A Scion Society of The Baker Street Irregulars
Numismatists Do Not Fear Change
“Several discs of metal – old coins apparently – such as I hold here …” – The Adventure of The Musgrave Ritual (MUSG) For the student of Victoriana one of the most confusing aspects to be sorted out is the money of that era. What is a guinea? How does a sovereign relate to a… Continue Reading
“She was accustomed to use slang of the kind.” – The Adventure of The Noble Bachelor (NOBL) At a recent meeting of the The Society of The Naval Treaty of Annapolis, there was a handout featuring Victorian underworld slang. I have excerpted several that are relevant to our interests here. Albert – A gold watch… Continue Reading
“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
“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
“…was the latter end of June, 1902, shortly after the conclusion of the South African War.” – The Adventure of the Three Garridebs (3GAR) In the spring and early summer of 1900, the Literary Agent, Arthur Conan Doyle was volunteering at a field hospital in South Africa during the Second Boer War. Serving as a volunteer, Doyle… Continue Reading
…was the latter end of June, 1902, shortly after the conclusion of the South African War. – The Adventure of the Three Garridebs (3GAR) By the seventh sentence of The Three Garridebs, Dr. Watson references the end of the Boer War to date the story. The Literary Agent, Arthur Conan Doyle, had written two works about the conflict… Continue Reading
With Christmas approaching, let us examine a recipe for traditional Christmas Pudding. I say “traditional,” because this particular item has been concocted by my family for over 100 years, having been brought to the colonies by my late Grandmother (born Chapwick, Somerset, in 1883). It was her Mother’s recipe. From my earliest recollections, I can remember… Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: This article by noted Holmesian, Jay Finley Christ, is reprinted from The Numismatist, Vol. 64, No. 10 (October 1951), pp. 1103-05. I would claim that this was the first paper published with Sherlock Holmes – numismatic connections. Glittering Gold Guineas by Jay Finley Christ There is at least a spark of numismatic interest in two… Continue Reading
Queen Victoria ruled Great Britain from 1837 until her death in 1901. During the 64 years of her reign, Britain turned to the remote parts of the world and established a colonial empire of such extent and prosperity that the world has never seen its like. Over the years of her reign, the bust of… Continue Reading