INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC OF AREQUIPA: This city — it is the capital of the Arequipa Region and the Arequipa Province in southern Peru — is the second largest (and most populous) one of the country. Arequipa lies in the Andes mountains; it is situated in the valley of the Chili river, at an altitude of 2,380 meters (7740 feet) above sea level, surrounded by three beautiful and snow-capped volcanoes: El Misti (a symbol which represents the Independent Republic) Chachani and Pichu Pichu. The area around Arequipa is prone to constant/intense seismic activity. The city has many colonial-era Spanish buildings built of sillar, a pearly white volcanic rock/tuff (still mined in stone quarry of Anyashuaiko), from which it gets the nickname La Ciudad Blanca (“The White City”). Arequipa has a reputation for being a self-appointed independent republic and the city is known to the Arequipeños (Arequipeñans, Arequipians) as “La República Independiente de Arequipa” because they were the first city to break free of Spanish Colonial rule. Therefore, the locals are fiercely proud of their regional identity, and other Peruvians sometimes joke that you need a passport to get into the Independent Republic of Arequipa. As a direct result of this, perhaps, such passports actually do exist (they can be acquired, along with Arequipan coinage and/or currency, at all local bookstores). Arequipeños — they are said to be among the most educated and politically impassioned people in the country — like to think of their city as the exact opposite of dirty, chaotic, corrupt Lima. Arequipeños are considered to be extremely self-reliant and self-sufficient. They are very protective of their city and have always been outspoken against rotten politicians and tyrants (like those in Lima). They have always stood up (strikes, protests, rallies) against any type of abuse. History has shown that they are a revolutionary people who are not afraid to bear arms. So much so, that Arequipa has a longstanding reputation for being the “Rebel City of the South”, a traditional place for sudden risings and uproars. Arequipa is considered an oasis of moderation, “neither too big nor too small, neither the coast nor the sierra”. It is also called the Rome of Peru because it is a religious conservative town.
ATLANTIS: These 1933 5 (bronze) and 20 (silver) Skaloj pieces were possibly dispensed that same year at the Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Both coins, which I found on eBay, are dedicated to Christiano I, Prince Regent. I've also seen images of a set of six Skaloj/Dalo stamps from 1935 featuring Queen Marie. It is tentatively speculated that the term employed for the coins' denomination may have a linguistic connection to Esperanto: whereby a “skalo” (adding the “j” renders it plural) is a scale of measurement — a system of ordered marks at fixed intervals; a calibrated line; a progressive classification, as of size, amount, importance, or rank (e.g. a wage scale, a musical scale, the scale on a map).
ATLANTIS (ATCOPS): Beginning in the late 1960s, Operation Atlantis was a “new country” project led by a man named Werner K. Stiefel/Warren K. Stevens, the wealthy co-owner of his family's international pharmaceutical company. Based on information garnered from a few installments of The Atlantis News (a newsletter they published more than 30 years ago), November 3, 1968 is the date in which his Atlantis Development Corporation purchased Atlantis I: the Sawyerkill Motel, located on Interstate 87 at Exit 20, in Saugerties, New York. But according to Stevens' 32-page November 1968 booklet The Story of Operation Atlantis (written such a short time after the venture had just begun that it should have instead been called The Prologue and Chapter One of Operation Atlantis), it was on August 30th that they acquired the small property, “with three acres of vacant land adjacent.”. It was renamed as the Atlantis-Sawyerkill Motel. Stevens planned to operate it, as well as the adjoining cottages and bungalows, as a profit-seeking undertaking in order to provide funds for his risky enterprise. This initial phase of the Operation was referred to as the “Dry Run stage”. The atmosphere at the Motel was filled with excitement and joy; “In many ways it resembles a college campus, with its periods of intense work alternating with long hours of discussion around the coffee urn in the common room.” Informal Freedom Forums took place in its lounge most Sunday afternoons at 2:00. One of the main tasks of these meetings was to draw up their constitution.
KINGDOM OF ATLANTIS: This coin is the valiant creation of Mr. Edward J. Moschetti ([email protected]), the founder/President of the World Proof Numismatic Association (PO Box 4094, Pittsburgh, PA, 15201-0094). They have been a purveyor of these desirable types of coins since 1964, and they carry a fantastic stock of proof coinage. Please write to them and they will mail you any information you request.
EMPIRE OF ATLANTIUM: According to their official Web-site (http://www.atlantium.org/), this coin-issuing entity is “a unique non-territorial, pan-cultural, parallel sovereign state” based in Sydney (New South Wales), Australia. “Atlantium recognises that the days of nation-states founded on fixed geographical locations or majority ethnic identities are numbered, as global mobility, cultural evolution, and the growth of electronic communication networks render the assumptions that underlie and provide justification for their existence increasingly obsolete. In an age where people increasingly are unified by common interests and purposes across — rather than within — traditional national boundaries Atlantium offers an alternative to the discriminatory historic practice of assigning nationality to individuals on the basis of accidents of birth or circumstance…What began as a local political statement by three Sydney teenagers…has since evolved into the world's foremost non-territorial global sovereignty movement and state entity, with a diverse, rapidly growing population living in some ninety countries. Atlantium is predicated on a belief in the inevitability and the desirability of eventual global social, economic and political union, and it operates as a secular, pluralistic, liberal, social democratic republican monarchy. We encourage the active participation of Citizens in the public life of the Empire, and invite anyone with the desire and motivation to forge their own destiny as a true citizen of the world to consider joining us.”
AUSTRALIA FAIR: This outfit, (based in Strathalbyn, South Australia), was headed by Graham K. Daniels. They were “A Global Strategic Intelligence and Unique Precious Metals Company”, according to their Web-site (http://www.austfair.com.au). “Since its formation in 1997 Australia Fair has earned a solid and prestigious acceptance as a reputable source of strategic intelligence and unique precious metals with a reputation that spans the world.” The company’s origin can be traced back to the mid 1980s. At that point in time, “Peter Daniels and his second son Graham were much sought after and contracted by numerous organizations for corporate consultancy and strategic business planning both in Australia and overseas. As a natural progression, 1987 saw the birth of the identity of AUSTRALIA FAIR…a name that is aligned to Australia’s National Anthem (ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR) and one that reflects the Daniels’ family affinity with Australia’s Heritage…In 1997 Graham Daniels, a fourth generation Australian, continued to build on the foundation laid by his parents and took AUSTRALIA FAIR Global. This move was somewhat the culmination of Graham’s background in Strategic International Intelligence, Financial Services and interests in the Precious Metals market.” The company’s philosophy centered around the use of bullion for coinage. “Experience throughout history has demonstrated that in troubled times there is no medium of exchange that is more acceptable on an international basis than precious metals, that is gold and silver. From Biblical times, these two precious metals, because of their universal recognition of value, stability and global acceptability, have offered their holders a certain measure of freedom and security. Many people describe silver and gold as an ‘investment’. At Australia Fair, we tend to look at it more as ‘insurance’. However, adopting the former position as many do, THE measurement of any investment must be ‘ONE THAT RETURNS THE GREATEST WHEN IT IS NEEDED THE MOST’. This has certainly proved, over thousands of years, to be the experience of those who hold gold and silver, and for this reason we can understand why many refer to these precious metals as sound investment.” They believed that everyone has the right to use bullion as a medium of barter and exchange: “Holding gold or silver in small tradable denominations in times of social and economic chaos gives a person an item of a sure and fixed value as a medium of exchange. The historical and biblical pattern has been a return to items of true wealth (as measured by their weight and purity) as a sound medium of exchange in such times. This pattern has been repeated over and over again including many times this century. Traditional items of wealth have typically been grains, other foods, textiles, but most often gold and silver (all essential items produced as a result of man's labour). The holder of precious metals is in a favoured position to trade for vital goods and services in the same way he currently does with federal reserve notes (US$). The market dictates the amount of goods and services 1oz of gold or silver would buy at that time (this would likely be at a time when no one would accept federal reserve notes).Traditionally gold has maintained a very stable base to a basket of commodities. This is confirmed by numerous notable studies. The interesting thing about precious metals is that their purchasing power has increased significantly in times of economic upheaval”, when confidence in the value of government-issued notes and coins is challenged.
