bigjarofwasps

UK troops killed in Afghan ambush

Nato-led troops took over from the US a day ago

Three British soldiers have been killed after a vehicle patrol was ambushed by militants in southern Afghanistan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5233768.stm

Gotcha!!!!!!!!!

You and me both:

[attachmentid=48207]

of course, nobody's ever gotten the story of the stingers in a glass container avatar, neither, BTW hint hint.

(Mine is, of course, Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction")

I concur????

Sovereign Grading

FDC

Normally only applied to proof coins. without any marks, wear or blemishes.

Unc or Uncirculated.

In new condition as issued by the mint.

EF or Extremely Fine

Showing few signs of having been in circulation, but may show slight surface marks and faint wear.

VF or Very Fine

Some wear on the raised surfaces having had only limited circulation.

Fine or F.

Considerable signs of wear on the raised surfaces, or design weak through faulty striking.

In Cairo Lawrence intrigued to encourage the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Gertrude Bell was dispatched to India. The disaster at Kut put a decided damper on its ambitions. "I hate war; oh, and I'm so weary of it--of war, of life," as she sighed from Basra, in March 1916 during the frightful heat. That was the month that the British government began to pay Sharif Hussein ?125,000 gold sovereigns a month, a deal she helped set up.

Lawrence wishes to fulfill his promises to unite the Arab tribes when he continues his work in the desert with British support of arms, money, and training:

Lawrence: Arabia is for the Arabs now. That's what I've told them anyway. That's what they think. That's why they're fighting.

Allenby: Oh surely.

Lawrence: They've only one suspicion. We let them drive the Turks out and then move in ourselves. I've told them that that's false, that we've no ambitions in Arabia. Have we?

Allenby: I'm not a politician, thank god. Have we any ambition in Arabia, Dryden?

Dryden: Difficult question sir.

Lawrence: I want to know sir, if I can tell them, in your name, that we've no ambitions in Arabia.

Allenby: Certainly.

Lawrence: Two thousand small arms, not enough. I need five.

Allenby: Right.

Lawrence: Money. It'll have to be sovereigns. They don't like paper.

Allenby: Right.

Lawrence: Instructors for the Lewis guns.

Allenby: Right.

Lawrence: More money.

Allenby: How much more?

Lawrence: Twenty-five thousand now. A lot more later.

Allenby: Dryden?

Dryden: It can be done, sir.

Lawrence: A couple of armored cars.

Allenby: Right.

Lawrence: Field artillery.

Allenby: Right. I know to give you every blessed thing I can, Major Lawrence, because I know you'll use it. Congratulations and thank you.

Dan what were you doing with the poison ivy??? The mind boggles!!!!!!!! Also whats your avatar all about?

Gordon.

Nazi Gold

Soon after the out break of the war the German national gold reserves, already substantially increased by the acquisition of Austrian gold holdings following the Auchluss, were significantly augmented by forcible acquisitions from abroad. The Nazi’s took $2,596,608 of gold from the gold reserves of the Czech National Bank and ?32,200,000 from the National Bank of Hungary. They looted part of the gold reserves of Albania, Holland the USSR and other countries overrun of the victorious Wehrmacht, and after the conquest of France they stole $225,900,000 worth of gold, comprising part of the Belgian national gold reserves, which was deposited in the Banque de France for safekeeping, by the Belgian government. The Belgian gold was taken to the Reichsbank in Berlin and resmelted. Each bar was stamped with the letters RB for Reichsbank, the German eagle, the retrospective date 1938, and its weight to three points of the decimal.

Later, when the Germans were forced to withdraw from Southern Italy in the face of the advancing Anglo-American forces, they took with them $100,000,000 in Italian gold, which also ended up in the Reichsbank`s reserves.

At the height of the Nazi conquest of Europe the gold reserves held by the Reichsbank were estimated to total as much as $772,636,253. By today’s values the equivalent of $6,490,144,525 much of it looted from subject nations of Europe.

Following US air raids on Berlin in early Feb 1945, over $200,000,000 worth of gold reserves, were moved from Berlin, to the Kaiseroda Mine. Weighing around 100 tons, it needed 13 railway flat cars to transport it and took 72 hours to unload and transfer them to twenty 10 ton trucks.

Gold in the Kaiseroda mine

8,527 gold bars, valued at $112,000,000. Minted gold coins, valued at $126,000,000, included a million Swiss Francs, a billion French Francs and 711 bags of US $20 gold pieces.

250 tons of gold in total.

Reichsbank in Berlin, liberated by the Russians.

