FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF PADANIA/LEGA NORD (UNIONE DEL NORD)/REPUBBLICA DEL NORD: The Northern League, a federalist/separatist political party in Italy, emerged from a plethora of provincial formations that cropped up in the northerly heartlands. The first of these home-grown, grass-roots movements was the Liga Veneta (Venetian League), which had its origins in 1979. The following year, the Unione Nord Occidentale Lombarda per l'Autonomia (Unolpa) was founded by Umberto Bossi. In 1982, this leader also founded one of Lega Nord's precursors, the Lega Autonomista Lombarda, which grew from the ashes of Unolpa. Almost immediately, communication and collaboration between him and the other small-town, autonomist movements began. On April 12, 1984 he formed the Lega Lombarda, in Varese. Also that year, the first true embryonic version of Lega Nord, the Unione per l'Europa Federalista, was pieced together. Apart from demanding greater autonomy from the clutches of Rome's centralized apparatus (and its endemic corruption), all of the individual Leagues sought to protect their diverse cultural backgrounds and to preserve their unique ethno-regional dialects/linguistic identities. The wealthy “nazioni” of the north also wanted to disassociate themselves from the less opulent south, in order to safeguard their vital economic interests against their being drained away in perpetuity by State-run enterprises/industries. Amidst these divisive considerations, a quasi-national character was beginning to crystallize; unification of the entire macro-region and its incoherent hodgepodge of local Leagues eventually took shape. This nascent alliance of town-based Leagues, started by Bossi in 1990, was known as the Republic of the North. Its name was subsequently changed to Lega Nord, which was constituted in 1991, also under the guidance of Bossi.
PRINCIPALITY OF PARADISE: This is one of the names for the Las Vegas home of Dr. Lonnie L. Hammargren, a first-class retired neurosurgeon who moved to Nevada in 1971. Castillo del Sol, as it is now called, started out as a $45,000 wood-frame and stucco, four-bedroom house built from a standard plan in 1969. Located in an affluent neighborhood (Paradise Crest), it was once an ordinary domicile which the wealthy but quirky doctor purchased in 1972. A large addition was built in 1975 to accommodate an observatory and planetarium. The property, which has experienced a steady transformation since being bought, now sits on about 2 acres. The estate was expanded to include two large neighboring houses, and Dr. Hammargren thereupon began the task of physically connecting all 3 dwellings together in order to create the 12,500 square-foot “castle” he shares with his wife Sandy. A majority of its façade attempts to duplicate, in full-scale, the Palace of the Governor found in the ancient Mayan ruins of Uxmal, in the Yucatán. A compelling structure sits atop the original house: modeled after the Castillo pyramid in Chichén Itzá, it gives rise to the official name of the house, Castillo Del Sol, the Castle of the Sun. “The entrance hall into Castillo del Sol is a music room featuring Liberace's honky tonk piano which he took to performances all over the country.” Other attractions include a Toy Room, a Car Museum, an Egyptian Tomb, and a Cathedral of Knowledge — all filled with thousands of uniquely presented artifacts, objets d'art, eclectic memorabilia, one-of-a-kind displays, irreplaceable heirlooms, personal effects ranging from trivial knick-knacks to knockout-quality treasures, reproductions and rarities of every shape and size. A replica of Stonehenge can be found on the roof of one of the residences. Dr. Hammargren is known all over Nevada for his “backyard constructions”, and the entire rear grounds of his triple abode is a topographical representation of the 36th state. This mostly Nevada-themed panorama, which further reflects his passion for collecting, is crammed with what some of the locals consider to be an unsightly agglomeration of exhibits, including an Apollo space capsule, submarines, trains, an electric mining railroad engine/car once used to dig tunnels in Yucca Mountain, replicas of the Lincoln Memorial and Statue of Liberty, a miniature Hoover Dam, giant movie props, a fire-spewing dragon from an erstwhile casino show, vintage neon signs from several closed or imploded hotels, and other oversized souvenirs. On February 8th 1993, the Department of Interior honored the eccentric Dr. Hammargren by recognizing his outstanding complex as a branch of the Smithsonian, naming it the “Hammarsonian Museum”. Nevertheless, the same home was voted “Worst Las Vegas Eyesore” in 1997 by readers of the Review-Journal newspaper. Even the good doctor himself has been quoted as saying “I don't know whether it's LonnieLand or LooneyLand”. The kitschy, eye-catching building, a.k.a. the Hammargren Home of Nevada History, is available for tours and fundraising. As evidenced by the above description of his unusual home, the intellectual interests of the fun-loving doctor “are broad, ranging from biology to medicine to mathematics, anthropology and psychology. His special focus is the history of scientific thought...Lonnie fancies himself as an amateur archaeoastronomer” (a specific discipline that combines archaeology and astronomy). The first trained micro-surgeon in Nevada, he was also a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Reno. Over the years, Dr. Hammargren came to be known by the title “Surgeon of the Gladiators”, due to his many operations on boxers, motorcyclists, and Hollywood stunt-people. His political aspirations began in 1976, when he ran for university regent and lost. He lost again in 1982, but in 1984 he won a seat on the state Board of Education; in 1988 he finally won the regent's job and served for 6 years ('89 to '95). He then served as Nevada's Lieutenant Governor from 1995-98. He spent $547,724 to win the race, including $412,000 of his own money. According to some observers, those years in public service were marked by a string of controversies. After his term expired, the astute politician then briefly ran for governor as a Republican candidate during the '98 primary. Though he'd by then grown accustomed to being hectored by the media, Dr. Hammargren withdrew from the race in August of that year due to lack of support. Starting in 2004, he was also featured in many headlines for touring the state with his mobile Mid-East Memorial Wall, which bears the names of military personnel who perished in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2005, he began to seriously explore the possibility of re-entering politics and running for the GOP nomination for Lieutenant Governor in '06.
