ANKH-MORPORK: This is the oldest city-state pertaining to Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. Its first appearance was in 1983's The Colour of Magic, which was the series' earliest book. It is located on the Sto Plains, which are the rough analogue to Western Europe on the Discworld’s unnamed main continent (where most of the books are set). They are a land of rich black loam, upon which rests a great squat forest of cabbages. The cabbage has an almost mythic status among the people of the Sto Plains, and is an emblem of its largest and dominant city, Ankh-Morpork. Although they have been an empire in the past, the Sto Plains currently exist as a loose collection of independent city-states, ruled over by a close-knit (and probably interrelated) ruling class. The Sto Plains could be thought of as being similar to Germany prior to the unification of the states into the German Empire, with no overall authority. The largest/principal city of the Sto Plains is Ankh-Morpork. This quasi-medieval melting pot (Pratchett explains that the city is similar to Tallinn and central Prague, but adds that it has elements of 18th century London, 19th century Seattle and modern New York City) lies on the River Ankh (the most polluted waterway on the Discworld and reputedly solid enough to walk on, it is “so thick with silt” from the plains “that it should really be considered a walkway instead”), where the fertile loam of the Sto Plains meets the Circle Sea (the Discworld's version of the Mediterranean). This, naturally, puts it in an excellent trading position (the rich, powerful, and sprawling city is the fictional world’s mercantile capital). While Ankh-Morpork doesn't exert any political power over its neighbors, its economic domination of the region has meant that the smaller cities around it are essentially its satellites. Lying approximately equidistant from the cold Hub and tropical Rim, Ankh-Morpork is in the Discworld’s equivalent of the temperate zone. The name “Ankh-Morpork” refers to both the city itself, a walled city about a mile (1.6 km) across, and the surrounding suburbs and farms of its fiefdom. The central city divides more or less into the more affluent Ankh and the poorer Morpork (it includes the slum-like area known as the “Shades”), which are separated by the River Ankh. Ankh-Morpork is built on black loam, broadly, but is mostly built on itself; pragmatic citizens simply build on top of the existing buildings when the sediment grew too high as the river flooded, rather than excavate them out. There are many unknown basements, including an entire “cave network” below Ankh-Morpork made up of old streets and abandoned sewers, recently used by the city's dwarf population extended to get around unimpeded. It has recently been made municipal property. Ankh-Morpork, “Discworld's most happening city” is “so carefully described” by its author that “it could be considered a character in its own right.” It “is one of those rather large cosmopolitan burgs that, like a lot of others with a similar claim to fame, always seems on the move but never really goes anywhere.” As for the Discworld, it is a flat, disc-shaped planet resting on the backs of four gargantuan elephants, who in turn are standing atop an even more gigantic turtle as it slowly swims through intergalactic space.
EMPIRE OF ANTONINIA (ANTONINE IMPERIUM): They are “an organization designed in the form of an independent and sovereign state” based in Madison, WI. “As defined by its Constitution, Antoninia is an independent, sovereign, self ruling entity.” It “is intended to be an empire of culture and spirit, of art and piety, without any fixed physical boundaries.” It “does not possess any sovereign physical territory” and “is a landless state.” Antoninia was “named after the Antonine Emperors of ancient Rome, who presided over one of the high points of ancient Western civilization”, and its purpose “is to support the revival and restoration of selected elements of ancient Western civilization, and in particular the polytheistic Pagan religions and cults of the ancient Mediterranean world, with an emphasis upon ancient Greece and Italy.” Their calendar is based on the year in which Rome was built (Ab Urbe Condita), which is also employed by Nova Roma (please see its separate listing, in one of my succeeding pages).
KINGDOM OF ARAUCANIA-PATAGONIA: This realm was founded in 1860, in a large geographical zone now occupied by Chile and Argentina. A French lawyer named Orélie-Antoine de Tounens arrived in their territory in 1858 and became involved with the steadfastly independent Mapuche Indians. According to Rebels, Pretenders, and Impostors, by Clive Cheesman and Jonathan Williams, the noble-spirited Orélie-Antoine was “inspired by a humanitarian respect for the downtrodden victims of colonialism”. He “set out for South America and soon gravitated to the disputed region on the Chilean-Argentine border. The sturdy defiance of the Mapuches impressed him”. They were becoming increasingly more threatened by the ever-widening net of westernization and the colonizers' brusquely myopic lack of esteem towards an age-old aboriginal heritage (“the final pacification of the region” would take place in 1883). Orélie-Antoine “offered himself as their king, undertaking to establish a sovereign state in their name”. On November 17th 1860, a local Araucanian cacique accepted him in that position; he was crowned and a Constitution was also approved. Three days later he met with the representative of the Tehuelche Indians, a Patagonian Indian tribal group, who also responded favorably to his proposal. Thus, the territory of Patagonia united itself with that of Araucania, and on November 20th 1860, the Kingdom of Araucania-Patagonia was born. Tounens, the indigenes and their chieftains were convinced that the only chance of halting the worsening crisis and of achieving a nation-state (thereby safeguarding their culture against the Eurocentric tide) was to create a monarchy. Did the natives rally passionately around him of their own unclouded volition, or did he campaign to persuade them that he was their only saviour? Regardless of who influenced whom, he became their first king. For his dominion, he claimed all lands south of the Bío-Bío River (on the western side of the Andes, below the 42nd parallel). On November 27th, he tactfully announced himself by writing a letter to the President of Chile, Manuel Montt. For the next year, he aired his grievances in Valparaiso, campaigning for international acceptance through public notices and letters to the press. For him, “the initial enterprise seems to have been colonial in flavour. His alternative name for Araucania and Patagonia was ‘Nouvelle France’, and his announcements and advertisements...publicized the kingdom as a haven for French settlers, to make good the loss of Quebec and Louisiana.” Largely ignored, he returned to his kingdom in December of 1861; “he sought to bolster his image with some form of democratic sanction. This was forthcoming in the form of the enthusiastic reception he received from his subjects, and Orélie-Antoine felt able to declare he had been elected king.” In contrast to his unrequited diplomacy of earlier years, Tounens' kingdom eventually gained the recognition of over 60 countries. Even the French Empire was in support of his endeavors. Despite this, the Chilean authorities felt threatened by his plans; they arrested and imprisoned him on January 10 for his “seditious activities.” In 1862, there was a 9-month trial in which he vigorously challenged their jurisdiction over the Araucanians. He was found not guilty by reason of mental instability and committed to a sanatorium; he was later rescued by the French consul and deported back to France, where he was greeted with indifference. In 1863, he published his story, but Cheesman cautions us that “a degree of scepticism is probably wise” in regards to parts of the book and Orélie-Antoine's “official” history of his exploits. In order to reclaim his throne, he made 3 more expeditions to the subjugated region; his final attempt was in 1876. In 1877, he was sent home again, having been seriously injured after being “set upon by bandits”. He passed away in 1878.
