A Scion Society of The Baker Street Irregulars
Numismatists Do Not Fear Change
In this post, we peruse The Adventure of The Golden Pince-Nez looking for mention of monetary transactions and numismatic items. As always, the page numbers [seen here in brackets] refer to the relevant pages in The Complete Sherlock Holmes published by Doubleday / Penguin Books. The first paragraph [607] of this month’s adventure has the good doctor recounting the… Continue Reading
“… an exploit which won for Holmes an autograph letter of thanks from the French President and the Order of the Legion of Honour.” – The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez (GOLD) The French Legion of Honour was only mentioned in one story of the Canon, The Adventure of The Golden Pince-Nez. However, we have published… Continue Reading
“… the tracking and arrest of Huret, the Boulevard assassin – an exploit which won for Holmes an autograph letter of thanks from the French President and the Order of the Legion of Honour.” – The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez (GOLD) Marie François Sadi Carnot, President of the Third Republic of France, was stabbed and… Continue Reading
“He unfolded it, and disclosed a golden pince-nez …” – The Adventure of The Golden Pince-Nez (GOLD) Your editor freely admits he never heard the term “pince-nez” until he read the Sherlock Holmes Canon. The term “spectacles” was the wording I had always heard used to describe this style of eyewear. Probably the first “person” I… Continue Reading
“… a space not larger than a sixpence.” – The Problem of Thor Bridge (THOR) We recently reprinted the article More Mysterious Money Matters by John Hall. That article refers to the March 11, 1946 Mutual Broadcasting System’s broadcast of The Adventure of the Living Doll, part of the New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. During the story, a dying… Continue Reading
“You shall not have a farthing from me …” – The Adventure of The Beryl Coronet (BERY) I have been following the various contributions on British coinage in your recent issues and felt that you would, perhaps, find the following useful: The 1/8 of a penny copper coin referred to by Len Haffenden is probably… Continue Reading
“Three bob and a tanner for tickets.” – The Sign of The Four (SIGN) In response to our previous discourse concerning the intricacies of Victorian currency (“So, how much is a Quid, a Crown, and a Bob?; The Sherlockian Times: Fall 1993) we received a welcomed epistle from that most erudite Northern Musgraver Mr. John Hall… Continue Reading
“Give up a hundred thousand quid?” – The Adventure of The Mazarin Stone (MAZA) We, as modern American readers, have always had some problem in translating the British monetary system of the Victorian era into something more tangible, such as purchasing power. One who is not completely familiar with the monetary system of the time… Continue Reading
“… the terrible death of Crosby the banker.” – The Adventure of The Golden Pince-Nez (GOLD) In The Golden Pince-Nez, we are teased with the untold tale of “the terrible death of Crosby the banker.” Author Barrie Roberts authored a pastiche on this tale, Sherlock Holmes and the Crosby Murder,” in 2002. Other than the mention… Continue Reading
“Having completed my studies there …” – A Study In Scarlet (STUD) Last November, we published a HolmeWork assignment asking if there was a Sherlock Holmes themed token or medal for the old Granada Studios Tour. Earlier this week, we received photographs of a Granada Studios Tour medal that featured a Sherlock Holmes themed design. It… Continue Reading