A Scion Society of The Baker Street Irregulars
Numismatists Do Not Fear Change
“There are five sovereigns here,” said he, walking up to me, “which will, I hope, be a sufficient fee.” – The Adventure of The Greek Interpreter (GREE) The above quote is the only reference to money or a coin in The Adventure of The Greek Interpreter and is found at line 233 of the story. The… Continue Reading
“We have not yet met our Waterloo, Watson…” – The Adventure Of The Abbey Grange (ABBE) This week marks the bicentennial of the pivotal Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon’s troops were defeated by combined troops from Great Britain and Prussia. In the stories of the Canon, there are numerous references to Waterloo Bridge and Waterloo… Continue Reading
“If you have a fancy to see your name in the next honours list….” – The Adventure of The Bruce Partington Plans (BRUC) From Lucy Mapstone’s June 10, 2015 story in the Daily Mail: Benedict Cumberbatch didn’t manage to pick up an Oscar Award this year. But he is set to receive of the most… Continue Reading
“This fortress – built by nature for herself; This blessed plot, this Earth, this realm, this England!” – Sherlock Holmes and The Secret Weapon Phillip St. John Basil Rathbone was born on this date in 1892. To many Sherlockians, including your author, he is the personification of Sherlock Holmes. In this post, we will discuss… Continue Reading
“The stage lost a fine actor…” – A Scandal In Bohemia (SCAN) Sir Christopher Lee died, earlier this week, at the age of 93. Lee would be involved in 5 Holmesian films, playing 3 different characters. In the 1959 film, Hound of the Baskervilles, Lee would play Sir Henry Baskerville. Three years later, Lee would play… Continue Reading
“The campaign brought honours and promotion to many …” – A Study In Scarlet (STUD) In A Study In Scarlet, we learn that Dr. Watson was wounded during the Battle of Maiwand. Since Watson was a participant in the Second Anglo – Afghan War, he would have received the Afghanistan Campaign medal. The Afghanistan Medal is… Continue Reading
“… Here are your wages.’ He handed each of them a shilling.” – A Study In Scarlet (STUD) The above advertisement comes from the June 1987 issue of The Baker Street Journal (page 100, to be exact). A New York based company, I/R Miniatures, was selling replicas of the three different designs of the shillings issued during… Continue Reading
“… I recognized young Stamford, who had been a dresser under me at Barts.” – A Study In Scarlet (STUD) St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, founded in 1123 and the oldest hospital in Europe, is remembered fondly by many Sherlockians as the place where young Stamford introduced Dr. John H. Watson to Sherlock Holmes on New Year’s Day 1881.… Continue Reading
“… the actor in some strange drama …” – The Adventure of the Yellow Stain (YELL) With the release of the most recent trailer for this summer’s upcoming Mr. Holmes film, it reminded us that we need to revisit Ian McKellen and discuss his decorations. We had earlier discussed the many coins that featured McKellen from his… Continue Reading
“Do you remember what Darwin says about music?” – A Study In Scarlet (STUD) Charles Darwin, the English naturalist and geologist, was referenced twice in A Study In Scarlet. The author of the 1859 book On the Origin of Species, Darwin established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors. For those interested in more… Continue Reading