins and bills. In Biblical times, for example, people used sheep and cattle as currency. Of course, because deceased livestock don’t paste that well into scrapbooks, numismatists have to draw the line somewhere. And _ | that’s where the phrase “odd and curious money” comes in. It’s a numismatist category used to classify various pre-cash societies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. One widely collected type of odd and curious money is an iron currency from West Africa known as the Kissi penny or Kilindi. Named for the Kissi people living in and around Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, the pennies are actually rods of twisted iron roughly 1 foot long. Each has a double-pointed tip at one end and a leaf-like piece at the other—distinctive marks that kept “clippers” from being able to whittle away the metal and pawn off the cut coin as whole. The exact value of the Kissi penny is not known, but it wasn’t much. Large purchases were made by binding Kissi pennies into bundles of 20 to 100. Historians do know, however, that Kissi pennies weren’t taken lightly. They were said to possess a soul, and if one was broken, it was repaired by a blacksmith under the guidance of a local priest. U.S. “V” Nickel [Ref: By Miss Cellania in Mentalfloss on Jan 13, 2012 at 5:04 for education purposes only] (Image credit: Hephaestos at the English language Wikipedia) In 1883, the United States issued a newly designed five-cent piece called the “V nickel.” The coin got its name because the value was indicated on the back simply with the Roman numeral ‘V,’ sans the word “cents.” After all, it was obvious it was a nickel, right? Apparently not. Turns out, the V nickel was the same size as a U.S. $5 gold piece, and both coins featured a bust of Lady Liberty on the front. It wasn’t long before light bulbs started going off over the heads of con men all across America. Within weeks of the V’s debut, crooks were gold-plating the nickels and palming them off as $5 gold pieces. Meanwhile, government officials scoffed at the notion that anyone would fall for such an obvious hoax. Unfortunately, they were wrong again. Despite the gold-plated nickels not looking like $5 coins and not being nearly as heavy, most people didn’t notice, because the gold coins were rarely used in everyday purchases. By April 1883, “gilded nickels” were both a national joke and a growing concern for commerce and law enforcement. The U.S. Secret Service made arrests in 10 states related to the scam. In one raid, they seized a “half bushel” of coins waiting to be plated. But all good things come to an end, and con artists had a hard time getting enough new nickels to keep the racket going. Finally, embarrassed officials put an end to the scam by halting production of the nickels until new dies were prepared. This time, the redesigned backs read “V cents.” Today, the V nickel remains a favorite among coin collectors. Leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) [Ref: By Miss Cellania in Mentalfloss on Jan 13, 2012 at 5:04 for education purposes only] Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, was once among the most feared diseases in the world. Mistakenly believed to be highly contagious, it was a disfiguring and paralyzing condition that, until the 1900s, had no known cure. Sufferers were forced from their homes and exiled into colonies, where they wouldn’t be able to spread the disease to the larger population. Among attempts to quarantine lepers? Giving them their own currency. Many people feared leprosy could be transmitted by handling money, so special coins were minted (and, in some cases, paper bills printed) for leper colonies in areas including Page 11 The Wellington Circular Local / Special Coin Shows & Conventions For more Numismatic Events, check out the Canadian Coin News Link at: http://www.trajan.ca/showbbs/ccn.pl AUG. 12, Paris: SWON, 139 Silver St. at the convention centre Paris Fairgrounds. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission $3 includes a ticket on the gold coin draw, more than 50 tables of coins, paper money, gold and silver bullion, militaria, jewelry, watches and more. Food and drinks available at show. Sponsor/ Affiliate: Ted's Collectables Inc. For more information contact Ted Bailey, tele- phone 519-442-3474 or 1-866-747-2646, email tedscollectables@bellnet.ca. AUG. 26, Woodstock: Woodstock 23rd Annual Coin Show, Community Complex, corner of Finkle and Parkinson roads. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission $1, free for children. Buy, sell, evaluate coins and paper money. Snack bar, hourly draws, free parking. For more information contact John Tuffnail, telephone 519-537-5914. SEPT. 9, Brampton: Brampton Coin Show, Century Gardens Recreation Centre, 340 Vodden Rd. E. Buy, sell, trade and appraise at more than 40 tables of dealers, featuring coins, medals, tokens, paper money, trade dollars, militaria. Children's table. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission $3, under 14 free. Free parking. Funds raised for children's charities. Sponsor/ Affiliate: B&W Coins & Tokens and the Brampton Rotary Club. For more information contact B&W Coins & Tokens, Willard Burton telephone 905-450-2870, email b_and_w@sympatico.ca. SEPT. 15 - 16, Cambridge: TL Coin Show, Cambridge Conference Centre, 700 Hespeler Rd. Hours: Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission $4, students and seniors $2, under 12 free. Free parking, draw for gold coin. For more information contact Linda Robinson, telephone 289-235-9288, email lindarobinson@cogeco.ca; or Tom Kennedy, telephone 519-271-8825. Website: http://www.tlcoinshow.com. SEPT. 23, London: 20th Annual Coin Show, Ramada Inn, 817 Exeter Rd., just off 401. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more infor- mation contact Ted Leitch, telephone 519-472-9679. CANADIAN COIN i 2 = wy S [..Continued from page 10] Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, the U.S. Canal Zone, and the Philippines. Some city officials found another convenient use for leper money—paying inmates for their work and allowing them to buy personal items with it. This, so the logic went, prevented prisoners from ever being able to save up “real” money to aid in an escape. [Ref: By Miss Cellania in Mentalfloss on Jan 13, 2012 at 5:04 for education purposes only] America’s most famous rare coin is the 1804 silver dollar. Why so special? Be- \| cause it was actually made by mistake. Due to governmental budget constraints, the production of silver dollars was halted in the early 19th century. And while a few thousand $1 coins were minted in 1804, they were produced frugally, using the previous year’s dies. Ironically, the first $1 coins dated 1804 weren’t made until 1834, when the United States decided to present the King of Siam and the Sultan of Muscat with a diplomatic gift: complete sets of American coins. Re- cords at the U.S. Mint correctly listed 1804 as the last year silver dollars were made, but didn’t specify that the last ones were dated 1803. Consequently, American officials decided to strike a few new dollars with the date 1804, and ended up creating a coin that had never before existed. Today, there are only 15 of these 1804 silver dollars left. Eight of them were from the batch minted as diplomatic gifts. The other seven were produced between 1858 and 1860, when an employee of the Philadelphia Mint decided to get rich quick on the coin collector’s market. Using the mint’s silver and equipment, he struck a number of new 1804 silver dollars to sell to collectors. The phony coins (although illegally produced, they’re technically not counterfeits because they were made at a U.S. Mint) were even- tually found and melted down—all but seven of them, that is. One of these re-strikes was auctioned in 2003 for $1.21 million, but that’s chump change compared to the $4.14 million paid for one of the original coins back in 1999. Volume 15, Issue 6 Let the Bidding Begin! Here’s Auction List for August 1st, 2012 EST. 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