"Have a Penny?..."

Clinker · 11-04-2009, 01:20 PM

Lately a TV commercial has been running about an 89 cents burrito. This ad ends in an attempt to create levity by having the main male actor handing 88 cents to the female employee in payment for the food. When she tells him there's only 88 cents, he reaches into a container sitting by the cash register, withdraws a penny (cent), hands it to her and (quickly walking toward the exit) says, "See you tomorrow!"

I know many business establishments extend the courtesy to their customers of placing (near the cash register) a container of some kind (bowl, box, saucer, etc.) with pennies (1,2,5,10 or more) in it as a convenience. Usually a sign or note hangs or sits near the container stating "Need a penny? Take a penny, Have a penny, Leave a penny." For the life of me, I don't see anything funny in that.

My mind went into one of its "what if" modes, "Would it be comical if, instead of pennies, there was another coin denomination in the container?"

From the numismatic file in my memory, the USA's Nickel, Dime, Quarter, Half Dollar and Dollar completed their auditions without even the merest snicker or titter.

Mexican Reales, Escudos, Centavos, Pesos, Onzas, and Libertads failed to make me laugh.

Nor did Asian countries' Cash, Pandas, Fens, Taels, Sens, Yens, Srangs and Ngultrums.

Britain's Pence, Florins, Shillings, Pounds, Crowns, Britannias, Angels and Guineas failed too.

Europe's Centimes, Sous, Lira (Lire), Kunas, Drachmai, Marks, Thalers, Francs, Euros, Levas, Frangs, Pengos, and Kronors couldn't take any bows.

Little by little Foreign coin counterparts including Afghanis, Annas, Bolivars, Halalas, Kronors, Kurus, Leis, Lempiras, Paisas, Reis, Rupees, Sheckels, Sols,
Hapa, Dengas, Kopecks, Rubles, and Lirots entered center stage but exited without applause.

I was dismayed. Not one funny coin! Not a guffaw in the whole bunch. But, slowly the curtains parted for one more try out.

I remembered one of Australia's first coins; the one coin to become the legal tender coin produced by Australia on Austrailian soil. The Dump! As soon as I remembered it this thought presented itself, "Need a Dump? Take a Dump..."

What's a Dump? What does a Dump look like?

In the early 19th century, there was a shortage of coins in the colony of New South Wales. Governor Macquarie's solution to the problem involved recycling Spanish currency to create the first uniquely Australian coinage.
Macquarie directed William Henshall, a convicted forger, to cut out the circular centre piece from each of the 40 000 Spanish dollars that arrived in the colony in 1812. The outer ring of the Spanish dollar became known as the 'holey dollar'. The cut out centre piece was named the 'dump'.

On 1 July 1813, Governor Macquarie issued a proclamation establishing the validity of the colony's holey dollar and dump. He also set their value at five shillings for the holey dollar and 15 pence for the dump.

What a Dump looks like:

After the center of the Spanish Milled Dollar was cut out it was heated to glowing, placed (with the aid of tongs) on an anvil die bearing a crown in the center. The striking die bore the words FIFTEEN above the center and PENCE below the center. The milled edge of the Dump was not the result of a collar, but was accomplished by a procedure known as rifling.

The coins provided a vital short-term solution to the colony’s currency crisis and remained in official circulation for 16 years, before being withdrawn in 1829 when the Sterling standard was re-imposed. In all of Australia's Numismatic History, these two coins are the only ones ever demonetized.

In all, 39,910 Holey Dollars and 39,910 Colonial Dumps were released. After removal from circulation a total of 27,161 Holey Dollars and 10,103 Dumps were shipped to London to be melted down and sold off as bullion silver. Of those that didn’t go to the smelter, there are now only some 300 known surviving Holey Dollars (around 200 of them in private hands) and about 800 Dumps.

Here's a photo of a Dump courtesy of Spink (www.spink.com):

http://www.spink.com/news/current_news/Carnegie.asp

Here's a photo of a Holey Dollar courtesy of Victoria Museum (Click: image for enlargement):

http://museumvictoria.com.au/treasur...?Simg=3&PID=32

In recognition the fact that the holey dollar and dump were the first true Australian coins the Perth Mint produced a series of collector coins 1988 to 1990 and at later times produced singles and sets in various metals as commemorative coins including an Olympic version for coin collectors.

I'm not going to post a photo of all the newer struck Holey Dollars and Dumps, but do hope you would like to see a few representative coins:

2007:

http://goods.us.marketgid.com/goods/1319/178106/

2001:

http://www.prospectstampsandcoins.co...p_m/index.html

Photos of 1988-1990 Holey Dollar and Dunp:

http://www.australianstamp.com/Coin-...t/198890hd.htm

That's it for this TRIVIA subject... Hope you enjoyed and remember "Need a Dump? Take a Dump."

Clinker

Treashunt · 11-04-2009, 02:07 PM

what?

Leave a dump?

never mind..............

biggiej · 11-04-2009, 02:17 PM

I would stop going to that resturaunt if people were leaving dumps all over the place!!!!!!!

Just Carl · 11-04-2009, 03:17 PM

PENNY? You said that horrible word PENNY when everyone in the world says CENTS. How could you do such a thing.

All just kidding you know. Probably out of the 300,000,000 people in the USA about 299,999,900 say PENNIES.

Clinker · 11-04-2009, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Carl

PENNY? You said that horrible word PENNY when everyone in the world says CENTS. How could you do such a thing.

All just kidding you know. Probably out of the 300,000,000 people in the USA about 299,999,900 say PENNIES.

In all my past posts I never wrote "Penny," but all the "Take one" signs I ever read all say, "Penny."

Most long time collectors use "Cents" and know "Cents" is correct leaving Penny to Great Breitain and the Commonwealth nations...

Clinker

Art · 11-04-2009, 05:01 PM

Clinker

Another terrific trivia post. Consider this my nomination.

Clinker · 11-05-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

Clinker

Another terrific trivia post. Consider this my nomination.

Thanks for the accolade. Hope I can keep earning more of them...

Clinker

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