The modern city was founded on August 15, 1540 by a Spanish lieutenant named Garcí Manuel de Carbajal. He baptized it, in the name of the Queen of Spain, as “Villa de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora del Valle Hermoso de Arequipa” (Our Lady of the Assumption of the Beautiful Valley). On September 22, 1541 Carlos V (Charles V) granted Arequipa the title of city. According to Irina Nazarova, “Arequipa has always been faithful to the royal court in the period of civil wars and for that it has been granted the title of ‘the most noble, faithful, loyal subject’. And at the same time in the period of Republic the city turned into the stronghold of faithfulness and respect of the Constitution. It turned out that it has practically always been the opponent to the capital. Arequipa was even called the ‘gun pointed at Lima’. This and many other factors give the reason for the residents of Arequipa — Arequipeños, or as they call themselves characatos, feel themselves special and be proud of their birth. In any boutique of the city you can buy a ‘Passport of a citizen of an independent republic of Arequipa’. This is an absolute copy of the official Peruvian passport. The selectiveness of the city is much explained by its isolation form other settlements of Peru (of course earlier, when the transportation system was not so much developed), as well as by big concentration of ‘white’ population.” This “is very unusual, because even in the capital the white population has always been in minority. Besides, in the period of Independence (1824) many English businessmen appeared in the city, who exported the wool of sheep, alpaca and vicuna). It has left its own trace in a number of English names and luxurious mansions in British style. Nowadays, Arequipa with its population of 1 million is the second largest in population and importance city of Peru.”
Ever since Peru gained independence from Spain (and especially during its initial decades as a fledgling Republic), Arequipa has played such an important role in national life that it became the emotional/intellectual center of the country — a political beacon, indefatigably defending the fundamental principles of democracy. On account of the perseverance and valor of its people, Arequipa was granted the honorary title: “Lion of the South” and/or “Leon del Misti”. On more than one occasion, during heroic periods of rebellions and constant agitation, their strength and bravery energized the hopes of all Peruvians. According to Mr. Manuel Huanqui Hurtado (http://www.geocities.com/manuelhuanquihurtado/arequiparepublica.html), “The fluid communication which Arequipa maintained with Spain since the Conquest and later as a Colony, made it possible for its citizens to be abreast of all the political, artistic, literary, legal, and scientific movements of old Europe. Thus, Arequipa became the very heart of the intelligence of Peru. This is why, after all the libertarian and revolutionary exploits were carried out and the Republic of Peru was established, Arequipa contributed the best of its knowledge towards aiding the qualitative leap that Peru was making in its transition from a Colony to a Republic. It is precisely because of this gesture that the other conscientious/mindful people of Peru anointed Arequipa as ‘la República Independiente’. Since then, the town has exported its politico-judicial serenity and sobriety to other geographic settings.”
In a monograph (a “Work in Progress”) entitled The “Independent Republic of Arequipa”: Failed nationalism, symbolic violence, and the middle class making of a folk tradition, 1890-2002, Thomas Love writes: “Caught between the competing identity poles of Peruvian (and central Andean) society — Spanish/coast/modern/center/capital vs. Indian/highland/traditional/peripheral/provincial — residents of Arequipa, the second city of Peru, have found themselves in something of an identity crisis since Independence in the early nineteenth century. Highland but not Indian, coastal but politically and economically marginalized, with the Spanish state gone and the center of the political economy shifting from the familiar altiplano to Lima and the Peruvian north coast, they have struggled to imagine what they shared in common as citizens…and to position their imagined community in the wider, shifting but always racialized fields of power defining the social and geographic space of southern Peru. In the first decades of the twentieth century Arequipenos’ long-standing regionalist sentiment came to a head, and with it the invention of a nostalgiac, traditionalist narrative by urban middle class intellectuals, anxious about the course of Peruvian nation-building. As symbolic capital this narrative was critical to the intensifying struggle for regional recognition in the face of growing Lima-based state building.”
I found an interesting Web-site (http://inciclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Arequipa) that contains a farcical mixture of fact and fiction about the independent “city-state” of Arequipa. The site informs us that Arequipa apparently gained independence from Peru at the midpoint of the 20th century. It all began with the numerous revolts that were taking place in Arequipa, culminating in the brief but well-known war of Arequipense secession that occurred in 1950, after the deaths of two students from the Colegio Nacional de la Independencia Americana (in Arequipa). At some point, Arequipa declared independence. Lima refuses. Arequipa then “asked for”, then “pleaded for”, and then “begged for” independence, but it is denied each time by Lima. Arequipa even offers to “purchase” its independence, but this also does not succeed. So they declare war. “Lima laughs a little bit and accepts” the challenge. Loyal to Lima, Camaná (the coastal town/capital — also founded by Garcí Manuel de Carbajal — of the province of Camaná, which is also located in the Arequipa Region and which borders the province of Arequipa; the province of Camaná separates the province of Arequipa from the coast) prepared a batallion against the insurgents. Lima also sent some troops via the coast. Arequipa did not prepare any soldiers (they were not really willing to engage in any battles and resorted to using the strategy of “playing dead”). The troops from Lima thought that the soldiers from Camaná were from the rebelling city, so they ended up clashing with the troops from Camaná (the authors suggest that the army from Camaná — they employed an Arequipeño ruse: “to make the Peruvian army believe that the Camaná army was the Arequipeño army” — were fairly incompetent). During the attack, the Limeños and the Camanejos eliminated (killed off) one another. The sole beneficiary of all this was Arequipa. Camaná suffered the loss of 90% of its men, which is the reason why the Arequipeños took advantage of the situation to make fun of them and give them a bad name/reputation. On August 15, 1950, the city of Arequipa awakens as an independent republic. The alcalde of Arequipa — mounted on a burro whilst fetching milk in Tingo — declares independence on August 25, 1955.