The city of Ankh-Morpork has experienced various forms of government over the millennia, but there hasn't been a king in Ankh-Morpork for 300 years, since Lorenzo the Kind (the last and possibly nastiest one), was executed during the Ankh-Morpork Civil War of 1688 (based on the University Calendar, which began with the founding of the Unseen University, a center of magical learning). Thus, the Ankh-Morporkian monarchy was overthrown. The rule of Patricians commenced in 1689, immediately after the people voted away their democratic rights. The current political system appears to be a sort of crude/specialized “One Man, One Vote” form of democracy: the Patrician (who tends to enter into office by lies, trickery and deceit) is the Man, and he has the Vote. The current holder of this particular office throughout the Discworld chronicles is Lord Havelock Vetinari. In his youth, he reputedly trained and graduated with full honors from the Guild of Assassins. Strangely enough, this somewhat benevolent dictator has no lust for omnipotence. Unlike previous unelected heads of Ankh-Morpork (figures who were not wholly pleasant or well-balanced and who soon met their ends; succession occurs either by assassination or revolution), Vetinari is not motivated by personal gain or vanity. He is fiercely loyal to his busy metropolis, and though this level of devotion has led him to carry out many surreptitious schemes, he truly strives to make sure that its public services are functioning properly. As an example of the adaptability which has kept this supreme ruler in office, one of Vetinari's earliest and most innovative actions was to legalize and organize the city's Guilds (such as those of the Thieves or the “Seamstresses”, which had been active but outlawed for years). He encouraged the growth of these power-wielding syndicates, of which there are now some 300. Their leaders even became esteemed members of society, and their members insured and licensed. Vetinari appears to have survived by being equally distrusted and disliked by all of the interest groups in the city (who are always plotting, quarrelling, conniving, and forming alliances amongst themselves). In the middle of this vociferous municipal maelstrom stands the shrewd statesman, quietly doing things his own way, carefully conducting himself in such a way so as to not become as unpopular to the Guilds as they themselves are to one another. The result, in political terms, is stability achieved by equal tension in all directions. In Ankh-Morpork, it might seem as if laws, in the modern sense, have gone out of fashion in the last several hundred years. But contrary to appearances, the city is not a completely lawless place. No one in particular has absolute command over the affairs of the city, but power is to some degree shared between the Patrician, the kingpins of the many Guilds (they, who enforce their own brand of justice, are the ones who unofficially elect him in the first place), and the surviving nobility. After all, the greatly influential merchant families of Ankh, who had a stranglehold over the city either as kings or Patricians for the last twenty centuries, were not likely to relinquish any of their real authority; they were too accustomed to a situation that basically resembled a non-hereditary oligarchy in which they played the role of ruthless tyrants. In essence, Ankh-Morpork is governed by this complex interplay of various pressure groups, which form a “city council” of sorts, even though the Patrician has the only vote at meetings.
How did the name Ankh-Morpork originate? It has been suggested that the word “Morpork” is probably derived from a type of Australasian owl called the “morepork”, and this bird can be seen holding the Ankh (the ancient Egyptian symbol for life) on the city’s coat-of-arms. On the Internet, someone named Kel Richards offers some interesting comments about this: “Now as an Aussie I can't help wondering if Mr Pratchett chose the second half of that name from an Australian owl — the ‘morepork’.” She goes on to explain that “The boobook, or tawny frogmouth, owl is known colloquially at the ‘mopoke’ or ‘morepork’ from the sound of the cry it makes. The name ‘morepork’ is recorded from as early as 1825 — and may be have enjoyed popularity among early settlers because it sounded like a demand for an extra slice of bacon (more pork!). Mind you, Terry Pratchett insists that our Aussie owl played no part in the naming of the city of Ankh-Morpork. However, in his Discworld novel ‘The Last Continent’ Terry displays an uncanny knowledge of life down-under, so one can't help wondering if — even at a subconscious level — our little owl played a role.”
It is not possible to discuss any of the Ankh-Morporkian coinage without first mentioning Mr. Bernard Pearson (a.k.a. The Cunning Artificer; this nickname — given to him by Terry Pratchett himself — is based on the Street of Cunning Artificers, located in Ankh-Morpork and often mentioned in the novels). In 1980, he and his wife Isobel founded Clarecraft, a company (based in Suffolk, England) that manufactured collectible sculptures and fantasy figurines. They acquired the rights to make Discworld items in 1990. According to Mrs. Pearson, “We left Clarecraft in 1991 and it went into Receivership in 1993. That was when the Bakers bought the company and we went back [part time] for a few years [to help them set it up again]. I think it was Bob and Trish Baker who bought it, but latterly it was run by Trish Baker and Bob's daughter Sally [Couch].” Clarecraft remained one of the few large scale vendors of Discworld merchandise (along with the Pearsons and a few other artists/entrepreneurs) until it shut down in 2005. It must also be mentioned that Clarecraft ran a large fan-club called The Discworld Collectors' Guild, which hosted a large gathering every other year which drew about 1000 people, including Terry Pratchett himself. I asked Mr. Leo Breebaart (he is one of the people who owns/administers “The L-Space Web” — http://www.lspace.org/ — a Web-site devoted to Terry Pratchett/Discworld) to confirm if the first such get-together was held in 1995: “Correct. Although if my memory serves me correctly, 1997 was the first year that it really became an event. In 1995 it was more Clarecraft having an ‘open day’ for a couple dozen people most of whom ended up in the pub with Terry and Bernard afterwards (or so I was told — 1997 was my first time, too).” These were bi-annual events “because they alternated with the Discworld Conventions (which started in 1996). However, in 2000 the planned Discworld convention fell through at the last moment, after which Clarecraft graciously offered to host an Event that year as well. So the sequence goes: 95, 97, 99, 00, 01, 03, 05.”
In 2000, the Pearsons opened a shop called “The Cunning Artificer” in Wincanton (a small town in south Somerset, southwest England). The shop specializes in Discworld-related merchandise (including postage stamps and pewter artifacts, as well as pieces created by various other companies and artists). Since then, the Pearsons have expanded the scope of the business to include a presence on the Internet, and their Web-site is called The Discworld Emporium (http://www.discworldemporium.com/index.php). The shop — it remains a very popular place (“we organise events at least twice a year to which Discworld fans can come and mingle with like-minded folk and do extremely silly things in the name of charity”) — still exists, of course. It is located “half an hour from Stonehenge, in the middle of some delicious countryside, and near to some of Somerset’s finest cider makers. Here we can offer the serious collector or casual reader some of the finest ever Discworld creations, along with all the Discworld books that are in print, but it’s also a place to meet with other fans or use as a starting point for holidays or weekend breaks.” It is “A place where Discworld becomes real. So real, in fact, that we are also the official Ankh-Morpork Consulate Office, the official Wincanton branch of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office and of the Royal Ankh-Morpork Savings Bank, all in a town which is now officially twinned with Ankh-Morpork.” This is absolutely true. Ankh-Morpork was twinned with the town of Wincanton on December 7th, 2002. However due to legal reasons, the twinning was not officially displayed on the road sign. Fans however, have added stick-on notices to some of the signs. This has now been changed and a new town sign prominently declaring the twinning with Ankh-Morpork and other Roundworld (this is the term used in the Discworld books for the planet Earth) places has been erected. This sign was designed by Mr. Pearson.