90 gold bars worth $1,278,000 and over four and a half million gold coins (dollars, sovereigns, guilders & Francs) worth $,156,625

P27, P30 & P51 Nazi Gold by Ian and Douglas Botting.

Some gold also unexpectedly turned up in the former German embassy in Madrid Spain, in May 1945. Estimated at one ton, with a value of $1,250,000. It consisted entirely of gold coins, mostly British gold sovereigns. It was flown by plane back to Frankfurt in 1946.

P112 Hitler’s Gold by Arthur L Smith.

Some 1157th Transportation Company soldiers diagnosed with scabies

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Oshkosh-based unit returned from Katrina relief mission Friday

The Wisconsin National Guard learned Saturday that at least 20 soldiers of the Oshkosh-based 1157th Transportation Company have been diagnosed with scabies infestations. About 30 others reported rashes symptomatic of scabies infestation and have been advised to seek treatment for scabies. Scabies is an infestation of the skin with the microscopic mite Sarcoptes Scabei.

The infestations were discovered Saturday morning, the day after the unit’s return from two weeks duty supporting Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in Louisiana. The unit was based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans (Belle Chasse), about eight miles south southeast of the New Orleans central business district. Although based at the naval air station, many of the unit’s soldiers conducted transportation missions into the city.

The Wisconsin National Guard temporarily kept all the unit’s Oshkosh-area soldiers at the Oshkosh armory until National Guard medical officers and public health officials assessed the situation and made arrangements or recommendations for treatment. Those soldiers who returned to their homes outside the Oshkosh area are being contacted and advised to seek medical advice if they experience symptoms.

While the Wisconsin National Guard has not established a connection between the scabies infestations and environmental conditions in Louisiana, all other units performing recent hurricane relief duty in the Gulf Coast were directed to contact their soldiers and airmen so they can be advised to watch for symptoms.

In addition to affected soldiers, family members or others who may have been in close contact will be advised of their possible exposure so they can take appropriate preventive measures, watch for symptoms or seek treatment.

Scabies infestation is considered fairly common, occurs worldwide and affects people of all races and social classes. It is associated with pimple-like irritations and intense itching. Scabies is usually contracted by direct contact with infected persons — often while in crowded or close living conditions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, scabies is treatable with one of several topical lotions. Frequent changes of clean clothing, bath towels and bedding are also recommended. Family members undergoing treatment are recommended to receive the same treatment at the same time to prevent reinfestation.

# # # #

NOTE TO EDITORS AND NEWS DIRECTORS: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prohibits release of any personal information about those soldiers who have been diagnosed or are being evaluated for possible exposure to scabies. The Wisconsin National Guard will not release the names of any Wisconsin National Guard soldiers or airmen who have been diagnosed with Sarcoptes Scabei infestations or who are being evaluated for possible exposure.

Leaders from Wisconsin infantry battalion prepare for mission with Iraq visit

by Capt. Benjamin Buchholz

2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. — Five senior leaders from 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry flew to Iraq in late June to meet the unit they will replace, clarify mission details and see firsthand the living conditions the unit’s 600-plus soldiers should expect.

The unit will serve as an armed escort for civilian and military convoys traveling from Kuwait north through the entire country of Iraq, protecting supplies that allow security operations and the transition to peace to succeed. The unit will conduct operations in Iraq from a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Kuwait that has many of the same amenities as an Army post or a small town in the United States: a post exchange, shoppette, weight room, dining facility, internet cafe, theater, pizza parlor, coffee shop, and even a volleyball court — sand, of course. The soldiers will live in air-conditioned tents rather than barracks.

Lt. Col. Todd Taves, the unit’s commander, along with Maj. John Oakley, Maj. David Aponte, Capt. Frank Iovine, and Command Sgt. Maj. Rafael Conde participated in actual convoys, received updates on the activities of anti-Iraqi forces in the area, and coordinated a smooth in-processing for the unit’s personnel and equipment when they arrive in August.

The visit provided the battalion with information to help tailor training to the unit’s specific mission. The unit will now devote more time to driving up-armored HMMWVs with convoys and less time to room-to-room searches, FOB defense, check-point operations and the many other tasks the unit might otherwise have been assigned.

As the battalion’s command sergeant major and senior noncommissioned officer, Conde’s primary task on the visit was to assess the FOB’s living accommodations for the troops. He was pleased with what he saw.

“Other than the heat, which was like hitting a wall when we got off the plane, my biggest concern is the food,” said Conde, “and not because it’s bad. Just the opposite: it’s too good. The FOB serves four meals a day, buffet-style, and if we don’t have a good physical fitness program we’ll return to Wisconsin a little too healthy.”

