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Stand by and witness the Ceremony of the SORCEROR'S SHILLING.
lordmarcovan
Posts: 43,215 ✭✭✭✭✭
The Sorceror's Shilling is a talisman; an amulet of subtle but supernatural power.
Its story began in a shady and nefarious way, a hundred and eighty years ago, probably in Great Britain around the year 1820.
Once upon a time, in the final days of Mad King George, a counterfeiter in England, seeking to make a dishonest profit, created a spurious "Bullhead" type shilling, so called because of the jowly, muscular profile of George III featured on this particular type of coin. He dated the coin to the last year of George's reign, 1820. Ailing and insane, the king died that year. The counterfeiter probably coated his fake brass or copper shilling with a thin plating of silver, tin, or mercury, so that it could pass in commerce.
In an alternate possibility, it was created as a gaming counter, to resemble a coin of the realm, as such counters often did. This might explain its later association with luck.
At some later time, probably still within the 19th century, someone placed a hole at the top of the shilling, to carry it as a watch fob or "lucky" piece. Perhaps by this time, some of the silver plating, if there had been any, wore off, revealing its brassy color.
Time passed, empires fell, the 20th century dawned, Europe was torn by two world wars, and the curious counterfeit shilling passed through time, variously used as a trinket or fob or lucky piece or pocket charm, but that history is lost to us. Shortly after the dawn of the 21st century, the shilling must have made its way into a collection of coins consigned to auction or sold.
The counterfeit, holed Bullhead shilling, by this time collectible in its own right and perhaps worth almost as much as a real one would be by virtue of its curiosity, made its way into the hands of Charles Mead, Gallery Operations Manager for Heritage Auction Gallery, the largest rare coin auction firm in the world.
Mr. Mead, an occasional visitor to the Collectors Universe Forums on the Internet, knew of an eccentric character there who called himself "Lord Marcovan", who collected holed coins, wearing them on a famous "Holey Coin Vest" to national coin shows. He also knew that this "Lord Marcovan" character, whose real name was Robertson Shinnick, was a treasure hunter and metal detector hobbyist. Mr. Shinnick had lamented his recent lack of success in his metal detecting endeavors, and Mr. Mead decided to send him the counterfeit shilling as a lucky piece, to help him find a silver coin, which Mr. Shinnick hadn't been able to do for some time.
Thus was born the legend of the SORCEROR'S SHILLING.
And it is here that I entered the tale.
My chapter of the story was written here.
(When I composed that, my word-processing program did not allow me to use the spelling "sorceror" and made me use "sorcerer" instead, but I have since reverted to my preferred spelling.)
Suffice it to say, Charlie's gift met its intended purpose; it immediately broke a long silver drought for me in my detecting. I found a decent 1918-D Mercury dime the first day I carried it. Not a spectacular find, but quite nice, and it cheered me up and fired my enthusiasm. My friend with me that day found an 1864 two-cent piece!
I jokingly called Charlie a "sorceror" after that, for his eerily accurate prediction of my upturn in luck.
I used the shilling a few more times, but my finds were modest. I sensed that whatever power or "mojo" it had was used up... for me. I kept it as a sentimental keepsake, until recently, when it realized that it was The Sorceror's Shilling, and that it still had the power to bring good luck, and it was time to pass it on to its next owner. Perhaps the luck will grow as the history of the Sorceror's Shilling grows.
My chosen successor is Steven Kampis, known to you on these forums as "SilverDreams".
He dreams of finding silver coins, so who better to give my lucky silver-finding amulet to? May it serve him well, and in turn, may it bring luck to his successor, and so on down the line. I predict he will get a little more power out of it than I did. The true importance of whatever treasure the Sorceror's Shilling brings is in the eye of the beholder- what is special to one person may not be to another, but the Sorceror's Shilling will help a succession of treasure hunters find what they deem to be a special find or two.
In my hands, it was powerful enough to bring me a silver coin, but not enough to bring me a breakthrough. Had I been the one to find the two-cent piece that day, it would have been a breakthrough, since I have not still found one as of this writing. Instead, it broke my silver jinx, which was good enough for me.