Ankh-Morpork's initial coin is the gorgeous pewter Half Dollar piece. It was available to members of The Discworld Collectors' Guild as their “2nd annual renewal gift”. According to Mrs. Pearson, “The First coin was produced when we were at Clarecraft in 1995.” The obverse shows a coat-of-arms, in which the heraldic devices are flanked by two standing hippos. According to legend, the first city of Ankh-Morpork was founded thousands of years ago by twin brothers who were raised by a hippopotamus (an allusion to the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus). It is in memory of this snippet of folklore that the amphibious mammal became the royal animal of Ankh. On the reverse, there is a depiction of “Havelock Lord Vetinari”. I obtained one of these from another collector, Mr. Darren Cameron. He also gave me the opportunity to acquire the One Penny piece, produced circa 2003. It is made from “pot metal” and also features a fantastically detailed image of Ankh-Morpork’s official coat-of-arms — though this time it is accompanied by the perfectly legible motto “Quanti canicula ille in fenestra” (How much is that small dog in the window?) — along with a much finer facial rendering of “Vetinari”. Unfortunately, I opted not to get one at the time — a decision I would later regret. For nearly three years, finding another one proved to be literally impossible. I was finally able to track one down from Mr. John Pagan, of Bonsai Trading (http://www.bonsaitrading.co.uk/), “an online store specialising in merchandise based upon Terry Pratchett's Discworld Novels”. I asked Mrs. Pearson if this coin was linked to any event/promotion pertaining to the Collectors’ Guild: “No it was just produced as an item to sell”. Numismatically, there is also a One Shilling piece, featuring the Duchess Annagovia (of Borogravia, a fictional country on the Discworld’s unnamed main continent) along with the Latin phrase Aliquid Ardet (Something’s Burning). These Duchess Shillings, mentioned in Monstrous Regiment, were used as prizes during the Clarecraft Discworld Event 2005 (the final Clarecraft event), and they could only be obtained by entrants in the “Maskerade” or the “Paint Your Own” competitions. I asked Mrs. Pearson if this was one of her husband’s creations: “No, Clarecraft produced that after we'd left.” There is also another very limited One Penny that is exactly the same as the earlier one, apart from the metal color (this one is made of tarnished white metal): it was presented to all entrants who participated in the “Witch Trials”, which took place at the 2007 Discworld Jamboree. Mrs. Pearson confirmed that this coin was indeed made by her husband. The latest Discworld coin I’ve found is another Half Dollar coin. The obverse features the phrase “Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork” along with a depiction of Morporkia. According to Hilary Daniels, of The Discworld Emporium, “Morporkia is a female embodiment of Ankh-Morpork, in the same way that Athena was the female embodiment of Athens, or Britannia was the female embodiment of Britain.” From other research, Morporkia apparently is the embodiment of Ankh-Morpork into the figure of a matronly warrior-woman in flowing Ephebian robes and battle-helmet; Morporkia is a woman in a cabbage-spangled cloak and an old-fashioned helmet, carrying a shield with the civic coat of arms and a toasting-fork symbolising “something or other” (for comparison’s sake, Britannia and Columbia are similar archetypal female/goddess). The coin’s reverse features the Patrician's head along with the words “Vetinari — Labor Omnia Vincit” (Hard work conquers all; Work conquers all things). These pieces are not as intricately detailed as the original Half Dollar coins. The metal appears to have been poured into a mold. According to Mrs. Pearson, this coin “was issued in November 2008.” According to the Web-site of The Discworld Emporium, “They have passed through a lot of Ankh-Morporkian hands before reaching Wincanton, hence their battered and care-worn appearance.” The pieces are “actually made of pewter.” According to Mrs. Pearson, they are not tied to any Discworld-related special event.
Apparently, after the first Australian Discworld Convention (held in Melbourne on February 9-11, 2007), word began to spread that an entire series of coins (consisting of at least 7 different denominations: the Elly, the Mite, the Farthing, the Penny, the Tu'pney Piece, the Half Dollar, and the Dollar coin) and banknotes were to have been issued as a tie-in to Making Money, a novel set in the Ankh-Morpork Mint (it happens to be the sequel to a book called Going Postal, which triggered the creation of the hugely popular Discworld stamps). I asked Mrs. Pearson (March, 2009) if her husband still intended to produce these coins: “No, probably not, the cost of producing coins is considerable.”
Images of one of the coins from Ankh-Morpork can be viewed at the site of Mr. Haseeb Naz’s private collection:
http://chiefacoins.com/Database/Micro-Nations/Ankh-Morpork.htm
“ARMORICA”: Another
series of coins/tokens based on “literature”. I've based this listing upon the ancient/literary name for the northwest part of France (mostly identical to modern-day Brittany); many Web-sites devoted to Astérix cite this specific place-name. It provides the setting (circa 50 B.C.) for an unnamed, fictional Gaulish village (the only one to successfully resist Roman occupation), where Astérix is the cunning, pint-sized hero of over 30 French comic books. These beloved graphic albums are the creation of writer René Goscinny and illustrator Alberto Uderzo (Goscinny passed away in 1997, but Uderzo has continued the series). Their first effort was Astérix le Gaulois. It was published in 1961, but the story originally ran in the pages of the magazine Pilote (founded by Goscinny, Uderzo, and Jean-Michel Charlier), which appeared on October 29, 1959.
From eBay, I purchased several pieces. Dated 1995, an “Astérix” Sesterce; dated 1999, an “Idéfix” 1 Centsesterce, a “Bonemine” 2 Centsesterces, and a “Panoramix” 20 Centsesterces. There were also some pieces, distributed in 2001, which served an added educational purpose by introducing children to the new coinage that would soon be replacing their national one. I've an “Astérix” 2 Nutell'Euros (also shown is ƒ4,41 — its value, converted into Dutch Guldens), an “Idéfix” 5 Nutella Cents (0,11 Dutch Guldens), and a “Panoramix” 10 Nutella Cents (also showing 4,03Bef — its corresponding value in Belgian Francs).
There's a cleverly effective evolutionary progression from the ancient-style 1st series to the modern-style 3rd series. All of these cute pieces came individually with jars of Nutella, the creamy and chocolaty hazelnut spread which is super-popular in Europe. They may have also been promotional tie-ins for Astérix animated movies.
Images of the Astérix tokens can be viewed at the Web-site of Mr. Peter Geelen (http://www.jezuss.nl/asterix.htm) and at the Web-site of Mr. Haseeb Naz (http://www.chiefacoins.com/Database/Movies/Armorica.htm).
DIAGON ALLEY (GRINGOTTS BANK): These are the 1 Knut (copper), 1 Sickle (“nickelon”), and 1 Galleon (“goldclad”) pieces struck in 2001 by the Pobjoy Mint. Though I won the group on eBay, it is widely available elsewhere. The same 3 coins can also be had in a more expensive Noble Collection set (silver-plated Sickle, gold-plated Galleon). Both editions are based on the motion-picture version of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the U.S. under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Her 1st book in the hugely successful franchise, it was published in 1997, though the author purportedly began fleshing out the idea as early as 1991. I should mention that there are also some Gringotts Bank “wizarding coins” in Mattel's Harry Potter: Diagon Alley Board Game (purchased on eBay), from 2001. This “wizard money” is made of plastic and consists of “Gold” Galleons, “Silver” Sickles, and three types of “Bronze” Knuts. The pieces are decoratively adorned with magical designs; the only actual word, “ROYIN”, appears on the Galleon. The same coins can also be found in the Adventures Through Hogwarts Electronic 3-D Game.
LA PLANÈTE DES SINGES: This is a “100 Sisterces” aluminum coin, bought on eBay, featuring the phrase “In Semos We Believe”. It was a promotional piece, produced for the 2001 remake of the Planet of the Apes (the original film was from 1968, and was based on the 1963 novel by Pierre Boulle).