The other amenities all met Conde’s standard.

Because so many local groups, schools, families, and communities have asked what they can do to make the deployment a better experience, the battalion will identify a local charity in Iraq and organize donations to that charity on behalf of the battalion’s supporters. Contributions to these efforts will indirectly improve the quality of life for the battalion soldiers because they will help win the hearts and minds of the Iraqis among whom the Wisconsin soldiers will live for the next year.

For information on donating to the 2-127th’s local Iraqi charity, email Capt. Benjamin Buchholz, battalion civil affairs officer: benjamin.buchholz@us.army.mil.

# # # #

Note to Editors: The Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry is headquartered in Appleton with units in Waupun, Ripon, Green Bay, Fond du Lac and Marinette. The battalion was mobilized June 6 and departed Wisconsin June 9 for several months additional training at Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, Miss.

The infantry battalion was augmented by soldiers from the Onalaska-based 32nd Engineer Company and from Troop E, 105th Cavalry of Antigo and Merrill.

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Current News Releases are available at: http://dma.wi.gov/news.asp

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Photos to accompany this story: http://dma.wi.gov/MediaPublicAffairs/docview.asp?docid=2352

CUTLINES (photo credits: Wisconsin National Guard photos)

1. Demonstration: A reaction force of soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry secures the entry control point at a mock-up Forward Operating Base at Camp Shelby, Miss. The soldiers are training at Camp Shelby as they prepare for their deployment to Southwest Asia in August.

2. Convoy Training: Soldiers from Company A of the Wisconsin National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry prepare for convoy security training at Camp Shelby, Miss., July 15. The battalion's mission will include security for military and civilian convoys traveling from Kuwait to destinations throughout Iraq.

3. Insurgent: Wisconsin National Guard soldiers apprehend a suspected "insurgent" who breached perimeter defenses at a mock-up Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Camp Shelby, Miss. The soldiers are from Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry. They are about midway through training at Camp Shelby as they prepare for their deployment to Southwest Asia in August.

4. Briefing: Senior Wisconsin National Guard officers get a briefing on the status of training for 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry soldiers at Camp Shelby, Miss. The battalion is commanded by Lt. Col. Todd Taves, second from right in desert camouflage vest.

Spc. Michael J. Wendling, 20, of Mayville, Wis.

Wednesday, September 28 2005 @ 08:13 AM EST

Contributed by: tomw

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- The news passed through the stands Monday evening at the Mayville High School JV football game - Michael Wendling, who played on the football, basketball and golf teams and joined the military while still a student, had been killed in Iraq.

Among the words murmured by stunned people as the football game unfolded before them: explosion, Iraq, Humvee, Mayville.

"In typical small-town fashion, it had drifted through the town," said Mayville High School Principal Lee Zarnott. "Unfortunately, bad news travels fast."

Wendling, 20, a specialist, was killed Monday with Sgt. Andrew P. Wallace, 25, of Oshkosh when a roadside bomb exploded as they drove past it in Iraq. They were members of Fond du Lac-based Charlie Company of the Wisconsin National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment. Their deaths bring to 47 the number of Wisconsin service members killed in Iraq since March 2003.

A high school friend of Wendling's, Spc. Jeremy Roskopf of Brownsville, suffered shrapnel wounds to his legs.

Roskopf and Wendling signed up for the National Guard together while they were in high school. They played on the Mayville golf team, which won the conference championship their senior year.

Wendling, who was on the dean's list at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee when his unit was activated, frequently kept in touch with his family via e-mail and talked about what it was like to drive the large, heavy Humvees in Kuwait and Iraq, said his father, Randy Wendling.

"He said they don't go very fast, but he seemed pretty excited about what he was doing," Randy Wendling said in a phone interview Tuesday.

The Appleton-based 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment was activated in June and trained at Camp Shelby, Miss. The unit moved to Kuwait in mid-August and has been based in northern Kuwait, providing security to convoys traveling from Kuwait into Iraq, said Wisconsin National Guard Lt. Col. Tim Donovan.

Wendling's father said the roadside bomb hit his son's Humvee near Basra, in southern Iraq. Wendling was the driver, Roskopf was the gunner who stands in the middle of the vehicle and Wallace was the team leader, who normally sits in the front passenger seat.

Randy Wendling said he saw his son shortly before the unit deployed overseas last month. He spent his home leave going to Brewers games, visiting with family and friends and golfing.

