The Bimetallic Question of Montreal’s Lapel Pin

“… a Minister needs information as to a point which involves the Navy, India, Canada, and the bi-metallic question …”

– The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans (BRUC)

It was in The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans  that we learned of Mycroft Holmes knowledge of the bi-metallic question. Bimetallism is the practice of a country using both gold and silver to guarantee the value of their currency. An excellent review of that topic is in Ross E. Davies article from The Sherlock Holmes Journal on The Bimetallic Question in the Valley of Fear that we reprinted HERE.

In 1979, a group of Montreal-based Sherlockians formed a local scion, The Bimetallic Question – The Sherlock Holmes Society of Montreal. Their club logo, pictured above, shows a magnifying glass looking at two coins with the portraits of Holmes and Watson. We are presuming one is silver and the other is gold.

In the July issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, the 13th Garrideb, Peter E. Blau, shares news that the group has issued a lapel pin of their logo, as they celebrate their 40th anniversary. Details are below.

This could be a nice addition to some collections. We have discussed a few Sherlockian group pins with a numismatic tie-in in the posts on this site before.