DUCKBURG: This is a fictional city which appears in Walt Disney's comic books and animated projects. Duckburg was created by Carl Barks and was first mentioned in the last panel of High-wire Daredevils (where a sign along the railway says “Duckburg 2096 Miles”). This story appeared in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #49, which was created in May of 1944 and published in October of that year (interestingly, another name for Donald's hometown, “Quackville”, appeared in Kite Weather, which was written in October of 1943 and published in March of 1944). Duckburg has been given a long history by many other creators, including current Duck comic writer Don Rosa — he, more than probably any other Disney creator including Carl Barks, has told tales from, and given hints (small and big) about the whole history of Duckburg. In the comics, the known history of Duckburg began in June of 1579, when British colonists and adventurers led by Sir Francis Drake (curiously, a “drake” is a male duck) and Malcolm McDuck landed in a place which was then called “Nova Albion” (it would later become known as “Calisota”). “Fort Drake Borough” was built at this location that same year. Malcolm McDuck became the very first commander of Fort Drake Borough (later known as “Fort Duckburg”). In 1818, Cornelius Coot (to whom the settlement had been handed over by its departing English occupants) renamed the fort “Duckburg” (the words “borough” and “burg” are synonyms). Duckburg remained a quiet, small town until the arrival of wealthy businessman Scrooge McDuck in 1902. McDuck had bought the old fort from Clinton Coot, a descendant of Cornelius. Scrooge proceeded to construct his famous money bin and established various businesses in and around Duckburg. This construction caused its population to swell, and turned the small town into a bustling city within several decades' time. First and foremost, the city was shaped by Scrooge — its number one citizen — until his death in 1967. In the comics and cartoons, Duckburg is also the hometown of Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck, Daisy Duck, and most of their supporting cast. Duckburg is not a small town, a village, nor is it a big metropolis. As a medium sized municipality, it is nevertheless probably the largest city in the make-believe United States state of Calisota — but not its capital city (the name Calisota was first mentioned by Barks in 1952 in the story The Gilded Man, which appeared in Four Color Comics #422). In Don Rosa's stories, Duckburg is located on the Pacific coast of the U.S., though other writers leave the city's location as vaguely defined. According to Barks, “Duckburg was sort of figured to be near Burbank, California, the main plant of the Disney Studio, but obviously it had to be moved around to fit the requirements of whatever story I was writing. So it became a place of fantasy, like a fairy-tale locale. It had a desert, a lake, a sea, snow, tropical hurricanes, anything that was needed. I would have been very handicapped if I had been compelled to keep the location in Southern California.” According to some sources, it is possible that Barks may have considered Duckburg to be a city-state, like the Vatican, for instance. It looks like the word “Calisota” resulted from combining “California” + “Minnesota”. I wondered if there was a reason those two states had been chosen. I speculated that maybe these were the birthplaces of one or more of the creators — but it turns out that Walt Disney was born in Illinois, Carl Barks was born in Oregon, and Don Rosa was born in Kentucky. Whatever the reason, “Calisota” sounds much better than “Illitucky”! This Web-site presents as complete a history of Duckburg as is humanly (or avianly!) possible: http://duckman.pettho.com/history/history.html.
Numismatically, I purchased (on eBay) a “1 Taler” dated 1818. According to the Certificate of Authenticity, this “Glückstaler” (Lucky Taler) was minted in 2001. This attractive Disney-related piece (made of gilt copper) is of German origin and says “Entenhausen” on the obverse, in very large letters. In Deutsch, “die enten” means “ducks”. Therefore, this numismatic item hails from Entenhausen (literally “Duck Houses/Homes”), which equates to Duckburg. On its reverse, the medallion features a statue of Cornelius Coot (the founder of Duckburg) holding several ears of corn in his outstretched hands. Cornelius’ first appearance ever, by the way, was as a statue in Statuesque Spendthrifts, a story by Carl Barks published in March of 1952. The image on the coin is taken directly from an illustration in that very story, which was featured in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #138. The inscription on the pedestal/base of the cartoon statue is “CORNELIUS COOT”, but the inscription on the numismatic statue is the inexplicable word “EMILERPEL”. An extremely faithful real-life/three-dimensional “recreation” of the cartoon statue stands at Mickey’s Toontown Fair (one of the “Themed Lands” at The Magic Kingdom, located within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista/Bay Lake, FL), directly in front of the tent-like Hall of Fame. Although Cornelius was a well-known figure to readers of Disney comics, his character history was not told until Don Rosa began using the character in the late 1980s (especially His Majesty, McDuck, which was first published in Uncle Scrooge Adventures #14, from August of 1989).
Furthermore, I’ve also obtained (eBay again) a few “Entenhausener Bank” tokens. These playful die-cast pieces, dated 1998, bear various Kreuzer and Taler denominations. They were distributed individually in 7 different issues of Micky Maus Magazin, as appealing supplements. The entire set could then be exhibited in a “sammel-album” (collector’s album, available only in the first of the seven magazines, along with the initial token) entitled Entenhausener Münz-Sammlung.
Interestingly, there are numerous numismatic pieces from the Italian version of Duckburg, known as “Paperopoli”. In Europe, the task of providing fixed geographical locations to the cities inhabited by Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse fell upon yet another talented artist/writer. His name is Romano Scarpa, and he is considered by many to be the grandmaster of Italian Disney comics. According to Mr. Gilles R. Maurice (http://goofy313g.free.fr/calisota_online/maps/scarpa.html), “Compared with Barks', Romano Scarpa's conception of the Disney characters' universe is more a funny childish universe without physical laws where you can meet Ducks, Mices, the mad Hatter, and a melting pot of other Disney characters from different sources. But he made some maps and invented a history for this universe”. He seems to have been inspired not only by Carl Barks, but also but also by Arthur Floyd Gottfredson, an American cartoonist who was best known for his defining work on the Mickey Mouse comic strip from 1930 to 1976 (he has probably had the same impact on the Mickey Mouse comics as Carl Barks had on the Donald Duck comics). Scarpa uses Topolinia (see below for more information about “Topolinia”) as the hometown of the “Mice characters” just as Gottfredson used to (with his “Mouseville”), and he uses Paperopoli as the hometown for the “Duck characters”, just as Barks had done (with his “Duckburg”). “Many of the Italian creators find their sources in Scarpa's work.” Mr. Maurice continues: “In Scarpa's ‘Paperino eroe di Duckburg’ [December 29, 1968], (‘Donald hero of Duckburg’), Donald tells his nephews the story of his ancestor Donaldson (French name), who was a hero in Duckburg's history, in the battle of the American Civil War. First, Donaldson and his cousin MacGus work at the farm, but they get drafted in the army”. They have to go on a mission, and there is a map which shows them what they have to do. One of the locations on that map is “Duckburg” (not “Paperopoli”!). “First of all, Duckburg isn't the actual Italian name for Duckburg…In this story, it's used as the ancient name of Duckburg. So, if this story was some day published in the US, I guess the translation could be Drakenborough (Don Rosa's name for the ancient Duckburg)…”