I contacted Mr. Love and asked him for his opinion of the comical information at that Web-site. I wondered if some of those events truly took place or if it was mostly make-believe. Was there truly some factual basis to the entry? He felt that the entire account was “all a running extension of the exceptionalist sentiment purportedly shared by all ‘true’ arequipenos. There was an anti-centralist uprising in 1950, again in 1955.” He informed me that the “contrast between the two events was well documented and analyzed in” a 1978 book by Baltazar Caravedo Molinari entitled Desarrollo desigual y lucha política en el Perú, 1948-1956: La burguesía arequipeña y el Estado Peruano. “Caravedo’s basic thesis is that with the economic changes (now we might say industrialization from early globalization) overtaking postwar Peru, 1950 was the last ‘organic’, multi-class, regionalist/anti-centralist uprising in Arequipa. By 1955, the uprising was more class-based and lacked the regional identity of earlier uprisings. Neither was fundamentally secessionist, even though the 1950 uprising drew heavily on the regionalist sentiment I described.” He later added: “The inciclopedia entry is mostly an inside joke, based on historical reality…yes, satire, or humorous fiction. I wouldn’t take it seriously. The part about the two deaths of the students at the Colegio de la Independencia is true, but I recall that he made no mention, for example, of the crucial symbolic leadership role played by Francisco Mostajo in the 1950 uprising. That right there tells you he’s playing loose and fast with the data…but then, it’s all a wonderful pro-Arequipa comedy central piece.” It embodies the same spirit as the “Un Characato” coin and the passport from the “Independent Republic of Arequipa”. He reiterated: “If you really want the historical reality, turn to Caravedo M, the citation I sent you.” As for the coin and the passport, they are “linked to the centuries-old sentiment in the region that they’re somehow different from other Peruvians, especially Limenos. Arequipenos are somewhat disparagingly referred to as ‘Characatos’, after a local town which is, in turn (lost to current memory) prominent because one of the main apparitions of the virgin in the region was there, from very early colonial times. They’ve taken that term and turned it around, proudly calling themselves by it to distinguish themselves as honest rubes, not city slickers. That’s roughly the meaning. So the coin is worth ‘one’ Characato of gold. The passport was developed by a local journalist for a conference of the local milk company about 15 years ago, I met him, he has a wonderful sense of humor and of course ‘gets it’ about the historical/cultural contexts. The sense of separateness dates from earliest colonial times, but peaked in the period 1890-1930 when the state was centralizing, particularly during the regime of Augusto Leguia, and arequipenos were fighting a last, ‘good’ fight against the ‘corrupt bastards’ in the capital.”
In order to reinforce all of this information, I did a little more investigation. I eventually did learn that in 1950 and 1955, the undaunted deeds of Arequipa shook up the dictatorship of General Manuel A. Odría (Interim President from October 1948 to June 1950; President from July 1950 to July 1956). They eventually succeeded in bringing demonstrations as well as the democratic competition of political parties back to the streets, thereby compelling Odría to repeal the draconian “Ley de Seguridad Interior” (Law of Internal Security) that was the legal framework during the repressive period known as the ochenio (the eight years of Odría rule/dictatorship). Though I was able to find numerous Spanish-language sites on the Internet that explained the events of 1950 (one of the most revolutionary episodes in all of Arequipa’s history) in great detail, I came across a nice article from Time Magazine (June 26, 1950) which conveniently (for me) summed up the entire incident (which took place from June 12-15): “Sprawled in a volcanic valley of the Andean foothills, Arequipa is the traditional hotbed of Peruvian rebellion. Two years ago the military coup which hoisted General Manuel Odría into the presidency started in an Arequipa barracks. Last week another revolutionary struggle briefly shook the town; it was a civilian assault on Odría's militaristic regime. The incident began when students at the American Independence High School and St. Augustine's University walked out in protest against a sudden junta decision barring General Ernesto Montagne, the sole opposition candidate against Odría (TIME, June 12), from the July 2 presidential election. Police cracked down; in ensuing skirmishes two youths were shot. Then civilian rebels led by Montagne's vice-presidential candidate, Dr. Francisco Mostajo, came out shooting from behind street barricades of paving stones. They seized the city hall, airport, police barracks and radio station. The rebels broadcast: ‘Dr. Mostajo has been named president of the Civilian Revolutionary Government pledged to end the tyranny of the Lima Military Junta . . .’ Next morning, reinforced by garrison troops moved down at night from nearby Tingo, Odría's forces counterattacked, recaptured all points, crushed the rebellion. At least 50 civilians and eight soldiers were killed, scores more wounded. By noon, except for occasional sniping from rooftops, the uprising was over. Rebel Chieftain Mostajo was arrested, then released because the army feared that jailing would put him in a martyr's niche. In Lima the junta sent secret police scurrying into the capital's luxurious Club Nacional, arrested dozens of ‘plotters.’ Blamed for the uprising were Montagne's small, conservative Civic Action party, the outlawed, impotent APRA party, and the surprised, feeble Peruvian Communists. Triumphant Odría told his countrymen: ‘The people of Peru have shown their unanimous support in my favor. The Arequipa rebellion was merely the exploitation of children and unwise ones who were tossed to sacrifice by wicked people.’ His onetime electoral rival Montagne was under arrest, awaiting deportation. In next month's election, Odría would be the only candidate.” Upon suppressing the students who had risen up against the authorities, the government hastened a popular insurrection (the Arequipeño citizenry, having become angry about those events, acted in solidarity with the students) and the school became an iconic landmark in the history of Arequipa. The other important revolt (mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph) took place in December of 1955 and lasted for nine days.
For the most part, the Arequipeños have always considered themselves special/distinct. They like to think of themselves as being separate from, and superior to, the rest of Peru. The independence of the city is reflected in its history, which has often opposed itself to directives from Lima. Without a doubt, Arequipa has been the setting for numerous courageous civic protests against the arbitrariness of the government. Arequipeños were and continue to be very regionalistic (although less and less) and they’ve always had a rivalry with the capital. Their claim/demand for independence is largely symbolic — they’ve never effectively concretized their autonomy from Lima.
