Debate with Spink over the Griqua Town coins
Dear Mr Balson
Thank you for your e-mail.
I did read your most interesting research, which we do not dispute at all, giving the latest research and revised and updated background to this issue.
I did in fact reply to your earlier e-mail. In my reply I pointed out that Mr Parson’s book, an 80 year old publication, reflected the extent of numismatic research and belief at the time, and has long been superseded by a number of specialist books on South African coinage as research has continued over the years, of which your articles are the latest.
We appreciate your drawing this to our attention.
Jeremy Cheek
Coin Auctions
Spink 69 Southampton Row
London WC1B 4ET
tel. 0207 563 4054
fax 0207 563 4068
www.spink.com
From: GWB [mailto:gwb@gwb.com.au]
Sent: 10th November 2005 07:45
To: Spink Team
Subject: The Griqua Town coin fallacy
G'day to Spinks!
As a serious numismatists and major buyer of numismatic items I received your latest email newsletter.
I am writing to all Spink staff involved in numismatics because my last email sent to Spink in September did not even warrant a response.
If I had not spent 30 years researching the subject of the early currencies of South Africa and had not discovered that a Spink publication authored by H A Parson and re-issued in 1927 is the basis of one of the largest hoaxes in South African numismatic history I would not be so reticent in giving this one more go.
I give you just two of over 30 reasons why the Griqua Town coins never circulated in South Africa and were nothing more than pattern coins issued in the 1870s. The rest of these summarised reasons can be seen at this link: http://www.tokencoins.com/book.htm
Reason One: The Cape Coloured People 1652-1932 by J S Marais, is a lengthy and well researched work (over 60 books referenced). The book includes a detailed report on the Griquas at Griqua Town (Chapter II pgs 32-73) but makes no reference to any coinage being used there. Marais, the Professor of History at the University of the Witwatersrand, refers at length to Campbell's book and the meeting where the Bastards adopted the name "Griqua", incorporated new laws and in which Campbell mentions the idea of coins. It is clear that Marais had, by his ommission, completely discounted the theory that Griqua Town coins had ever circulated at Griquatown. This observation is supported by Marais' own commentary in the book that between 1814 and 1820 Griqua Town was a "ghost town".
Reason Two: If you are still
not convinced then look at the drawing of Griquatown as at June 1812 - a picture
tells a thousand words. The drawing was undertaken by William Burchell on behalf
on the Missionaries at Griquatown and is bound into his book "Travels into the
Interior of South Africa" (See Volume One page 282)... click the thumbnail image
to see details... Moffat reports Griquatown as appearing the same ten years
later - long after the Griqua Town coins were supposed to have circulated there
"as currency".
Reason three: Prof Arndt’s
books were used in universities in South Africa including the University of
Pretoria as an authoritative text book for BCOM students and he was considered to be the author of South African banking
/ currency in South Africa.
This is what Prof Arndt says about this issue in Banking and Currency Development in South Africa: He quotes Hofstede and Gunning as references to support his proposal that Griquatown token coins never circulated: "not one farthing was in circulation".
Full quote (pg 127): The coins were of four
denominations, viz: ¼ and ½ in copper and IIIII and 10 in silver. These were
sent at a time when these coloured people had not the slightest notion of the
advantages of a metallic currency. Moreover their entire trade at the time did
not even amount to fifty pounds per annum. Accordingly it is not surprising that
“the dove of peace soon flew away and the money of which never a single farthing
was in circulation accompanied it”. The only permanent memorials of Campbell’s
visit turned out to be the names “Griqua” and “Griquatown”.
Reason four: Esteemed South African historian Karel
Schoeman, who was given direct access to the London Missionary Society
records of that time, recorded in his published research based book
"The Mission at Griquatown 1801-1821" the final nails
in the Griquatown coin fallacy... - see this link for
exact references.
It would be really nice to get some form of acknowledgement from someone in Spink about this research - which, as it is fully referenced, can be checked by your own specialists, and if someone can at least acknowledge this email.
Balson Holdings Family Trust
Scott Balson
From: GWB [mailto:gwb@gwb.com.au]
Sent: 05 September 2005 17:58
To: Info
Subject: The Griqua Town coin fallacy
Dear sir
In 1927 H A Parsons produced a booklet called "The coinage of Griqualand" for Spinks.
See: http://www.tokencoins.com/book/g.htm#parson
The findings of Parsons research have now been found to be flawed - based on thirty years of research backed up by over 50 books from the time.
According to Parsons the Griqua Town coins circulated in Griquatown from 1815 to about 1817.
For the evidence see: http://www.tokencoins.com/blog/
Kind regards
Scott Balson
Researcher and Numismatist
http://www.tokencoins.com
From: Curlene Spencer On Behalf Of Info
Sent: 05 September 2005 09:17
To: Douglas Saville; Philip Skingley; Emily Reid
Subject: FW: The Griqua Town coin fallacy
From: Douglas Saville
Sent: 05 September 2005 09:32
To: Jeremy Cheek
Cc: Philip Skingley; Emily Reid
Subject: FW: The Griqua Town coin fallacy
O you want to respond?!
-------Original Message-------
From: Jeremy Cheek
Date: 09/22/05 19:21:15
To: gwb@gwb.com.au
Cc: Douglas Saville
Subject: RE: The Griqua Town coin fallacy
Dear Mr Balson
Thank you for your most interesting e-mail and linked exhaustive articles.
The book by Mr Parsons is of course very out of date now and has been long superseded by many specialist South African reference books.
With kind regards
Jeremy Cheek
Coin Auctions
Spink 69 Southampton Row
London WC1B 4ET
tel. 0207 563 4054
fax 0207 563 4068
www.spink.com
Hi Jeremy
Thank you for your email.
I understand that - I have all those South African numismatic books you refer to in my collection. See: http://www.tokencoins.com/book/g.htm
All these books you refer to use H A Parsons 1927 article in Spink's as their source when stating that the Griqua Town coins circulated in 1815/16.
They are all wrong because of the misleading manner and flawed earlier research done by Parsons under Spink's good name.
I have summarised 30 key points why the Griqua Town coins were NEVER circulated at Griqua Town. These logical and supported points can be seen with a very telling drawing of Griquatown done by Burchell in 1812 at: http://www.tokencoins.com/book.htm#key
I am only drawing this to your attention as it is Spink's name attached to this furphy.
In fact the first widely circulating coinage in South Africa was actually a trade token - ironically used in East Griqualand by the Griquas some sixty years after the flawed "1815" claim. This currency token claim is widely supported by notes, books and even a historical report by the Standard Bank at Kokstad which accepted these coins in times of shortage of coin in the region known as "Nomansland"
This is a fascinating twist in South African numismatics... Spink can either ignore it or take on board thirty years of research backed up by contemporary books and documents.
See:
http://www.tokencoins.com/forgot.html
and:
http://www.tokencoins.com/main.htm
Kind regards
Scott Balson