From Mr. Giampiero Mascelli, I learned that a deluxe set of ten “Banca di Paperopoli” coins were issued to celebrate the publication of the 500th issue of Topolino (June 27, 1965). These came in 3 versions: the 1 Dollaro (copper), the 100 Dollari (silver), the 1,000 Dollari (gold). The reverse of each coin features one of 10 Disney characters: Topolino (Mickey Mouse), Paperino (Donald Duck), Paperina (Daisy Duck), Minni (Minnie Mouse), Gambadilegno (Peg-leg Pete), Pippo (Goofy), Qui — Quo — Qua (Huey Dewey and Louie), Pluto, Paperon de’ Paperoni (Uncle Scrooge), and Gastone (Gaston). These coins were the result of a joint venture between Arnoldo Mondadori Editore (Italy's biggest publisher of consumer magazines) and Walt Disney Productions (Disney Italia). The pieces were produced and distributed by COCEPA-MILANO (an important, private società numismatica located in Milan; they no longer exist, but they created many attractive numismatic items). These pieces were produced in one of the Zecche dello Stato, by COCEPA (a couple of times, Mr. Mascelli also refers to them as COCEPA GIOIELLI). All the work was done by COCEPA, and the facilities/machinery/equipment were that of the old Zecca dello Stato (Mint of the State), in Milano. Not only did COCEPA produce all the coins, but they also produced the preliminary models/sculptures required to strike all the coins (medals) of this series. COCEPA’s actual production of the “Banca di Paperopoli” pieces took place at the workshops of the Zecca di Milano, one of the many Zecche dello Stato that still exist in Italy. It is entirely possible that COCEPA actually owned the Zecca dello Stato in Milano (I asked Mr. Mascelli, but he did not know). He was careful to point out that the Mint of Milan is NOT the Mint of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS, the Italian Government Printing Office and Mint, located in Rome), but one of old Zecche dello Stato from the days of Regno d'Italia (Kingdom of Italy), before the present-day Repubblica. Mr. Mascelli explained that Italy has several Zecche (Torino, Genova, Napoli, Milano…), not just a single Zecca (but the official government Mint that is used today is the IPZS). Before the birth of the Italian Republic (the monarchy was abolished in 1946), all of these Zecche produced their own coins. Today, those other Zecche are regularly contracted to produce medals on behalf of various private companies/associations. Back in 1965, he added, the IPZS only produced official the official Italian money — the Lira; they did not produce “unofficial” coins or medals, especially not for Disney. But the laws changed over time. The IPZS can now produce non-governmental, non-official numismatic items. The IPZS would eventually produce the “1st Cent” pieces dated 1993/1994 (for more information about these pieces, see below). An advertisement in issue 511 of Topolino (September 12, 1965) stated that single pieces (250 Lire for the copper; 2,000 Lire for the silver; 15,000 Lire for the gold) and full sets (2,500; 20,000; 150,000) were available for purchase beginning on September 9th from the “Agencies of the Bank of Paperopoli” located in the branches of La Rinascente (Italy’s oldest/leading chain of department stores) in Milan, Genoa, Rome, Naples, Cagliari and Catania. A board-game called “Dollari” was given for free as a bonus/prize to people who visited the “agencies”. A very informative 5/6-page article (illustrated with large photographs of the staff, the machinery, and the facilities) about the coins, entitled La Zecca di Paperopoli, appeared in issue 500 of Topolino. This Zecca was the imaginary mint in the Disney universe where the coins were made. According to ads from issues 499, 500, and 501, the copper coins (complete set only, for 2,500 Lira) as well as the silver (2,000 Lira apiece) and gold (15,000 Lira apiece) coins could be purchased from COCEPA through the use of a mail-in form. From Mr. Mascelli, I purchased the “Minni” copper piece.
I’ve also seen a super-expensive and superbly-packaged set of 4 “Il Primo Cent Di Zio Paperone” tokens struck (in platinum, gold, silver, and bronze) by the IPZS. The obverse features the phrase “Banca di Paperopoli” along with the “1º Cent” denomination (superimposed over a bank-like building). The reverse, along with a profile of Uncle Scrooge, bears the legend “Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato”. These pieces are all dated 1994 (I have seen a similar bronze or brass piece dated 1993, included with one of the issues of Topolino from October of that year). A very limited edition of the platinum and gold pieces were even issued with a diamond embedded on the obverse, strategically placed to the right of the top portion of the numeral “1”, in the spot reserved for the masculine ordinal symbol “º”. There is a similar set, dated 1995, also produced (at least silver and gold) by the IPZS. Along with the “1st Cent” denomination, the obverse bears the multilingual legend “Duckburg Bank/Bank von Entenhausen/Banco de Patolandia/Banque de Picsouville”. The reverse features Uncle Scrooge and the phrase “The First Cent of Uncle Scrooge”. Some of them also include a diamond. Also from Mr. Mascelli, I purchased a 2007 “Banca di Paperopoli” 1 Cent piece (“La Mitica Numero Uno”) featuring Uncle Scrooge. Clearly, this bronze-colored gadget (an Italian term for any little object or collectible gift) was not made by the Italian State Mint, because the reverse merely has a series of stars in place of the legend “Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato”. It came with issue 2710 (November 6, 2007) of Topolino; this magazine also featured a contest in which the readers could win (among other prizes) a gold version and two silver versions (I have indeed seen mention on the Internet of the gold piece, produced for mainly for gift-giving purposes). It was minted in order to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Uncle Scrooge’s debut (in Carl Barks’ Christmas on Bear Mountain, from the December 1947 issue of Donald Duck; the story was actually created on July 22, 1947). Of course, we know that all the varieties of the “1 Cent” coin I just mentioned are not intended to serve as replicas of Zio Paperone’s actual “Numero Uno” — the first coin he ever earned (according to the official story). The lucky “Number One Dime” first appeared, somewhat generically, in a Carl Barks story from issue 3 of Uncle Scrooge entitled The Round Money Bin (published in September of 1953, but the story was actually created on February 26th of that year). In Italy, the same story — now Paperone e la Banda Bassotti — first appeared in issue 81 of Topolino (December 25, 1953). The famous coin was later established by Don Rosa — in a series of special stories originally published in issues 285-296 (April 1994 to February 1996) of Uncle Scrooge — to be an 1875 Seated Liberty dime. Rosa’s massive, 12-part epic was later compiled into a book entitled The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck (since then, the original stories have been slightly expanded and tweaked in later releases); furthermore, six new chapters would later be reprinted in a separate book entitled The Life of Scrooge McDuck Companion. Mr. Mascelli informed me that “in Italy the first coin of ‘Uncle Scrooge’ is always it has been called ‘Primo Cent’ or ‘1º cent’ and it's a real ‘cent’ and not a ‘Dime’ (ten cent), like described by Carl Barks.” Nevertheless, a “gadget” truly modeled after Uncle Scrooge’s precious “Old Number One” has finally been produced (not by IPZS) for collectors. According to Mr. Mascelli, 500 pieces were made especially for the XXXIII Mostra Internazionale dei Cartoonists (the entire convention was dedicated to Carl Barks) held in Rapallo in 2005.
There also was a series of banknotes (1, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 Fantastiliardi) from the “Banca di Paperopoli” made by the IPZS in 1997. The logo of BNL (Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, a real bank) appears on them. Perhaps these notes were issued in conjunction with one of the Mondadori comics. Coinage-wise, there is also a Dutch “Één Dubbeltje” (One Dime) piece, dated 2007, which features Uncle Scrooge as well as the lone phrase “Het Begin van alle Rijkdom” (The Beginning/Origin of all Wealth). This “geluksdubbeltje” (luky dime) — it came packaged in a colorful and sturdy laminated card — was intended to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Dagobert Duck (Uncle Scrooge). According to Mr. Peter Geelen, “Every subscriber of the Dutch Donald Duck could get this coin at a local bank of ABN-AMRO.” There is a similar piece from 1997 (this one has the official mintmark of the Dutch Mint; the ’07 piece does not). Mr. Geelen provides additional details about the interesting denomination appearing on these tokens: “‘dubbeltje’ means the double of a ‘stuiver’. and a ‘stuiver’ is a coin of 5 cents which you would call a nickel. so a ‘dubbeltje’ is 10 cents and you would call it a dime.” There is also an undated “Duckstad Dubbeltje” made of plastic (there is a horizontal, perforated slit across the center, and above it there is a profile of Uncle Scrooge; each piece has a different serial number [code] directly underneath the thin opening; their obverse and reverse are identical). These tokens were issued as “ClickCards” all around the Netherlands by the Super de Boer chain of supermarkets. The plastic cards, dated 2009, are reminiscent (in size and shape) of a credit-card. “They exist with 36 different Duckburg figures. The disney figure and the coin are pre-perforated. You can ‘click’ them out of the card. You can put the figures in the hole in the coin, so they can stand upright. All coins are the same, but with different codes.” Furthermore, there is a Dagobert Duck “Ducktaler”, dated 1992. “This is a hollow coin with an inlay of another coin.” In other words, it resembles the top-half of an aluminum-foil wrapper from a chocolate coin (or the lid of a jar), and an aptly-sized metal coin/token (there are probably numerous types) has been snugly pressed/fit into this empty “mold” made of thin steel.
