Christmas Appeal

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The "festive" decorations and other trappings of impending Christmas have appeared in the shops and the flood of charity appeals in the mailboxes too. This one struck me as a little different:

As a member of "English hammered coins" [discussion group] on Yahoo, I know you are an intelligent, discerning and caring person. I therefore know you are a person of qualities, who cares about the less fortunate in society. There is a class of person in desperate need, often overlooked by mainstream society, who struggle terribly at this time of year, and I am appealing for your sympathy and support.

Yes, 'knackered old potters addicted to hammered coins' are often forgotten during the festive season, but you can help, as I know you want to. This tragic addiction affects only one individual but has a devastating affect on their life, seasonal basic comforts that others take for granted such as Duck a L'Orange, Chateau Y'Quem, and Pate de Fois Gras are unaffordable luxuries to those who need a daily fix of Harthacnuts and Boarshead Groats to make it worthwhile getting out of bed in the morning.

This awful condition can only be cured by a long term carefully administered programme of auction acquisitions, fondling Nobles of Henry IV, and therapeutic cataloguing. All very upsetting, but I know you will want to help.

Can you spare a small donation to this worthwhile and overlooked cause? £50 will buy a years essential subscription to an auction house. £2500 will buy a much needed William I canopy penny of Winchester. £89,000 will buy a basic EF Triple Unite from Baldwins Fixed price list.

Any small donation, even a penny will help, you can enclose your penny with provenance and collectors tickets in the acetate-free envelope provided.

Thank you for your support, your donation can also be sent by Paypal to the above email address. Merry Xmas, Chris Brewchorne

It strikes me that British collectors of old coins tend to be much more relaxed about their collecting than do their American counterparts, far less aggression - though as we see above the same compulsion. The second difference is the casual reference to collecting coins with "provenance and collectors' tickets", we are constantly told that coins are "traditionally traded" without these in the States. Perhaps there is a reason why there is a PAS in England and not in the USA.