The following Web-sites (en Español) offer additional information about this influential city:
http://www.cipca.org.pe/cipca/webir/regarequipa/sellohisto7-areq.htm
http://www.jornaldearequipa.com/Prom%2056/El_50_2.htm
http://www.rodriguezvelarde.com.pe/discursos_5.htm
The coin that has been mentioned several times up until this point is a “Un Characato de Oro” piece, issued by the “Banco Central de Reserva de la Republica Independiente de Arequipa”. I initially purchased, on eBay, two similar-looking nickel-plated versions. One has the town’s coat-of-arms on the obverse (dated 1985) and the profile of a hat-wearing, mustachioed characato on the reverse (he is facing rightwards) with El Misti in the background (to the right of his profile). The other one has an identical obverse (but undated) and a younger-looking, clean-shaven Arequipeño on the reverse (with a much larger volcano). I later acquired (from the same seller) an entirely different piece from the Republic: an “Un Misti de Oro” whose obverse is unlike any of the others; not only does it say “Banco de Reserva de la Republica Independiente de Arequipa” instead of “Banco Central de Reserva de la Republica Independiente de Arequipa”, but it also shows a view of the impressive, twin-towered Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa (the most important church of the city and Diocese of Arequipa, it is located on the north side of the Plaza de Armas) with El Misti in the background. The reverse features a very large depiction of the volcano with the Mirador de Yanahuara (this lengthy, aqueduct-shaped landmark — located in the district of Yanahuara, a suburb next to the city of Arequipa — is composed of a series of sillar stone arches where the words of famous local citizens have been engraved) in the foreground. I would later learn, thanks to a couple of fellow members from the Unrecognised States Numismatic Society (http://www.usns.info/ and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnrecognisedStatesNumismaticSociety/), that there exists a dizzying array of these types of coins. In light of so many distinct pieces, I can only conclude that numerous varieties/editions of tokens from Arequipa have been produced over the years/decades. Most of them look basically the same (the lettering and some of the details may differ), but there are some notable ones worth mentioning. I have seen a “Un Characato de Oro” that is plated in what appears to be gold, and the date (1985) is much smaller. On the Internet, I have read that a version made of 24-karat gold — they were meant to be presented as gifts — also exists (perhaps this piece could simply be gold-plated). I’ve also seen a “Un Characato de Oro” (golden version plus white metal version) in which the characato is facing to the left (and the volcano is to the left of his profile). I’ve also seen a golden “Un Characato de Oro” with a different coat-of-arms obverse (most importantly, the phrase “Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad” has been added). Another “Un Characato de Oro” (the characato and volcano have not been rendered in a sculptural manner, but in a linear style) also has a peculiar obverse: instead of showing a coat-of-arms in the center, it says “450 Años Fundacion/1540-1990”. I’ve also seen a “Un Misti de Oro” with the standard coat-of-arms obverse (like my “Misti” piece, it says “Banco de Reserva de la Republica Independiente de Arequipa” instead of “Banco Central de Reserva de la Republica Independiente de Arequipa”). I guess this list of varieties could go on and on. Overall, these tokens do not have legal circulation in Arequipa (they are not used for commercial transactions). They are chiefly touristic items, sold as symbolic souvenirs. They were minted in order to commemorate Arequipa’s anniversary (either as a city or as a departamento/province). One source stated that the coins have been around since circa 1973-76. However, according to a Peruvian numismatist named Mr. Italo Vassallo, “these pseudo-monedas appeared in the 80s.”
Another interesting Arequipa piece (this one does NOT say “Republica Independiente”) is a “Un Characato de Plata”; the reverse features the familiar characato along with the words “999 Fina”; the obverse says “447 Aniversario de la Fundacion de la Ciudad de Arequipa/1540” (along an outer circle) as well as “15 Agosto de 1987” underneath the municipal coat-of-arms.
Stevens felt that he and those who had embraced the Atlantis concept owed their “greatest debt to Ayn Rand” (from whom they “received a philosophic helping hand”), and that “man's code of ethical behavior should be evolved rationally rather than accepted mystically.” Though he was proudly patriotic, he was anguished by what he saw happening to the country that he fervently loved, this “ravishment” of the American way of life. But nevertheless, he believed that “To dream of repealing laws like Social Security, federal income tax, and Medicare is just simply not facing up to reality”. His “20th century Atlantis was conceived as a possible way out of this dilemma.” He was sure to emphasize that “We will lean over backwards to comply scrupulously with all aspects of U.S. law. We will not encourage participation in demonstrations, protests, or other activities no matter how appropriate...At all times on Stage I we wish to be loyal, docile, law-abiding citizens in every respect.”
Stevens, even in the early days of his vision, already had his heart set on a maritime course; to him, it was “readily apparent how closely a motel simulates a land-locked ship.” After Atlantis I reached maturity, growing in membership as an integrated group, with its companies/businesses prospering economically, the residents would shed their “chrysalis” and move their personal belongings, facilities, and industries to the Stage II vessel; a floating ocean community, aboard a modified freighter “cruising or anchored in international waters and putting into port in time of storm, for supplies, and for other necessary purposes.” According to Stevens, the feasibility of this feat was “readily appreciated when it is remembered that the large cruise ships are in reality floating cities, with populations of many thousands, and all 20th century conveniences on board.” Atlantis I would likely be sold by the pioneers in order to raise additional capital for the launching of Atlantis II, or, finances permitting, it would be “retained as a kind of staging area for future recruits.” During the third and final stage, the ship could be utilized “as the first boat of our merchant fleet, keeping us supplied and transporting our products to foreign markets.” Their progress was not bound by any rigid timetables, and he optimistically pointed out that Stage II as such was not absolutely “mandatory”, speculating that they perhaps might “be able to leapfrog directly from Stage I into Stage III” without an intermediate step. At this point, he offers “A tongue-in-cheek question: shall we then apply for membership in the U.N.?”
Their purpose had always been to achieve “freedom now.” Establishing a new, autonomous nation would enable them to gain “sufficient freedom to escape the relentless tug of the statist mentality.” They were convinced that their country would be “significantly more free than any other in the world today. We believe further that Atlantis will gradually become even more free as the years pass.” They endeavored to make it a reality partly because “an idea that has reached its time is not to be stopped.”
There was a need to emigrate somewhere, but “The only free places left on earth are the high seas.” Their new home could consist of artificially constructed off-shore islands, existing islands which could be purchased, or other land areas which could be purchased (perhaps even a combination of two or more of these options) in spite of the unfortunate fact that “no unclaimed territory is left and there is no hope of avoiding the heavy hand of the state over the long pull.” Furthermore, he was astute enough to realize that “even if the precise details of the ideal libertarian society could be worked out down to the last comma, such a society could not exist in today's world of sovereign states. If our brave new society were too foreign to the existing scheme of things, it would be cast out by the rest of the world, just as the human body's immune mechanism rejects foreign proteins...There is an upper limit to the rate of change which any biologic system can handle, whether it be an individual cell or an entire society. A perhaps overly simple analogy is acquiring a sun tan. Six hours' exposure first thing in the spring will produce a very serious burn. After several weeks' sunning, however, six hours are easily tolerated: the organism has accommodated. In an analogous way, it is extremely doubtful that, in one generation, a society could make the transition from the world as it exists today to the ideally free Utopia. Too many attitudes of mind and too many habit patterns would have to be changed over night.”