In terms of exonumia, there are a couple of additional series (of un-denominated pieces) worth mentioning. First, a set of 6 “Operazione Dollaro” (Operation Dollar) tokens (featuring Topolino, Pippo, Pluto, Zio Paperone, Paperino, and Archimede [Gyro Gearloose]) were produced for issues 708-713 (June 22 to July 27 of 1969) of the weekly Topolino. Because it lasted for six consecutive weeks, this was the largest offering of goodies/freebies ever undertaken by the magazine. There was also a competition tied to the Operazione Dollaro advertising initiative, in which readers could win 11,000 prizes. The phrase “Operazione Dollaro” is present on both sides. The obverse of each gadget features one of the aforementioned characters. The reverse features “Bank of Paperopoli” and a huge dollar sign. On eBay, I purchased the “Archimede” piece. The entire “Operazione Dollaro” series can be seen at the following Web-sites:
http://xoomer.alice.it/fradibel/fdb27.htm
http://www.animamia.net/JANIMA_CONTENTS/JANIMA_GIOCHI/JANIMA_GIOCHI_CONTENTS/monetetopolino.html
Secondly, there are 8 tokens which belong to the “Storia e Gloria della Dinastia dei Paperi” (“History and Glory of the Dynasty of the Ducks”) series. The name comes from a series of stories published in issues 749-756 (April 5 to May 24 of 1970) of Topolino. The splendid saga spans numerous historical settings (one per chapter). Each issue was accompanied by a gadget. One side of each “storica moneta” reproduced (down to the last detail) an actual example of one particular type of coin from the era featured in that week’s chapter/issue; the other side, emulating the same aesthetic/artistic style, featured a Disney character. The coins featured (in parentheses, I have included the title of the chapter that went with that character): Zio Paperone (Zio Paperone e il rimbombo lunare; takes place on the moon), Paperina (Paperina e i papiri del Pah-Peh-Rheo; in ancient Egypt), Pippo (Petronius Paperonius e i sesterzi di Pippus Augustus; in ancient Rome), Nonna Papera (Grandma Duck; Paperon McPaperon e le sterline di Trisnonna Papera; in ancient Scotland), Minni (Paperin De La Scalogna e il re dell'arena; in 1492 Spain), Paperino (Paperino e il fuorilegge di Pensacola; in the time of pirates), Topolino (Zio Paperone e i cannoni del Mississippi; during the American Civil War), Rockerduck (Zio Paperone e l'oro del Klondike; in the days of the gold rush). The series was also dubbed “Operazione Miliardo” (Operation Billion; in keeping with the previous year’s Operazione Dollaro). Each reader could also participate in two initiatives linked to Operazione Miliardo. In the first one, he/she could purchase a “Portamonete di Paperone” (change-purse) for storing the 8 coins. In the second one, he/she could participate in a competition organized with the collaboration of the Banca Commerciale Italiana (an Italian bank): by submitting a drawing, poem, or a creative thought/idea on the topic of the bank, the reader could win one of 6,500 special savings passbooks/bankbooks (a “Libretto di Risparmio Topolino”) — each of which was tied to a savings account that already contained the sum of 10,000 Lire (these passbooks could also be obtained by any reader at any branch of the bank simply by opening an account with 10,000 Lire). On eBay, I purchased the “Mickey Mouse” piece. To me, this Topolino token is the most interesting one of the bunch, because its obverse features (along with an image of Mickey Mouse) the phrase “Lt. Topolinia City/Mickey Mouse” (see below for more information about “Topolinia”). The reverse reproduces the eagle-side of a U.S. Coronet Type Liberty Eagle ($10 Gold Piece), like the kind minted from 1838-1907. According to Mr. Mascelli, “‘Lt.’ mean ‘Luogotenente’ (of ‘Topolinia’)”; this is a military rank equivalent to Lieutenant. I haven’t seen close-up images of the entire series, but the Zio Paperone piece is also worth mentioning. The obverse, dated 1970, features the phrase “Bank of Paperopoli”, along with a portrait of Uncle Scrooge wearing an astronaut’s helmet. The reverse features a pair of astronauts on the surface of the Moon, seemingly prodding/collecting a piece of lunar rock with a long metallic arm of some sort. The “Storia e Gloria della Dinastia dei Paperi” series can be seen at the following Web-site:
http://xoomer.alice.it/fradibel/fdb11.htm
http://www.animamia.net/JANIMA_CONTENTS/JANIMA_GIOCHI/JANIMA_GIOCHI_CONTENTS/storiagloriatopolino.html
It might now be helpful to know a little bit about “Topolinia”. This fictional site corresponds to Mouseton, the American version which — like Duckburg — is also located in Calisota. Mouseton/Topolinia is the hometown of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Clarabelle Cow, Pluto, Peg-Leg Pete, and other characters in Disney comics produced by Disney Italia, Disney-Hachette (France), and Gemstone Publishing (USA). The name Mouseton was first used in Mickey Mouse Adventures, a comic book published by Disney Comics (this comic book publishing company, operated by The Walt Disney Company, ran from 1990 to 1993) in 1990-91, and in Disney's contemporary reprints of vintage stories in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories (1991-93). Later publisher Gemstone continued this tradition from 2003 onward. Strangely, in-between licensee Gladstone (1993-99) usually left Mickey's city unnamed, or — very rarely — referenced it as Duckburg. Mouseton's location in Calisota and its positioning with regard to Duckburg (the cities being next to one another) were the subject of speculation early on, but have generally been treated consistently in Gemstone's publications. The origins of Mouseton can be traced back to the work of Gottfredson.