His son was upbeat in his e-mails and enjoyed serving in the Wisconsin National Guard, the elder Wendling said.

"He talked about where they were based and what it was like, what they were going to be doing, how hot it was there," said Randy Wendling.

In his last e-mail, received a couple of days before he died, Wendling asked about a care package his family sent him that included bedsheets and beef jerky and told his folks that his company was very busy.

Stu Strook coached Wendling in junior varsity football and golf and remembered a guy who wasn't the most talented athlete but someone who worked hard to improve himself. It was common to see Wendling hitting buckets of golf balls, even after matches, until dark.

"I would call him a grinder. He worked hard. He had a good heart," said Strook.

Wendling also liked to eat. He wasn't fat, so sometimes his teammates wondered where he put all the food. Strook recalled returning from a golf match one day when the team stopped at Burger King. Wendling ordered a Whopper Value Meal with fries and a drink. Nothing unusual about that, except that Wendling went back for four more Whoppers - quarter-pound burgers - and ate them all, to the astonishment of everyone watching him, Strook said.

"Mike was a personality, I guess you would say. He had a great sense of humor. He was a kid who liked to have fun, and kids liked to be around Mike because he was so much fun," said Strook.

Wendling had not declared a major at UWM, but his father said he was leaning toward getting a degree in the sciences. His high school marketing teacher, Rod McSorley, said he thought Wendling would have become an engineer.

A couple of dozen marketing students from Mayville organized a trip to New York their senior year. The group took in the sights, visited Madison Square Garden and saw "The Lion King" on Broadway. A photo of the group taken on the Staten Island Ferry is pinned to a bulletin board in McSorley's office. McSorley said he was looking at the picture of Wendling and his classmates mugging for the camera as he talked to a reporter Tuesday about his former student.

"When we visited New York, we visited ground zero, and that was important to him. He was close enough to 9-11 to embrace its importance," said McSorley. "He had very good family values. That wouldn't surprise me (that) he had the feeling of giving back."

http://www.legacy.com/PE/Soldiers.asp?Page...rsonID=15240017

Sgt. Andrew P. Wallace, 25, of Oshkosh, Wis.

Wednesday, September 28 2005 @ 08:17 AM EST

Contributed by: tomw Oshkosh Northwestern -- An Oshkosh soldier killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom is being remembered for his love of family and country and for his dedication as a teacher and wrestling coach.

Sgt. Andrew Wallace, 25, was killed by a roadside bomb, while he helped escort a convoy of supply trucks in Iraq, his father, Pete Wallace, said Tuesday.

Wallace said his son joined the Army National Guard in part to help pay for college costs, but he also had a deep and lasting patriotism for his country.

“He was proud to serve his country and he knew the risks that came with it,” said Wallace, who lives in the Dodge County community of Fox Lake. “Everything he did, he did with enthusiasm. He enjoyed sports with enthusiasm and he loved his country with enthusiasm.”

He said his son was in good spirits when he last talked to him via cell phone about a week ago.

“He called me at work,” Wallace said. “He preferred being out on the missions instead of being back in the base.”

Wallace served with the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment based in Appleton.

Also killed by the roadside bomb in Shaibah, Iraq, was Spc. Michael Wendling, 20, of Mayville, who was driving the Humvee that he, Wallace and another soldier were riding in near Basra at the time of the explosion, Wendling’s father, Randy Wendling, said Tuesday. Wallace was the team leader who normally sits in the front passenger seat. The third soldier, who was injured, served as a gunner.

Major Gen. Albert H. Wilkening of the Wisconsin National Guard said he has ordered flags of all Wisconsin National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities lowered to half-staff in memory of Wallace and Wendling.

Wallace, a physical education teacher since 2003 who taught at Oshkosh North High School and Emmeline Cook Elementary School, was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in June. His father said Wallace was a member of the National Guard for about six years.

Pete Wallace recalled the last time he saw his son, which was June 9 for a sendoff at Volk Field at Camp Douglas in western Wisconsin. He said family members gave him hugs, plenty of love and told him to stay safe before he departed.

“He wanted to come home as a veteran,” Wallace said.

Wallace’s father said funeral arrangements are pending.

Overall, 46 Wisconsin military members have died during the war in Iraq and so have more than 1,900 U.S. troops nationwide. Local soldiers who died include Pfc. Brent Vroman of Omro, who was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and Army Reserve Capt. Benjamin Jansky of Oshkosh.

Wallace’s death was a shock to those who knew him, including wrestlers at North, where he was an assistant wrestling coach.