The final chapter of Operation Atlantis can be found in the pages of Erwin S. Strauss' How to Start Your Own Country. As it turns out, their eventual choice for Atlantis III (the permanent, fixed development) was narrowed down to the Caribbean. The proposed targets were the Prickly Pear Cays, off Anguilla, and the Silver Shoals area, claimed by Haiti and the Bahamas. Both governments were interested in recovering sunken treasure from old Spanish galleons in the local reefs. Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, in particular, had designs of his own on the Silver Shoals for that very reason. But in spite of running afoul of the Haitian dictator, landfill operations actually commenced in its shallow waters; Stevens had even acquired land on Haiti's Tortuga Island to use as a base. But at some point, the Atlanteans were purportedly chased off their site by Duvalier's gunboats. Travails such as these “forced Operation Atlantis into a low-profile posture from which it has never emerged.” To get to the British West Indies, they had successfully launched a ferrocement ship (Atlantis II), and its purpose now would have been to shuttle people and supplies to the envisioned artificial island/permanent floating platform. The maiden voyage of this homemade, top-heavy, rebar-and-mortar vessel took place on the Hudson River in December 1971, and after overcoming several unexpected difficulties along the way, it limped into the Bahamas, where it later sank in a hurricane.
Atlantis’s sole numismatic artifact is a silver 1970 1 Deca. The monetary unit is thusly named because the coin weighs exactly one decagram, or 10.0 grams. The September 18, 1970 issue of The Atlantis News declares that “The first Decas ever minted came into being on December 20, 1970.” (yes, I also noticed that there is a three-month discrepancy between both dates. The author is telling us of a numismatic milestone that has already taken place, yet the creation of the Deca should have preceded the appearance of the periodical, not vice versa. Contrary to the printed evidence, I am certain that it actually did. So if the coin came first, then one of the dates is unreliable: but which of the two? The answer may be quite simple: it appears that even though he tried to print the newsletter “on the first and third Fridays of each month”, Stevens did not succeed in sticking to his strict, self-imposed schedule. This inconsistency is illustrated by the February 19, 1971 edition, which was actually published — as indicated by the presence of parentheses — on 6/4/71) “The production run consisted of exactly four coins, and these were distributed as commemoratives to the four men who participated in the event: Project Director Curt Jones, Frank Traver, Warren Stevens, and visitor Erwin Strauss. One could not escape the feeling that history was being made in this quiet laboratory room, and that these four crude coins might one day be valued as collectors’ items. Inching gingerly into a world where none of us has any firsthand experience, it was decided that the first test of our new dies would be on a small, hand-operated, laboratory hydraulic press. Unfortunately, the one available to us had a maximum total capacity of 13 tons, which experience showed was not enough to fill fully all the interstices of the dies. Accordingly these first Decas are kind of pale and have the look of old and well-worn coins. Subsequent tests on heavier presses have shown that a minimum of 60 tons is required to get a sharp impression from our dies on the soft, rolled Sterling silver strip we are using. Accordingly Jones is now shopping around for a semi-automatic press with 100-ton capacity. As soon as he has acquired such a machine, full-scale production of Decas will begin.” The article goes on to remind its readers that it is unlawful to utter “coins intended for use as money” within the United States. “Domestically-minted Decas are intended exclusively as a store of value, the minting process being merely our certification as to weight and purity. All shipments of Decas within the U.S. will be accompanied by strongly-worded disclaimers to this effect.” The Deca (its “1970 date will be continued for all cons minted during 1971; no decision has as yet been reached regarding 1972”) was overseen by Stevens' Atlantis Commodity Purchasing Service (ATCOPS). As “the precursor of the Bank of Atlantis,” this commodity trading firm “is accordingly primarily interested in providing interest-paying storage accounts to serve as inflation-proof vehicles for the protection of its customers’ savings. As a service consistent with its objectives, ATCOPS permits its bona fide customers to make withdrawals in Deca coins, without a service or conversion charge. ATCOPS is thus in the minting business only in an accidental way, and does not desire merely to engage in the direct sale of Deca coins against U.S. dollars (except that Decas will be offered to coin collectors, but at a very large premium over the price to ATCOPS depositors).” I obtained a specimen of the Deca from Mr. Spencer Heath MacCallum, one of the principal members of the libertarian experiment (he was an independent contractor and the “proprietary community advocate” who drafted their “prototype lease contract”), in a trade for one of my 2003 Zilchstadt coins. More information about Atlantis can be found at these sites, which contain an essay written by one of the Operation's valuable recruits:
http://royhalliday.home.mindspring.com/rla.htm
http://libertariannation.org/a/n030h2.html
Images of the Deca can be viewed at at Atlantium's Imperial Collection:
http://imperial-collection.net/atlantis.html
I commend and applaud Mr. Moschetti's decisively bold transition into the designing and minting of his own patterns. I purchased the copper MMIV 20 Atlantis Dollars, but there are also a silver and gold 100 Atlantis Dollars. The obverse “features a small girl perhaps one of Poseidon’s children in the foreground with lake and mountains in background.” The reverse “features Poseidon, the God of Atlantis along with his mortal wife Cleito standing in front of the Golden Gates of Atlantis.” Mr. Moschetti would go on to issue additional versions of the popular 20/100 Atlantis Dollars (the obverse being the only side that is markedly different): the 2007 edition features “two Atlantis boatsmen in their outrigger”, and the 2009 edition features an “Atlantis woman bathing in a lake, with a waterfall in front of her. A Temple appears on the upper left part of the background.”
Images of Atlantis' coinage can be viewed at the Coin Library of the USNS:
http://www.usns.info/coin-atlantiskingdom.html
They can also be seen at the Web-site of Mr. Jorge Fernández Vidal:
http://www.jfvcoins.com/Productos/micronations_english=catAC.html
This inner-Sydney cyber-nation “was founded on the 3 Decimus, 10500 (27 November, 1981) when, in response to a perceived rise in unwelcome political influences, a unilateral Declaration of Independence from the Commonwealth of Australia was peacefully effected by Sydney residents George Francis Cruickshank, Geoffrey John Duggan and Claire Marie Duggan. The three Founders simultaneously symbolically laid claim to an approximately 10 square metre enclave — the Provisional Territory — located in the southern Sydney suburb of Narwee within the surrounding City of Hurstville. Cruickshank was thence acclaimed Emperor, and assumed full executive, legislative and judicial authority as His Imperial Majesty George II.” Other teenagers/students soon joined the ambitious trio. “Ironically,” however, “the foundation of the Empire's rapid successes in the early 10500s (1980s) was to prove the basis of its slow decline into developmental inactivity over the following decade.” Eventually, because the core members of the group had graduated from their higher education programs and moved to different locations, they ceased to be collectively active: “At the beginning of 10507 (1988) the tightly-knit university community that comprised the greater part of the Citizens of the Empire was scattered Australia-wide at the conclusion of their studies. A decade into the future, with the popularisation of the Internet such an outcome might not have presented so great an impediment to viability; in 10507 (1988) however things were different. In time, communications between Citizens became less frequent, less practical and less enthusiastic…By 10509 (1990) it was evident that most of the Empire's instrumentalities were fast lapsing into inactivity, and when the General Election scheduled for that year failed to eventuate, the Constitutional catalyst for the reversion of full executive, legislative and judicial authority to the Emperor came into effect. This ensured the formal, albeit dormant continuity of Atlantium during the 10510s (1990s).” But Mr. Cruickshank, Atlantium’s Sovereign Head of State, did not allow Atlantium to simply fade away. “On 7 Quintus, 10518 (2 June, 1999), His Imperial Majesty acquired legal ownership of the Imperium Proper. The acquisition of a geographical territory upon which the formal sovereignty claims of Atlantium could be legally exercised and/or tested — a distant future goal of the early Empire — was thus fulfilled. In recognition of the importance of this event His Imperial Majesty reaffirmed, in the name of all past and future Citizens, the existence, claims and legitimacy of the Empire as a Sovereign Commonwealth of Citizens, and committed himself to its revival. This event is now known as the Refundatio (Refoundation), and it marks the beginning of the contemporary history of Atlantium.” The Imperium Proper is currently a 61 square-meter apartment in the suburb of Potts Point.