I suspect it will provide Mr. Kampis a metal detecting breakthrough, however. Perhaps not on his first outing, or the second, but fairly soon. I think he will find his first Indian cent, Liberty Nickel, or Barber dime, if he carries the Sorceror's Shilling long enough. I am convinced the power is there, but he has to harness it. If he carries it long enough, I predict he will make a bigger breakthrough, like a large cent, Seated Liberty coin, or a Barber half dollar. I do not see a gold coin or a silver dollar in his immediate future, though it is possible. I find it more likely that he will make a small to medium-sized breakthrough and he will then feel the power of the Sorceror's Shilling begin to wane a bit for him, and he will know it is time for him to pass it on to his successor. A worthy successor, who needs the luck but who is willing to respect and preserve the history of the Sorceror's Shilling, and to write a new chapter in the story.
For so it is that we make our own luck in this lifetime. Treasure is in the head and in the heart, and transcends mere "things". The material treasures are a joy to discover and to cherish, but their true meaning is what we make of them inside our own minds, and the thrill of discovery.
Dreams take hard work if they are ever to be made real. But it never hurts to have a little lucky talisman in your pocket.
Steven Kampis, I hereby invest you with the power of the SORCEROR'S SHILLING.
May it serve you well and bring you material, mental, and spiritual wealth.
Respect and preserve the history of the SORCEROR'S SHILLING, and choose a worthy successor who will also respect it and help to write its history.
This history is a mostly-unwritten saga at this time, and your chapter has just begun.
When you have written it and the time comes for you to pass on the SORCEROR'S SHILLING, you may say to your successor,
"A wise man once gave me this, and it brought me luck. May it bring you the same."
So I say to you, and you can say to your successor, and he in turn can say to his successor, so on down the line.
A tradition is born, and yours is one of its earliest chapters.
Its story began in a shady and nefarious way, a hundred and eighty years ago, probably in Great Britain around the year 1820.
Once upon a time, in the final days of Mad King George, a counterfeiter in England, seeking to make a dishonest profit, created a spurious "Bullhead" type shilling, so called because of the jowly, muscular profile of George III featured on this particular type of coin. He dated the coin to the last year of George's reign, 1820. Ailing and insane, the king died that year. The counterfeiter probably coated his fake brass or copper shilling with a thin plating of silver, tin, or mercury, so that it could pass in commerce.
In an alternate possibility, it was created as a gaming counter, to resemble a coin of the realm, as such counters often did. This might explain its later association with luck.
At some later time, probably still within the 19th century, someone placed a hole at the top of the shilling, to carry it as a watch fob or "lucky" piece. Perhaps by this time, some of the silver plating, if there had been any, wore off, revealing its brassy color.
Time passed, empires fell, the 20th century dawned, Europe was torn by two world wars, and the curious counterfeit shilling passed through time, variously used as a trinket or fob or lucky piece or pocket charm, but that history is lost to us. Shortly after the dawn of the 21st century, the shilling must have made its way into a collection of coins consigned to auction or sold.
The counterfeit, holed Bullhead shilling, by this time collectible in its own right and perhaps worth almost as much as a real one would be by virtue of its curiosity, made its way into the hands of Charles Mead, Gallery Operations Manager for Heritage Auction Gallery, the largest rare coin auction firm in the world.
Mr. Mead, an occasional visitor to the Collectors Universe Forums on the Internet, knew of an eccentric character there who called himself "Lord Marcovan", who collected holed coins, wearing them on a famous "Holey Coin Vest" to national coin shows. He also knew that this "Lord Marcovan" character, whose real name was Robertson Shinnick, was a treasure hunter and metal detector hobbyist. Mr. Shinnick had lamented his recent lack of success in his metal detecting endeavors, and Mr. Mead decided to send him the counterfeit shilling as a lucky piece, to help him find a silver coin, which Mr. Shinnick hadn't been able to do for some time.
Thus was born the legend of the SORCEROR'S SHILLING.
And it is here that I entered the tale.
My chapter of the story was written here.