“He was there for us all of the time and whenever we had a problem we could go to him. He was easy going and fun to be around,” said senior Nick Wolff, a member of the North wrestling team. “He taught us to respect everybody no matter what happened to us.”

Wallace was a 1998 graduate of Ripon High School where he played football, baseball and wrestled. His father said Wallace also was a WIAA football official and had been an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers.

Lucas Seelow, a senior at North and a member of the wrestling team, said Wallace put a smile on the faces of wrestlers.

“He liked the sport and enjoyed being out there with us,” Seelow said. “He was at school at 6:30 each morning to help anyone who wanted to lift weights and to give his support.”

Gary Westerman, former head wrestling coach at North, said Wallace’s enthusiasm was contagious.

“Andrew was the ultimate kid at heart. He was never in a bad mood and always smiling and had positive things to say,” said Westerman, who is a physical education teacher at a Kimberly Middle School. “He was an all-around great guy and a great friend.”

Westerman said Wallace was proud to be in the military and often talked about it. He said Wallace and his wife had just purchased a house in Oshkosh.

“He was real excited about that,” Westerman said. “He couldn’t wait to have me over.”

Phil Marshall, principal at Emmeline Cook, said Wallace kept in contact with school staff via a Web site.

“He would take pictures of all the missions he was on and would post them on the Web site so we could get a look at what was going on,” Marshall said. “He sent e-mails to staff updating what was happening in Iraq. It was really a comfort to us to have contact with him on a regular basis.”

Marshall said Wallace was an extraordinary person.

“He made an impact on everyone in school from students to staff and parents,” Marshall said. “He always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude. The lack of that energy has left a big hole here.”

http://www.legacy.com/AZCENTRAL/Soldiers.a...rsonID=15235097

Student serves country with National Guard in Iraq

Marian College junior Ross Oestreich plans to return to Marian in August after one year away from the college.

That year away, serving with the Wisconsin Army National Guard in Iraq, has left Oestreich an unquestionably changed man.

“You learn in deployment what’s really important to you,” says Oestreich, a Specialist with the Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry (2–127th), based in Appleton with units in Waupun, Ripon, Green Bay, Fond du Lac and Marinette. The 2–127th was mobilized June 6, spent much of last summer in training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and then went to the Middle East in August.

Oestreich, 20, an Administration of Justice major, is in the middle of a six-year contract with the National Guard, signed while he was a senior at Waupaca High School. He spent the summers of 2003 and 2004 in, respectively, basic training and specialized airborne and infantry training in Camp Benning, Ga. He now is in the U.S. on a 15-day leave, which ends April 1.

During his leave, Oestreich, the son of Jeff and Beth Oestreich of Waupaca, spoke to two classes at Waupaca High School, and heard questions and opinions that, to him, show a lack of understanding of the situation in Iraq.

“It’s pretty emotional for me, but I try to hold myself back and realize that they just don’t know,” he says. “I’ve always been a really, really open person — sometimes too open for my own good. Right now, this is my vacation; I’m all smiles.”

Oestreich’s unit, which is based in northern Kuwait, is attached to an Army transportation company to provide security for military and civilian convoys throughout Iraq. He is a member of the 2–127th’s Charlie Company.

“Wherever the convoy’s supposed to go, we’re supposed to supply security for it,” he says.

As a result, Oestreich’s unit has one of the more hazardous jobs in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Military convoys are attacked by insurgents using small arms, Rocket Propelled Grenades, and what are called Improvised Explosive Devices (“They’ve gotten more advanced with their bombs,” he says), and civilian convoys have been hijacked. While some areas of Iraq are quite friendly to the U.S.-coalition forces, others are not.

“There really is no typical day,” he says. Escorting a convoy can take eight or more hours “if nothing happens,” and that time can double in the event of insurgent attacks or vehicle crashes, which are commonplace due to the poor skills of Iraqi drivers.

The worst day of Oestreich’s deployment was Sept. 26, 2005, when two soldiers in the 2–127th, Andrew Wallace of Ripon and Michael Wendling of Mayville, were killed by a roadside bomb. Wallace’s and Wendling’s funerals were marred by the appearance of protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., who believe that God is punishing the U.S. for condoning human rights for homosexuals.

“Our morale couldn’t have been any lower for us,” said Oestreich about learning of the protests.

On another day, Oestreich provided emergency medical care for an injured soldier from another unit before the soldier died.