In 1996, Mr. David A. Gerstein (a professional writer, editor, and historian; he has five books and countless comic book credits to his name, including many Disney comics stories) wrote The Mickey Mouse “Universe” Guide. It lists places and characters in the stories written by Gottfredson. Its purpose was to serve as a manual/reference work for writers of Mickey Mouse comics. Gernstein wrote it while he worked as an in-house story editor at Egmont (a Copenhagen-based comic book publisher), managing other writers' and artists' work. According to the Guide, “The Mouseton area [State of Calisota, Webfoot County] is the center of the Mouse universe as originally developed by Floyd Gottfredson. The name ‘Mouseton’ was apparently originated by Disney Comics for new stories in 1990, but has been used in ‘recap’ panels for serialized Gottfredson stories reprinted since then…Nearly all Floyd Gottfredson Mickey Mouse stories are set at least partly in the Mouseton area; in this way, they differ from the Barks Duck stories, many of which begin and end in other countries or areas.” Back in 1994, Mr. Gerstein provided an even more extensive account of the birth of Mouseton for the Disney Comics Mailing List (a discussion list on Disney comics open for anyone; the DCML is not associated with the Disney company in any way, nor with any of the publishers of Disney comics around the world): “Don Rosa asked for the origin of the name ‘Mouseton’ as used for Mickey's home town. I can't directly state it without giving some background: Originally, Mickey's home town in the Gottfredson strip was seldom identified. Occasionally it was just referred to as ‘Hometown’ or ‘Homeville,’ but that always struck me as just being a cop-out. In ‘Mickey Mouse Outwits the Phantom Blot,’ [a series of 97 newspaper strips published between May 20, 1939 and September 9, 1939] the name Mouseville is given, and that seems ideal. When Disney Comics started production in 1990, they wanted to identify Mickey's town consistently. They looked at the ‘Phantom Blot’ story and prepared some stories in which the town was identified as Mouseville. Then they prepared to go to press. Unfortunately, their legal department informed them that the name ‘Mouseville’ was now a copyright infringement on — get this! — the hometown of [Paul Terry's] Mighty Mouse. That's the dope. So the name Mouseville could not be used for new stories! So [Disney Comics editor and script writer] Bob Foster went back through some old Gladstone MM letter columns and found a debate on the name of Mickey's town. Some letter writers had suggested Mouseton a few times, and stuck between a rock and a hard place, Bob plumped for it, or so he's told me. For the last three years, it has been used consistently — both in new stories, and in recap panels for reprints of Gottfredson stories (i.e. ‘The 'Lectro Box’). In fact, it has been used *so* often that I think that calling the town something else now would be quite unsettling. Actually, I wouldn't *mind* Mouseville at all, but I think that the name Mouseton is settled by now…In European stories, Mickey is always identified as living in Duckburg. In fact, I've seen German reprints of Gottfredson stories from as early as 1931 referring to the town as Duckburg! It strikes me as odd, because I find very few similarities in the appearance of the towns. When working on a huge MM reference project for Egmont last year based on the American conceptions of the Mickey Mouse universe, I worked 100% from Gottfredson, Scarpa, and the one Barks story. But when forced to pinpoint Mickey's town, I placed it in Calisota, two towns away from Duckburg. It's on the other side of Pickleburg. I personally imagine Donald as growing up in Mouseton, later moving to Duckburg. This explains [Charles Alfred] Taliaferro's depiction of Donald's early life, in which Goofy, Clarabelle, and Mickey's nephews appear. It seemed only logical. Please, let's not bring up the debate as to whether Mickey lives in Donald's universe. I maintain that he does but that the two haven't seen each other much since 1947 (the last time Mickey's mentioned in a Barks-written Duck story), and of course, Don, that means you'll never have to mention or show Mickey in a Duck story if you don't want to.”
In Italy, Mickey’s hometown was lovingly developed by Romano Scarpa. He named this imaginary city “Topolinia”. The first mention of this town may have been in a 1-page illustration/print from 1960 (layout by Scarpa with lyric by Guido Martina) entitled A Topolinia gran turbamento. Described as an “Omaggio Abbonati”, it was one of the 6 Romano Scarpa prints made in 1960 especially as a giveaway for the subscribers of Topolino magazine. According to Mr. Gilles R. Maurice, the first actual story to feature Topolinia was Topolino imperatore della Calidornia (“Mickey, Emperor of Calidornia”; part 1 was in issue 274 of Topolino 274 — from February 26, 1961 — and part 2 was in issue 275 — from March 5, 1961): “In the rough copies he made for the script of” that story “we can see that Romano Scarpa is searching a name close to California, to make Mickey reign on it. Ruling out ‘Canidornia’ and ‘Calicorbia’ (he probably didn't know that 9 years before, Barks had already created Calisota). He finally chose Calidornia, and draws a map of it on first panel.” Scarpa’s map also shows a third city, named “Giuncavilla”, which means “Junkville” (it was later changed to Ocopoli/Ocaville, which means “Goosetown”). Topolino imperatore della Calidornia was reprinted numerous times in Europe, including in France, where as Mickey empereur de Calidornie, it first appeared in issue 723 of Mickey Parade (April 3, 1966). “After Mickey Parade's article, ‘Romano Scarpa put “Topolinia” (Mouseton) where actually stands Los Angeles, then comes “Paperopoli” (Duckburg) where is San Francisco.’ But on this map, Duckburg would rather be San Francisco, Mouseton would be more Bakersfield and Goosetown would be L.A…Calidornia would be the actual California in a parallel Disney universe. We could assume that it's the Italian translation for Barks' Calisota…” According to another source (an Italian Web-site) Topolinia is located at the mouth of the Mouse River, and its first inhabitants were the Spanish buccaneers who arrived there in 1690; it also claims that according to Romano Scarpa, in the XIX century, the city was named “Spavent City”.
Images of many of Duckburg’s tokens can be viewed at the site of Mr. Geelen’s private collection:
http://www.jezuss.nl/entenhausen.htm
SMURF VILLAGE: Hidden somewhere in the middle of a deep forest, this is where the fictional group of small (they are three-apples tall) sky-blue creatures known as The Smurfs (Les Schtroumpfs) resides (the word Schtroumpf is the Flemish equivalent of the English language colloquial “Whatchamacallit”). The man who introduced them to the world is a Belgian cartoonist known as Peyo (his real name is Pierre Culliford). At the time, he wrote/drew a series of comic strips entitled Johan et Pirlouit (translated to English as Johan and Peewit), which appeared in the weekly Belgian comics magazine Le Journal de Spirou. The stories were set in Europe during the Middle Ages. In them, Johan serves as a brave young page to the king, and Peewit (Pirlouit) functions as his faithful, if boastful and cheating, midget sidekick. The brave duo was constantly encountering strange new people and places. The Smurfs made their first appearance in the October 23, 1958 edition of the magazine, when Peyo introduced this new set of characters to the Johan et Pirlouit story La flûte à six trous. In it, the duo had the mission of recovering a magic flute, which required some sorcery by the wizard Homnibus. And in this manner, they met a tiny, blue-skinned humanoid creature in white clothing called a “Schtroumpf”, followed by his numerous peers who looked just like him, with an elderly leader who wore red clothing and had a white beard. The characters proved to be a huge success, and the first independent Smurf stories appeared in Spirou in 1959, together with the first merchandising. The English-speaking world perhaps knows the Smurfs best through the popular animated television series (it originally aired between September 1981 to December 1989) from Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Smurfs.
The Smurfs live in houses made from mushrooms or houses that just look like mushrooms (often built of stone). Johan and Peewit, as well as a number of other forest natives, would make visits to Smurf Village, but it is otherwise not possible for a human to find the location except when led by a Smurf. The denizens of the village speak a dialect which makes heavy use of the word “smurf”. The root word “smurf” is used extensively as a noun, verb, adjective, and everything in-between. There are over 100 Smurfs inside the Smurf Village. The Smurfs are led by 543-year-old Papa Smurf, a good and powerful wizard (he’s the only Smurf who wears red). Each Smurf is assigned a task in the village, according to their ability and the needs of the community. Smurfs live peaceful lives in harmony with nature. Interestingly, in Schtroumpf vert et vert Schtroumpf (published in 1972) it was revealed that the village was divided between North and South, and that the Smurfs on either side had different ideas as to whether the term “smurf” should be used as a verb or as a noun: for instance, the Northern Smurfs call a certain object a “bottle smurfer”, while the Southern Smurfs call it a “smurf opener”. Papa Smurf himself kept out of the argument, having more important things on his mind. But when the conflict led to all-out war, he had to use desperate measures to restore the natural smurf order. This story is considered a parody on the still ongoing taalstrijd (language war) between French- and Dutch-speaking communities in Belgium.
Numismatically, I found (on eBay) a “10 Euro” coin. Dated 2008, the enameled piece — it features Smurfette — commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Smurfs. I have also seen a similar piece featuring Jokey-Smurf. Unfortunately, in a situation similar to that of the “Armorica” tokens (see its separate listing located a little ways above this one), these Smurfs medallions do not actually say “Smurf Village” on them.