Calendrically speaking, Atlantium has instituted something that is quite innovative: “The Annus Novus year-numbering convention is derived from the approximate date for the worldwide end of the Pleistocene Era and the last Ice Age, and the beginning of the Holocene.” Because Atlantium is “committed to a policy of relative cultural neutrality”, it was introduced as an alternative “to the inefficient, sectarian Gregorian calendar and dating system which remains in use throughout much of the first world.”
Atlantium’s inaugural coin (http://www.atlantium.org/buycoins.html) was a10 Solidi piece dated 10520 (2001). It features “a high relief likeness of Emperor George II on the obverse and the Imperial Eagle on the reverse”. The “unique coin not only marks the 20th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Imperium…but is also the first ever coinage issue by a global non-territorial state”. I purchased a specimen directly from Emperor George II, who also happens to be a member of the Unrecognised States Numismatic Society (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnrecognisedStatesNumismaticSociety/ and http://www.usns.info/).
In what proved to be a newsworthy occurrence (and a great success!), the Reg Vardy Gallery at the University of Sunderland (in the UK) hosted an exhibition entitled “We Could Have Invited Everyone” (Nov. 9 to Dec. 17, 2004). Coins, medals, constitutions, living plans, stamps, languages, flags, national anthems and other symbols and practices were displayed. A significant amount of items were drawn from Mr. Cruickshank's extensive Imperial Collection (http://www.imperial-collection.net/index2.html). This may very well have been “the first time that serious academic attention has been given to the ‘alternative sovereignty’ and ‘new country’ phenomenon — and the first time a public exhibition bringing together numismatic, philatelic and other artefacts from a range of unrecognised states has been attempted.” After the conclusion of this exhibit, it then crossed the Atlantic and resumed at the Andrew Kreps Gallery, in New York City, from June 24-July 29, 2005.
The company also had a pronounced religious undercurrent in its merchandising. “In a world lacking in sound role models, many today have no real life mentors on which to fashion their lives. Yet throughout history, there are those who have made their mark through outstanding achievements and have become immortalized in our historical literature, museums and art galleries. Of particular interest to Australia Fair are the Inspirational Biblical Heroes, whose lives clearly demonstrated the presence of the hand of God.” Of all the possible Biblical protagonists, King Solomon was held in high esteem by the company: “In the sphere of international intelligence, financial services and precious metals, reputation is everything. Recorded in history as the wisest man who every lived King Solomon understood the value of reputation and placed it above money. At Australia Fair we believe that the distinctive of a good reputation ensures value, and without this Australia Fair would just be one more voice in a noisy and hectic hive of commerce. As a reputation takes years to build and only a few moments to destroy, the longer one is able to maintain a reputation of integrity the more valuable it becomes, and the less likely one is to forfeit.”
Based on these theological and devotional ideals, they minted a series of “Inspirational Biblical Heroes Bullion Medallions”. It was their hope that these “genuine collectables” would succeed in offering not only value, but a spiritually meaningful “message to the next generation.” The “Shekel” became their denomination of choice: “Historians generally agree on the weight of the ancient Hebrew shekel at approximately 11.4 grams fine weight per shekel.” Therefore, the entire range of their coinage “was derived from this weighting system.” A ¼ Shekel weight 2.85g (gold) piece — referred to as the “King Solomon” coin — was released in late 1997 (I would later learn that this piece, due to Australia Fair’s peculiar dating system, is dated 7790; for further information about the company’s unique method of tracking the years, please refer to the final paragraph of this listing). Australia Fair maintained that this “extremely small denomination” made the pieces convenient for the trading of “essential goods and services in difficult social and economic times.” Because “very little else existed in the market” at the time, the company hoped the ¼ Shekel weight medallion would continue “to be an excellent way to purchase and hold gold bullion in small tradable denominations as protection against social and economic crisis.” The “King Solomon” coin was also made available as a 1 Shekel weight 11.4g (gold) piece and as a 1 Shekel weight 11.4g (silver) piece. A 1 Shekel weight 11.4g (silver) — the “Patriarch Abraham” coin — was released in July 2000. The following year, it seems as though a “Patriarch Abraham” 1 Shekel weight 11.4g (gold) piece was also released. “These sizes make these coins small and easily tradable. Many people hold gold and silver coinage on hand as a ‘crisis’ or ‘financial catastrophe’ insurance. Historically, in the event of a financial catastrophe, the purchasing power of bullion coins has increased dramatically. By holding coins in small and tradable sizes, it makes them convenient and easy to exchange (trade) for essential goods and services in the ‘free market’, than if you are holding larger coins.” It is true that “large ingots usually are stamped for purity, a stipulated weight, internationally recognized by the mint that issued the ingot. However, in our opinion they fall short” in regards to an important criterion: “tradability in small denominations” is of utmost importance when speaking of precious-metal coinage, and most ingots aren’t minted in “small enough denomination to be practicable.” All of Australia Fair’s “Inspirational Biblical Hero Medallions” have a fixed weight and a fixed purity. The same cannot be said for gold nuggets, which are also held by many people in order to safeguard their wealth in case of a possible meltdown of the national/international financial institutions. Nevertheless, the specific value of each coin “fluctuates daily according to international metals & currency prices.” They were manufactured (“hand-crafted”) by the “internationally recognized” and “world reputable” Perth Mint, whose name appears on the pieces. The Mint’s reputation for excellent workmanship “ensures” the purity of the medallions. At one point, the Web-site also featured preliminary artwork of future/proposed issues of Biblical Hero Bullion Coins. “These medallions are truly ‘collectibles’ determined by an annual change of date and a periodic change of Inspirational Biblical Hero.” Of course, “in times of catastrophe tradability becomes the issue not collectability.” Australia Fair also produced an Abraham Booklet and a Solomon Booklet offering insights into the lives these biblical personages to be included with the purchase of the coins. Big-time investors could even purchase a “Gold Heritage Certificate” representing 100 ounces of .999 fine gold bullion held in the Australia Fair Certificate Trust bullion depository.