Going through such traumatic experiences hasn’t changed his perspective about why he wanted to join the military. Being in the military has been Oestreich’s ambition since he was five years old. Ross’ father, Jeff, served in the National Guard for 27 years, including a deployment in Germany during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s, and “really got me into it,” says Ross. “The benefits are great — they basically pay for everything when I come back for school.” His interest in serving was cemented after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He chose the infantry because “that’s where I’m most utilized — I picked the infantry because I wanted to do the most I possibly could.”

The one theme that comes through even a brief conversation with Oestreich is his loyalty to his fellow soldiers.

“They’ve seen more of me than my brothers in real life have,” he says. “I’m kind of sad that the experiences I’ve had with these guys wasn’t with my own blood. Veterans do get a new respect and realize how fragile life is.”

Oestreich has seen “almost all” of Iraq as part of his Guard duties. He describes the weather as similar to Las Vegas or Arizona, with high temperatures in the 80s and 90s now and as high as the low 130s in summer, but with no humidity. Lows drop as low as the high 30s. Clouds appear during the rainy season, and “it was pretty weird because otherwise it’s sun, sky, sand — there’s nothing else.”

Oestreich’s leave has been a transition for him, particularly seeing the family and friends one ordinarily might see only at holidays. “You see change very, very slowly — things are what I perceived them to be before I left,” he says. He claims to have been “more nervous about coming back here [to Marian] on leave than on the first day of classes. My palms were sweating when I was driving here.”

Oestreich expects to remain in Iraq until August, the end of the standard overseas deployment period. He wants to enter the Reserve Officers Training Corps when he returns to Marian this fall, and get a teaching certification. He is considering making the military his career.

“I figure the only way officers can be officers is to be in it with the guys,” he says. “You know what the guys have gone through so you can lead them better. This experience, no matter what I do, is going to help my military career.”

The Gold Sovereign by Michael A. Marsh published by Cambridge Coins in 1980.

This is comprehensive and detailed study of the British gold sovereign from its introduction in 1817 to 1979, with 32 plates. It includes tables of quantities minted (both UK and Commonwealth mints) and includes a rarity rating of each coin.(000905)

**Re published in 2002**

*** A very good book, well worthing getting hold of, as is the book `The Sovereign`, featured above ***

The Sovereign

The World's Most Famous Coin

A History and Price Guide.

Authors: James Mackay, Daniel Fearon and Brian Reeds

Publisher: Hilden Publications

An excellent book, and one which all collectors of gold sovereigns will wish to own.

There is an existing book about the gold sovereign, which is in its second edition, and which has been a valuable resource for collectors and dealers. This new book is the most complete work about sovereigns we have seen. It combines an interesting history of gold sovereigns starting even before the very first sovereigns of Henry VII, through to the present day, with a comprehensive price guide to modern sovereigns from 1817 to date.

Contents

The chapter headings give a clear guide as to the contents:

Introduction

The First Sovereigns

Mentions the first coins of King Croesus, and explains the history of English coinage leading to the development of the gold sovereign by Henry VII.

The Sovereign Since 1817

Illustrates and describes the design and production of sovereign during their golden age. All aspects appear to be covered including notes on the designs, engravers, dies, forgeries, sovereign balances (weighing scales), coining presses and more.

The Branch Mints

Tells the story of the branch mints in Sydney Melbourne and Perth, Australia; Ottawa in Canada; Bombay in India and Pretoria in South Africa, with contemporary photographs.

The Role of the Sovereign

Discusses the primary purpose of the sovereign and explains the "Gold Standard", mentions sunken treasure, an interesting case of "legal" counterfeiting, the modern gold market, the revival of gold coinage, the Exchange Control Act and the Exchange Control Order.

The Sovereign Price Guide

Contains advice for collectors, a grading guide, and a very comprehensive price guide giving prices in up to ten different grades for all sovereign from 1817 to date.

Further Reading

80 Pages.

Well illustrated.

http://www.deepimage.co.uk/wrecks/egypt/eg...ypt_history.htm

http://www.deepimage.co.uk/wrecks/egypt/eg...linearticle.htm

http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/1001egypt.htm

http://www.deepimage.co.uk/wrecks/egypt/eg...pt_mainpage.htm

Hi Steph,

Very interesting thread. I particularly like the SAP Silver Cross for Gallantry medal. Could you tell us a bit more about it. The criteria for it, how many have been awarded, etc. Any citations?

I found this link, which might help age the ring?

http://www.jewellerycatalogue.co.uk/gold_j...ay_hallmark.php

George V 'M' 1915 Gold Sovereign Ring weighing a total of 20.1grams

I wonder what tales this would tell if it could only speak!!!!