(When I composed that, my word-processing program did not allow me to use the spelling "sorceror" and made me use "sorcerer" instead, but I have since reverted to my preferred spelling.)
Suffice it to say, Charlie's gift met its intended purpose; it immediately broke a long silver drought for me in my detecting. I found a decent 1918-D Mercury dime the first day I carried it. Not a spectacular find, but quite nice, and it cheered me up and fired my enthusiasm. My friend with me that day found an 1864 two-cent piece!
I jokingly called Charlie a "sorceror" after that, for his eerily accurate prediction of my upturn in luck.
I used the shilling a few more times, but my finds were modest. I sensed that whatever power or "mojo" it had was used up... for me. I kept it as a sentimental keepsake, until recently, when it realized that it was The Sorceror's Shilling, and that it still had the power to bring good luck, and it was time to pass it on to its next owner. Perhaps the luck will grow as the history of the Sorceror's Shilling grows.
My chosen successor is Steven Kampis, known to you on these forums as "SilverDreams".
He dreams of finding silver coins, so who better to give my lucky silver-finding amulet to? May it serve him well, and in turn, may it bring luck to his successor, and so on down the line. I predict he will get a little more power out of it than I did. The true importance of whatever treasure the Sorceror's Shilling brings is in the eye of the beholder- what is special to one person may not be to another, but the Sorceror's Shilling will help a succession of treasure hunters find what they deem to be a special find or two.
In my hands, it was powerful enough to bring me a silver coin, but not enough to bring me a breakthrough. Had I been the one to find the two-cent piece that day, it would have been a breakthrough, since I have not still found one as of this writing. Instead, it broke my silver jinx, which was good enough for me.
I suspect it will provide Mr. Kampis a metal detecting breakthrough, however. Perhaps not on his first outing, or the second, but fairly soon. I think he will find his first Indian cent, Liberty Nickel, or Barber dime, if he carries the Sorceror's Shilling long enough. I am convinced the power is there, but he has to harness it. If he carries it long enough, I predict he will make a bigger breakthrough, like a large cent, Seated Liberty coin, or a Barber half dollar. I do not see a gold coin or a silver dollar in his immediate future, though it is possible. I find it more likely that he will make a small to medium-sized breakthrough and he will then feel the power of the Sorceror's Shilling begin to wane a bit for him, and he will know it is time for him to pass it on to his successor. A worthy successor, who needs the luck but who is willing to respect and preserve the history of the Sorceror's Shilling, and to write a new chapter in the story.
For so it is that we make our own luck in this lifetime. Treasure is in the head and in the heart, and transcends mere "things". The material treasures are a joy to discover and to cherish, but their true meaning is what we make of them inside our own minds, and the thrill of discovery.
Dreams take hard work if they are ever to be made real. But it never hurts to have a little lucky talisman in your pocket.
Steven Kampis, I hereby invest you with the power of the SORCEROR'S SHILLING.
May it serve you well and bring you material, mental, and spiritual wealth.
Respect and preserve the history of the SORCEROR'S SHILLING, and choose a worthy successor who will also respect it and help to write its history.
This history is a mostly-unwritten saga at this time, and your chapter has just begun.
When you have written it and the time comes for you to pass on the SORCEROR'S SHILLING, you may say to your successor,
"A wise man once gave me this, and it brought me luck. May it bring you the same."
So I say to you, and you can say to your successor, and he in turn can say to his successor, so on down the line.
A tradition is born, and yours is one of its earliest chapters.
0
Comments
Very Cool!!
As I say it, make it so.
Amat Colligendo Focum
Top 10 • FOR SALE
Good to see the Sorceror's Shilling has its promised mojo, even if it did take its sweet time to kick in.
WTG on your first IHC!
Hmm... I see that picture went bad in the intervening years... I think I still have it on this hard drive... gotta re-upload it...
Edit: done.
So who you gonna pass the shilling onto now? It must be done with proper ceremony and all, y'know. Preferably to a forum member. Maybe there is a deserving newb here? I'll leave it up to you to figure out who gets the luck now. There might still be some juice left in it for you, who knows.