Word from Nuevo Narvik is that Casa Yayubetja has been occupied dealing with a financial crisis, allegedly precipitated by debasement of the coin. There has, as yet, been no official proclamation from either Crown or Exchequer, but unofficial word is that the High King's government disavows responsibility, fixing blame on large-scale counterfeiting from a source yet to be identified.
The coin of La Union Real is known as the silver real, or colloquially the silver cod, though he who calls it a cod-piece in earshot of a Scandalusian patriot may find himself invited to grass before breakfast. At any rate, it appears that a sizable number of coins have been found to be more than half zinc or tin, rather than silver.
3 days ago
2 comments:
What a revolting development. Have any vile Stagonians visited recently?
-- Jeff
Some time ago (indeed long before the local authorities were aware of the problem) Monte-Cristan chemists routinely analyzed a sample of Scandalusian counterfeit coinage. They were astounded to discover that the ‘contaminant’ was not tin, but aluminium - a metal extremely difficult to extract from the ore and to work. Actually until then they were totally sure that nobody else even suspected the existence of this new metal. The Monte-Cristan Academie des Sciences always keeps such discoveries secret, while doing an exhaustive search of practical applications, so that eventually the Prince-President can sell a ‘packet patent’ to the highest bidder.
But somebody else knows of aluminium - and can extract and work it so easily as to use it instead of tin for such trivialities as making lightened (but extremely durable) cod pieces. While for Monte-Cristan experts this new metal is far more precious than platinum! Does this amazing revelation give some substance to the rumours whispered in some esoteric circles (mainly in Paris, Lyons and Rennes-le-Château) that the marvelous knowlege of Ancient Atlants was not lost, but passed to Egyptian priests of a minor cult in Memphis (10 @ C in hieroglyphic writing), then to the Masons of the Temple of Jerusalem and finally to the Knights Templars, some of them escaped to Agartha?
Then why would the heirs of the ‘White Cloaks’ want to debase the currency of the Union Real? The French King, or the Pope, would be more likely targets of their delayed vengeance. Unless… unless Joern Carlos XI is a secret descendant of Philippe le Bel? Again there are rumours… The last direct descendant of the ‘Cursed King’ officially died (probably poisoned) during his baptism; then many mutter that a commoner baby had be substituted before the ceremony, so that the sang real did not die. Joan of Arc is supposed to be part of this secret kingly lineage, but the Pucelle de France was born from a minor branch – the main one is still unidentified…
In any case somebody knows of aluminium, and the Presipality hoped (and is still hoping, could the ‘competition’ be … silenced by any mean) to make a huge profit from its discovery (though currently this new metal has no other use than as an extraodinarily expensive erzatz of tin to make saucepans and other kitchen ustensils – but a team of engineers is working very hard on it). The whole Academie and all Monte-Cristan agents were urged to investigate, while the dread Bureau de la Securite Nationale is searching for a local leak.
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