Basically, the “non-legal-tender bullion coinage” of Australia Fair is a form of “free market money”. After all, “Money develops naturally as the result of the action of the free, unrestricted market place. Throughout time and millennium, the money that has always emerged from this free market process, almost without exception, has been gold and silver. This free market, gold and silver monetary system is the result of the market place and not law or government decree. As long as the integrity and value of this free market money is preserved, the marketplace, and the economy and society it serves, will prosper and flourish.” Australia Fair listed several “strategic advantages of our Inspirational Biblical Hero Medallions have over other gold coins”. One focused on the assertion that for the most part, “Legal tender coins are in most cases owned by the issuing government, not necessarily the holder.” Legal tender refers to all the notes/coins issued by “the Reserve Bank of a sovereign nation” and this money “is the subject of one of the law making powers of the Constitution of a country.” In other words, “The vast majority of bullion coins in the market place today are government issued (legal tender) bullion coins. The coinage and/or currency laws of most countries, allow the government that issue the coinage (including their own bullion coinage), to impose restrictions, change or manipulate rates of exchange, recall and potentially even remove from circulation (confiscate) their coinage from the bearer. When you hold privately issued bullion coinage, you ARE the owner, not just the bearer. When you hold government issued bullion coinage, you are ONLY ever the bearer (temporary holder), NEVER the owner, the issuing government ALWAYS remain the owner.” All the coins “you purchase from Australia Fair becomes your property not that of an issuing government.” The company’s “revolutionary” bullion medallions “are privately and freely issued and traded.” They “do not carry the limitations of government issue legal tender.” Its users are not inconvenienced by any “legal tender restrictions”. Another one of the major “strategic advantages” of the coinage is that these “religious medallions would come under the classification of ‘rare and unusual’ gold items in that they would be considered religious artifacts, providing a strong argument against the possible re-enactment of the confiscation of gold bullion as in 1933.” According to Mr. Rick Reese — his company, Heritage Quest International, based in Colorado Springs, CO, was “an Independent Marketing Agent for Australia Fair” — an “executive order to confiscate gold bullion was issued by President Roosevelt” on April 5th of 1933. Thus, “the government outlawed the ownership of” gold bullion, gold coins, and gold certificates by American citizens. The gold was expropriated in order “to provide relief in the existing national emergency in banking, and for other purposes”. The government then “jacked up” the price of gold. Fortunately, “rare and unusual” religious artifacts were exempt from the callous confiscation. “Again in the 60's, the government ordered a recall on all silver certificates that were convertible for silver bullion. We strongly believe another recall is likely”, especially “if there is another money crisis. Such announcements are usually without warning and when the financial markets are closed. In fact, the 1933 ‘Executive Order’ to confiscate gold has never been rescinded and is still valid. ALL BULLION, BULLION COINS AND CERTIFICATES ARE SUBJECT TO CONFISCATION WITHIN THE U.S. AT ANY TIME.” By “Using history as a guide, our goal is to provide our clients the best chance to protect their investment.” Reese, by the way, referred to the Australia Fair medallions as “Y2K Survival Money”. According to his Web-site (http://home.pcisys.net/~y2kgold/index.html), “HQI has great concern about the stability of our financial system, national debt, banking, the possibility of an economic crash, and the mortal implications of such a catastrophe. ‘Y2K Survival Money’ was specifically minted to offer a confiscation-proof way for clients to buy and hold gold bullion.” Global in nature, the envisaged cataclysm will inevitably “lead to a crash of the world currencies. During the period of ‘trade and barter’ we will return back to a ‘gold standard’ based on the constant value of gold and silver (as measured by their weight and purity). Thus, a return to the gold standard because of universal recognition of value, stability and global acceptability…The small denomination (1/4 shekel) is unique in the marketplace and considered prudent, particularly in times of catastrophe when small denominations become conveniently tradable for essential goods and services (this would be at a time when no one would accept the US dollar).”
Australia Fair has been involved in philanthropic activities: “A generous amount of the profits earned by Australia Fair is put back into meaningful projects both here in Australia and overseas. Since its’ inception in 1997 Australia Fair has been active in using such profits from its’ commerce to grant financial aid to” numerous worthy causes: “Rehabilitation of women damaged by Prostitution (Australia)…Assistance of the underprivileged children through Service Organisation (Australia)…Benevolent aid to Missionary and Humanitarian needs (South Africa)…The purchase of numerous Ricksaws donated to needy families to allow them to earn a living (India)…Support of organisations that uphold decency amongst community standards (Australia)…Work amongst the rehabilitation of youth who have been sexually abused, homeless or battling with drug addiction…Promotion of material to youth on sex education, high lighting the risks of promiscuity and the joys of life time commitment. Encouraging teenagers to remain sexually pure until they are married…Funding of the printing of literature to aid education (Estonia)…Funding and supply of books to Third World Countries to offer education to the underprivileged (many parts of the globe).”
The company’s Web-site underwent several incarnations. Sometime in 2002, Australia Fair became “a registered trademark of The Anglo Far-East Bullion Company” and Internet visitors were re-directed to a new site (http://www.anglofareast.com/). Apparently, the former entity had metamorphosed into the latter. The Anglo Far-East Bullion Company, based in Hong Kong and the Republic of Panama (they used to be based in Port Vila, Vanuatu), “is an Asian-Pacific based specialist Bullion and Financial services company…blending the best of several carefully selected financial jurisdictions in its operations”. The new site provided a brief explanation of how/why the transformation took place. In the late 1980s, “Peter Daniels perceived a beneficial union through the introduction of his son Graham to a man called Philip Judge. In the years to follow this introduction was to prove to be one that forged a formidably competitive union in today’s market economy.” While Graham Daniels was busy building Australia Fair, his friend Judge — “the founder of South Australia’s largest media services and duplication industry” — was in the process of “producing and directing a two-part documentary called ‘Millennium Money’. This feature on financial institutions, international economics and the world of commerce was submitted to the US International Film and Video Festival in Chicago in 1998 and won the Gold Award. Philip is a respected author in the field of precious metals, lectures around the world on ‘commonsense economics’, and is an investigative reporter on economic and global trends.” Eventually, the two entrepreneurs forged a business partnership. Judge became one of the founding directors of the Anglo Far-East Bullion Company. It is clear that Graham Daniels, described as “one of AFE’s original founders,” became one as well. “Today this complementary and integral alliance of minds between Philip Judge and Graham Daniels, and their single focus of providing world leading financial services, unique precious metals and strategic international intelligence, has put them on demand globally for their counsel on these vital and intriguing subjects.” With operations in several nations, “and with key personnel based in London and Chicago, THE ANGLO FAR-EAST BULLION COMPANY is on the cutting edge of international commerce.” Eventually, AFE’s Web-site would erase most, if not all, mention of Australia Fair. “Over the years, Anglo Far-East has become recognised as a world leading issuer of non-government issued bullion coinage; ‘free