A gift given to some ANZAC before de sailed to Gallipoli?

Used by Lawrence of Arabia, to bribe the Arabs?

Worn by someone from the LRDG or SOE, during WW2?

Kept after Op Granby by some SAS Trooper?

The mind boggles!!!!

I suppose we`ll never know, but it is nice to try and speculate. There are a few facts that we can be sure of.....

At some point in the last 90 odd years its made the journey from Australia to Great Britain. I`m not sure but I assume you`d be able to ascertain when the ring part was made by the hall marks. Is there anyone out there with knowledge of this sort of thing that could shine some light on it for us?

" ... spring of 1942 he had actually received 24,000 gold sovereigns from the British to take to the hills; but he only departed that summer after exasperated SOE agents threatened to denounce him to the Axis ... case both British and German. EDES was also notorious for its lack of administrative cohesion. SOE commented on Zervas's `disregard of even elementary organisation' and noted that `he hopes for the best ... "

" ... political hearing, and he was not to know that, after a brief interdepartmental spat, the Foreign Office had vetoed any SOE plans to utilise him. Even assuming that he could recruit an Albanian Legion, the British ... failure in raising a revolt would largely have depended on `St George's cavalry': the quantity of gold sovereigns in his kitbag. The British Government essentially ignored him while trying ... "

" ... spring of 1942 he had actually received 24,000 gold sovereigns from the British to take to the hills; but he only departed that summer after exasperated SOE agents threatened to denounce him to the Axis ... case both British and German. EDES was also notorious for its lack of administrative cohesion. SOE commented on Zervas's `disregard of even elementary organisation' and noted that `he hopes for the best ... "

" ... clandestine radio in Athens in the spring of 1942) SOE tried to turn him into a mercenary, offering him 24,000 gold sovereigns (worth $200,000 at the time) to take ... "

" ... debated as a political issue. It was later made to appear in some quarters as a sinister reflection of SOE's atti- tude to the Greek King that it took such prompt action to assist ELAS ... operation was one of some confusion. They parted on good terms with Ares, giving him 250 gold sovereigns, and a letter to the EAM Central Committee, a mysterious entity which they were anxious to reconnoitre ... "

" ... printed money, causing inflation to soar, a problem that worsened as SOE began to flood the country with gold sovereigns meant to underwrite resistance activity. With the harvest reduced ...

" ... himself up economically, recalled that he had worked for payment in English gold sovereigns, which used to be a common medium of exchange in Greece. As soon as he was able, he converted these extremely vulnerable ... same phrase with which a shepherd expresses the incorporation of stolen sheep into his flock. Given that gold sovereigns were long a popular medium of exchange, "turning them into money" is as impenetrable ... "

" ... Chetniks, EDES had no desire to make a bad occupation worse by attacking the Axis."" Greece was far less susceptible to disintegration and hence revolution than was Yugoslavia, a second cause ... causing inflation to soar, a problem that worsened as SOE began to flood the country with gold sovereigns meant to underwrite resistance activity. With the harvest reduced by as much as a third ... "

" ... French Revolution which Napoleon claimed to champion, and particularly upheld the legitimacy of the deposed sovereigns. They declared that they were not fighting against France, but against the preponderance which Napoleon exercised . The allied ... gold sovereigns, known as 'the cavalry of St George' from their design of George and the dragon, played the same role as the Persian king's gold archers in city-state Greece ... "

" ... transfer to his credit at the Westminster Bank, Foreign Branch Office, London, 3,000 gold sovereigns, which were the subject of this action. In August 1939, the plaintiff contracted to supply 500 ... Roumania to the Greek Army and other business. In October 1940, Italy declared war on Greece. German troops began to gather on the Roumanian frontier, and Germans in civilian clothes ... "

" ... Londos' sister in Kolonaki. There, Londos would send them dangerous, and coveted, gifts: gold sovereigns and even fresh fish. It seems that despite George's earlier misgivings ... Greece. When the mild remonstrances of Tsouderos in London were brushed aside, George and Kanellopoulos became furious. These were enemy countries; Bulgaria was even one of the three occupying powers ... "

" ... disruption of communications. Inflation continued to accelerate . The only currency to retain confidence was the gold sovereign , which had been shipped into Greece in large quantities by the British authorities to finance resistance activities ... Greece under its control. Although PEEA was careful not to claim that it constituted a rival government, it clearly posed a threat to the government-in- exile, whose influence within Greece ... "