Antoninia originated as the state of Imperium Novum, or Imperium Romanum Hellenicum, whose Declaration of Sovereignty was announced on November 26, 2752 AUC (1999 CE). Its founder, Quintus Poppaeus Sabinus (Mr. John Carlson), “had been inspired by the micronation of Nova Roma,” of which he had been a member (he left it “after becoming dissatisfied with its development and structure.” Furthermore, “the design of the Antonine state has since developed in a rather different direction.”) Imperium Novum was formally dissolved on February 10, 2754. It was re-founded on March 21, 2754 (2001), under the name of Antoninia. This organization was again terminated on December 31, 2754, but was reestablished “after much consideration” on April 21, 2755 (2002), with a new Constitution and Laws. “The new state...can be developed as an autocracy, as an oligarchy, or as a republic or democracy.” Its current Declaration of Sovereignty was decreed on January 16, 2757 (2004). “The Antonine Imperium is still a theoretical exercise rather than a practical reality at this point, but the Founder intends to continue the project.”
Antoninia's Web-site, http://www.antonineimperium.org/index.html, “is dedicated to the exploration and celebration” of the classical Romano-Hellenistic “Pagan culture and civilization...which reached its culmination in the Roman Empire.” Their first coin is an As piece, dated MMDCCLVIII (2758/2005); I obtained it directly from Mr. Carlson, their acting Head of State. About a year later, he kindly and generously sent me their second coin, a Sestertius dated MMDCCLIX (2759/2006), as a gift.
Images of the Antoninia coin can also be viewed at the Coin Library of the USNS (http://www.usns.info/coin-antoninia.html) and at the site of Mr. Peter Geelen’s private collection (http://www.jezuss.nl/antonine.htm)
Even though the “steel crown” of Araucania has been handed down over the decades, and the line of “dispossessed” sovereigns has not been broken, “It has been a far from orthodox succession.” Since 1951, the 6th and current head of the Royal House of Araucania in Exile has been Philippe Boiry, who has been involved in “untiring activities on behalf of native rights”. Throughout his kingship, he has maintained close contact with the Mapuche groups both in South America and Europe. In 1961, Prince Philippe represented them by speaking before the United Nations. In 1968, he succeeded in having the United States accept a representative of the Kingdom of Araucania-Patagonia as a “foreign diplomatic agent”. The entire tale, including Prince Philippe's long “pretendership”, has had an “extraordinary after-life”, imbued with many elements, not the least of which is “the curious mystique of monarchy”, that appeal to people's dreams.
The first couple of coins from Araucania-Patagonia were disbursed in 1874, but there exists a wide array of modern types: the initial “100 Pesos” series was produced between 1988 and 1992; afterwards, several more varieties were struck for the years 1993-1997. Additional coins/presentation pieces have been issued yearly from 1998 to the present. Furthermore, there is a handful of inconspicuously obscure “Soberano” issues produced on an annual basis since 1988. All of the numerous coins from the '80s onwards were designed by Monnaies Serge Huard, and were amply described and pictured in the Swedish-based magazine Atalaya (an international publication devoted to “cinderellas”, “dead” country stamps and other philatelic oddities). In its pages, from about 1991-1999, Mr. Serge Huard authored the columns entitled Cinderella Coins and Currency and later, Numismatic Section. In these articles, he introduced his readers to many heretofore unknown specimens. He categorized these pieces as “coins-of-tradition” and/or “coins-of-pleasure”. His definition of the two terms is based on the one expressed many years ago by the numismatist Victor Gadoury. Coins-of-tradition were/are issued by Governments-in-exile, Royal/Imperial Houses-in-exile, Provisional Governments, Nationalist organizations and/or Revolutionary movements. Their main role is to maintain a tradition, to demonstrate a de jure authority, and/or to serve as a means of propaganda. They circulate mostly, but not exclusively, among their supporters. Naturally, the coins of Araucania-Patagonia fall within this phylum. Coins-of-pleasure, on the other hand, encompass just about everything else — coins issued for philosophical, artistic, and virtually any other reason of a non-political nature.
In our corner of numismatics, Mr. Huard is a singular, exceptional figure who has issued dozens of beautiful coins; it would be inconceivable for any collector who has dabbled in this breed of coins not to have seen or handled at least one of his stunning creations. The inimitableness and importance of his remarkable output, which has spanned more than 30 years, cannot be underestimated. He has, through the sheer impact of his lifework, single-handedly taken this genre to new, unsurpassed heights. Of this particular coin-issuing location, Mr. Huard confesses that “in my eyes, it is the most important, the one which means more for me. It is so not only for numismatic reasons but also for philosophical reasons” and because he has a great interest in their cause and their history. He laments that most people have an inaccurate or incomplete understanding of the documented facts pertaining to these territories. Case in point, while “Several authors are saying that” Orélie-Antoine's efforts amounted to “an unsuccessful attempt to establish a kingdom”, Mr. Huard contends that for many years it was not “so unsuccessful” at all. After his deportation, our tenacious ruler returned to his realm and fought the Chilean army, quite successfully, for an extended period of time. “That the Kingdom of Araucania-Patagonia never received diplomatic acknowledgement from Chile (or Argentina) is a fact know to most, but that Chile (or Argentina, for that matter) never had any control, political or military, of this area until many decades later is not so widely known unfortunately.” It was a nation which maintained its independence until long after the death of its monarch; and even though the region was continually claimed by Chile and Argentina after the demise of Orélie-Antoine's reign, “these claims were not acknowledged by any country until the arbitration of King Edward VII of Great Britain in 1902. Many sources from Europe, as well as from Chile and Argentina, indicate that Orélie-Antoine was indeed in control, politically and military, for several years.” The same can be said, symbolically, about the current sovran of the Royal House. For example, a judgment from the French Court of Justice held on June 4, 1971 unequivocally supports Prince Philippe's (“historically and judicially proven”) claim to the kingship, affirming that he is legitimately “entitled to present himself as the rightful and legal heir” to the title of Royal Highness.
My 1988 100 Pesos came from Aspen Coins; the 1994 100 Pesos came from the WPNA, which offers an assortment of the Araucania-Patagonia coins. The costly 1874 2 Centavos in my collection came from eBay (maybe that explains why I've been on a diet of shoe-leather and tree-bark ever since!). I am profoundly grateful to Mr. Huard himself for presenting me with the 1997 70 Pesos, the 2000 “Paix” Soberano, and the 2004 “Joyeux Nöel” 100 Pesos. Needless to say, I was profusely elated to finally send him samples of my 2003 and 2005 Zilchstadt pieces.
The following site contains a wealth of information about this Kingdom; it is maintained by the North American Araucanian Royalist Society (founded in 1995), and its General Secretary, Mr. Daniel Morrison (images of some of the coins can be seen there): http://www.geocities.com/tourtoirac/index.html.
Excellent information about the coins (including an in-depth article by Mr. Huard himself) can be found at these sites:
http://www.araucania.org/monnaies.htm
http://www.araucanie.com/araucania/19th_fichiers/19theng.htm
More fabulous information about Araucania-Pagagonia, en Español, can be found at these 2 sites:
http://www.geocities.com/numismatica_chilena/cronica4.html
http://members.aol.com/mapulink1/mapulink-1e/rap-01.html
One footnote regarding Monnaies Serge Huard: Mr. Huard and his Québécois company also produced nearly 200 different souvenir-type Trade Dollars de Commerce — for associations, societies/clubs/groups, conventions, special events, holidays, anniversaries — from 1983 to the present. One of them, a “Seasons Greetings” piece dated 1989, even borrows the monolithic snowflake/icicles design from Mr. Fred Zinkann's McMurdo coin (for more information regarding this numismatist's coinage, please refer to my listing for McMurdo [Station]). I later learned that the Araucania-Patagonia 1989 “Christmas” Soberano also employs the same die; Mr. Huard refers to the composition as “a stylized high-relief ice crown”.Return to the Main Index