market money’.” As the sole distributor of the “complete range of Inspirational Biblical Hero” medallions, they also co-opted the entire history of the pieces: “In the latter part of the 1990’s, Anglo Far-East brought a somewhat different product into the market place. The unique ‘Inspirational Biblical Hero’ coinage range quickly gained worldwide acceptance. On their release AFE claimed the coinage range would fill the growing demand for a non-government issued, bullion coinage.” By their own estimation, it seems as though their claims were correct: “Today these bullion coins circulate in large quantities around the world, fulfilling a growing demand for privately issued, non-legal tender, gold and silver minted coinage.” In 2006, the Anglo Far-East Bullion Company announced the release of a new medallion, featuring another “one of the Old Testament’s great heroes”: Joseph. The most interesting characteristic about this piece is that the obverse carries the company’s new name — “The Anglo Far–East Bullion Company” (instead of “Australia Fair”) — and its logo (“the Rampant Lion signifying the Tribe of Judah, and the AFE Shield containing the representation of Australian Wattle, the Southern Cross, and the Passover”). The Joseph medallion, dated 2006, is apparently available in 1 Shekel weight (gold) and perhaps also ¼ Shekel weight (gold). According to the official announcement (http://www.anglofareast.com/downloads/2006RELEASE.pdf), AFE’s range of “Inspirational Biblical Hero” coinage is reportedly now being “minted in Zurich by the world renowned Argor Heraus Mint”. However, an accompanying image of the actual Joseph coin shows that it still has “Perth Mint Australia” written on it, exactly like the previous pieces. Curiously, the announcement states that the Anglo Far-East Bullion Company “no longer distributes the coins” because “AFE has Signed an Exclusive Gold Coin Distribution Agreement” with Joseph Wealth Systems, Inc. (“a global company that ‘empowers Ordinary People to Acquire Extraordinary Wealth’.”). Their Web-site (http://www.josephwealthsystems.com/index.php?page=shekel_range) shows a newer version of the Joseph medallion; it is dated 2008: “JWS Independent Colleagues and customers have exclusive access to the world's only range of golden shekels that fit all the criteria of collectable and non-confiscatable. By regularly acquiring JWS premium shekels, JWS Colleagues and Customers are building real savings in tangible assets in the oldest and most reliable form. JWS Shekels are available in two sizes; 1/4 shekel @ 2.85 grams (just below 10th oz), and shekel @ 11.4 grams (just above 1/3 oz).” The obverse has “Joseph Wealth Systems” written along the top and it has the large JWS logo in the center; it also bears the name of the latest mint — “Argor-Heraeus Switzerland” (located in Mendrisio, Switzerland) — that is currently producing the “Shekel Range”.
I found answers to several of my nagging questions about Australia Fair and AFE at a Web-site of Dan El Private Estates, a business that “is built upon a tradition established in 1959 by Peter and Robina Daniels, of providing a heritage for future generations. This tradition, formally embraced by their second son Graham, has been fashioned into what is today, the Dan El global network.” Based in Geneva, Switzerland, “The Dan El project is a prestigious niche market of private international estate planning”. One of their pages (http://www.danel.ch/graham_k_daniels.html) goes into lengthy detail about the founder of Australia Fair. “In 1998 Graham continued to build on the foundation laid by his parents and launched Australia Fair, a strategic information and precious metals company founded in Australia, privately owned and debt free. Having worked with his father on many projects worldwide, Graham invited Peter Daniels to the seat of Chairman. He accepted, and the business took off. This project saw the introduction of numerous world firsts, including the private minting of unique bullion coinage that sold around the world to a growing private clientele. (The Perth Mint in Western Australia won the contract with Australia Fair to mint the first issuance of these private bullion coins.) In 1998, while working on the Australia Fair launch, Graham was invited” by his longtime friend Philip Judge to be Executive Producer of his award-winning, “somewhat provocative documentary on economics and morality”. Graham’s business was a success. “Within two years of Australia Fair’s launch, it too had outgrown Australia. In 1999 the Australia Fair project went global under the banner of Australia Fair International, with the opening of its first overseas office in Vanuatu. In 2001 Australia Fair International, became the Anglo Far-East Bullion Company where Graham served as Chairman for 5 years, with an international board serving from four continents through its head office in Panama City. Anglo had made its mark of integrity in the highly competitive bullion world. Today Graham is recognised for the reputation he has earned not only as an astute businessman, but also as a lecturer of substance on subjects relating to economics, morality, asset protection and business strategy…Graham is a strong advocate of ‘The Market Economy’ in its pure form. His lectures on this subject are always well received, and are a practical and refreshing alternative to the ‘debt based, fiat currency, government interference’ models of the west. Graham believes that western economies, for many reasons are systemically unsustainable, and that the day of major wide spread implosion is not that far away. It is vital to mention that Graham’s interest in the market economy goes beyond theory. ‘Theory won’t put a meal on the table for your family. My father use to say “we don’t need more teachers today, what we need is more examples” and he’s right. There is much to be learned outside the classroom. If you really want to help the poor, show them how to attain economic freedom. Only when the poor no longer need you, can you claim that the program you are using is a success. Maintaining reliance will destroy individual esteem and stagnate a community.’ Evidence of Graham’s practical approach can be seen in a project he heads up on the Pacific Islands of Vanuatu. Here Graham is ‘field testing’ economic theory, by applying market economy principles to the native people of the Mele Village. This project is run debt free, and under the banner of the local village church. His Economic Study Manual is the Holy Scriptures, as Graham teaches the pastors economics from the ‘Good Book’. ‘Today there are women in the village sewing cloths with machines, and young men taking tourists around on “pushbike rickshaws”, they have a courthouse and public meeting hall. They have a means to provide for the needs of themselves and their families…they need me less today. I will consider the project a success when they don’t need me at all!’ When not with this family or playing polo, Graham spends much of his ‘spare’ time in private study of law, economics, history and scripture. He is often seen in the courtrooms of Australia (self represented) challenging various issues of concern including abuse of the Constitution, abortion, taxation, and the occult (freemasonry). He represents himself at Magistrate, District, Supreme Court and High Court jurisdictions, often with an uninvited audience of observers that follow his cases…Graham has resigned from all his previous interests, including the position of Chairman to the Board of The Anglo Far East Bullion Company (in July 2006, Peter in 2005) to pull together what he believes is the pinnacle of his life’s journey thus far…‘Dan El’.”
I purchased a “King Solomon” ¼ Shekel weight medallion (gold) from Mr. Eugene Freeman. I later purchased a “Patriarch Abraham” 1 Shekel weight medallion (silver) from Mr. Phil Barnhart: “my understanding was that the silver Shekel was actually for demo/promo only, they were pushing the gold (better markup).”The ¼ Shekel is dated 7791 and the 1 Shekel is dated 7792. According to the Determining a Biblical Chronology portion of the Abraham Booklet (which I also received from Mr. Barnhart), the year 7791 AM (“Anno Mundi”) equates to 1998 and 7792 equates to 1999. Australia Fair’s reckoning of time is derived, in an ultra complex fashion, from the Septuagint. Unfortunately, their chronology only goes up to 5207 AM, which equates to about 586 BC (the year the Temple was destroyed). My calculations, therefore, might be off by a year or two because my mathematical skills are horrible.Return to the Main Index