" ... told him to go to Greece - he would like it. He went and stayed. He held the post at the university until his death a few years ago. Greece was in the throes of rampant inflation ... mattered was the gold sovereign. Anything worth buying would be paid in gold sovereigns. One went to the Bank of Greece laden with bank notes and changed one's drachmas into gold. I recall ... "

Material damage was enormous, to Greece's transportation by land and sea, to railroad stock, harbors, airports and factories, that were used during the occupation, and were destroyed, just before the retreat of Nazi forces. Material losses amounted to hundreds of $billions. In addition, in March 1942, the Nazis "forcibly borrowed" 10,530,120 gold sovereigns from the Central Bank of Greece, as an interest-free loan. The value of that loan today, with 3% interest amounts to a hefty $17 billion. The damage to Greek economy, to the educational system, with elementary and middle school buildings requisitioned for stationing troops and military supplies, and disruption of Health Care delivery, were enormous.

1941

February

Secret transportation of the Bank's gold reserves to its branch in Herakleion, aboard the destroyers "Vasilissa Olga" and "Vasilefs Georgios".

22 April

King George II, the Prime Minister Emm. Tsouderos, and the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece, ?. Varvaressos and G. Mantzavinos respectively, flee Athens heading for Crete.

27 April

The Germans occupy Athens.

May

Amendment of the Bank's Statute, stipulating that the Bank will be considered as based at the headquarters of the official Greek Government abroad.

23 May

The fall of Crete marks the country's total occupation by German, Italian and Bulgarian troops. Each of the three occupation forces circulates its own currency unit: the Reichsmark, the Mediterranean Drachma and the Bulgarian Lev. Adventurous efforts to transport the gold reserves to a safe country. Flight of the country's leaders to Alexandria.

June

Relocation of the Bank's Administration and gold to Cairo.

July - August

The gold is transported to Pretoria.

1 August

Reinstatement of the drachma as legal tender.

19 September

The Governments of Italy and Germany appoint commissioners at the Bank empowered with the exclusive right to conduct the monetary and exchange rate policies. Requisitions, appropriations of the national product and mandatory offer to the occupation forces for purchase in inflationary money.

22 September

The Bank's Administration and the Greek Government arrive in London.

November

Starvation of the civilian population. The situation is aggravated further during the winter of 1941-42. The daily death toll from starvation exceeds 100.

December

Advances amount to 3.5 billion drachmas per month. Uncontrollable inflationary pressures. On the initiative of the British Government, an ad hoc inter-alliance committee is set up, to record war damages and post-war needs. Greece is represented by K. Varvaressos.

1942

January

Occupation expenses amount to 6-7 billion drachmas per month.

June

Occupation expenses rise to 200 billion drachmas per month.

July

A German financial committee, headed by Hermann Neubacher, arrives in Athens to solve the monetary problem.

1 December

Compulsory use of securities in all transactions, aimed at limiting currency in circulation.

1943

November

Emergence of hyperinflation. Transactions based on barter. Occupation authorities funnel English gold pounds and French gold twenty-franc coins into the Athens money market. Conference in Atlantic City, USA, for the founding of an inter-alliance organisation, the UNRRA.

December

Gold becomes the only medium of exchange and store of value.

1944

1-22 July

At the international conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, 44 nations agree to establish the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Greece is represented by K. Varvaressos.

18 October

The expatriated Government returns to Greece. Speech by Prime Minister G. Papandreou at Syntagma Square, Athens, celebrating the country's liberation.

3-9 November

The Greek Government, the Bank of Greece and British experts agree on an economic stabilisation programme.

10 November

The country's fiscal and monetary system collapses. Inflationary bulge at full blast.

11 November

Launch of the new drachma, equivalent to 50 billion old drachmas.

1945

8 January

Failure of the stabilisation programme. Resignation of the Bank's Co-Governor and reinstitution of the rank of Deputy Governor.

1 April

UNRRA aid to Greece.

8 May

End of the war in Europe. Germany surrenders to the Allies.

4 June

Second stabilisation attempt: the Varvaressos Programme.

31 July

President Truman signs the Bretton Woods Agreement Treaty.

August

Confrontation between K. Varvaressos and private sector agents.

2 September

K. Varvaressos resigns from his position as Vice-President of the Government. Abandonment of all stabilisation efforts. September marks the beginning of a period of monetary anarchy, mass strikes, social upheaval and intense political crisis, which lasts until December.

December

Conference of the victors in Paris to determine war reparations. Greece is granted only 152.7 million US dollars (in kind) as compensation, instead of the 15.7 billion US dollars it had claimed.