New England Six Pence

Okay, someone started a serious post about this coin so I thought I should post this here...

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The design on this coin has always bothered me. Such eloquence and timelessness

I can just imagine the scene when they were made...


Ye Olde Silver Smithe, Boston 1652

"Hey, Fergus! You back there? "

"Yea, I'm here you ain't gotta shout, Seamus."

"Master Smithy gave us a job to do. He needs it before morning."

"Ah, common, Seamus it is half past two already we can't be starting a new job now we'll be here all night."

"We have to make a new six pence coin for the colony, no big deal."

"That will take all night! ‘Graven in a picture of the king and.....hey, there ain't no king I keep forgetting, Just that Rump Pari-ment thing. How you gonna draw a Rump Parliament?"

"I could draw a rump I guess. No! Now stop that! Master Smithy said keep it simple as the colony wants something to say it is a coin of New England and they won't pay but a pittance anyway."

"You could draw an Eli-phant, Seamus, I like Eli-phants, they're big."

"You could carve Massi_chews-it all around the edge so it makes a circle."

"Can you spell Massachusetts, Fergus?"

"Nope."

"Neither can I and I've never seen an elephant either. So that's out. I know! Go get your hammer and anvil ready, and bring those sixpence plainchants we readied this morning."

A few hours later...
Clang!!

"Let me see, shamus! Hey, you didn't draw nothing. What kind of coin is that? That ain't even pretty."

"Just shut up and get to work. You don't want to be here all night, do you? Besides in three maybe four hundred years some rich Lord will pay a million quid for one."

"You really think so, Seamus?"

"Yes, Fergus, I am sure of it."

"Boy, those rich lords sure are dumb."

Clang!!