REPUBLIC OF LA PARVA DOMUS MAGNA QUIES: Located in the Punta Carretas district of Montevideo, Uruguay. The Palace of Parva Domus was built in 1878. It is “situated in an old mansion, with a very beautiful garden, in an aristocratic neighborhood”. Before this, there were only some dilapidated hovels at that location, which itself was only filled with clover, thistles, clumps of grass, and an assortment of prickly and thorny plants. The rooms had dirt floors and some of them didn't even have a roof. A man named José Achinelli (progenitor of all the Parvense people) used to go fishing nearby every Sunday. To reach his destination, he had to endure an arduous and stressful ride in an overcrowded, horse-drawn streetcar. So eventually, the run-down structures became a familiar sight to Achinelli, who learned the name of their owner from one of the locals. So in order to have a place to rest and regain his strength after the uncomfortable commute, he then decided to rent one of the dingy rooms (number 4) for $3 per month. In the beginning, it was nothing more than a place for him to store his belongings and to cook his stew. But soon thereafter, many of his friends became enamored of the idea and began to join him there. One of them, Rivas Zuchelli, was an avid reader. He became enchanted with the Latin phrase “Parva Domus Magna Quies”, which he found in one of his books; unaware of its significance, he then took a piece of coal from the fireplace and scrawled it above the door of room #4. When Achinelli arrived, he was in a foul mood at having caught no fish; he quickly erased the inscription from the bricks. According to tradition, one kept writing it, and the other kept removing it; until one day, two passing priests happened to translate the motto for them: “small house, great quiet”, “little dwelling of great peace”. Only then did Achinelli realize how profoundly pertinent the words were, and how succinctly they summed up the very sentiment which caused him and the other men to unite. He gleefully asked Zuchelli to re-write the phrase, but this time with paint. Soon, a unique flag was sewn for them. It was hoisted, on a pole they'd erected in front of their small building, on August 25, 1878. This is considered to be the date of Parva Domus' founding. It took place at four in the morning, in the presence of more than 20 friends. In time, all the rooms were fixed up, and in order to accommodate the ever-growing group, a good deal of remodeling took place. They even added a museum, in which hundreds of priceless items and important mementos are on display. Eventually, the Parva Domus would have 843,196 citizens (239-250 of which are still living). This short history, perhaps fictional or perhaps factual (or perhaps an even mixture of the two), was lifted from a narrative written by a Mr. Julio Russi, in connection with the issuance of an official 2003 Uruguayan postage stamp which commemorates the 125th anniversary of the Parva Domus.
PHOENIX DOLLAR: This company “is a silver bullion retailer with its own brand of silver bullion products in the form of bars, disks and digital silver backed by 100 oz silver bars stored in a vault.” The members’ silver is safely warehoused “as allocated metal at Northwest Territorial Mint in Auburn, Washington, USA.” The Phoenix Dollar Web-site (http://www.phoenixdollar.com/) “is owned by Phoenix Silver International, S.A. which is a debt-free, for-profit corporation domiciled in Panama. The Phoenix Dollar and Associates, Inc. is an Arizona registered corporation hired by contract to provide USA based customer service to all bullion customers on a daily basis.” The Phoenix Currency “is not just a website. The Phoenix is first and foremost a community of wonderful, highly motivated people who have come together from all over the world to improve their lives, preserve their wealth and purchasing power, and meet new and interesting people while learning about silver.” The mission and operating philosophy of this Tucson-based company is “To protect people's wealth through quality bullion products…To provide the fastest bullion services and design beautiful bullion products that people will be proud to own…To promote and teach freedom in the course of our business”. Though membership is not required to purchase physical bullion, “it is recommended for people who are also interested in our digital silver.” By signing up for this “private, silver-backed currency and payment system”, members can transform their “physical silver into digital silver to spend and receive online.”
PIEDMONTESE FEDERALIST MOVEMENT: This independentist/separatist party was founded by Domenico Comino in 1999, the same year he was expelled from the Lega Nord (see my listing for Padania, which preceded this one a brief ways back) due to internal problems; he had been a minister of theirs under Berlusconi's first government. The Movimento Federalista Piemontese (also called “PIEMONT”) did not experience much luck or success during the few campaigns in which they participated. According to Mr. Walter Giuliani, “in the past elections it had alone little advisors in some village. Now it's inactive.” A bi-metallic 1 Scudo, minted by the International Mint (Torino), was issued to mark the occasion of their Constituent Assembly (September 19, 1999), which took place in Turin's Teatro Carignano. I purchased it from coin-dealer Mia Scris.
PURPLE SHAFTIEULAND (based in LaPorte, Indiana): A set of coins from 1970, conceived by Mr. Bob Kolosa (Box 411, Westville, IN, 46391). There is the Full Shaft, the Half Shaft, the ¼ Shaft, 1 Twist, and 1 Nudge. These coins were his humorous way of expressing contempt towards all the non-circulating legal tender (NCLTs) and commemorative coins that were (and still are) being minted specifically for collectors. He basically thought that the only purpose of all “this overpriced junk that's flooding the coin market” was/is to separate us from our cash. More than 35 years later, it remains his firm conviction that they are merely a money-making scheme. In the broken English of Chief Weeskee Rooyoo Kissieutieu, these coins are “also call ‘transportation tokens’ because you buy and get taken for ride.” I reckon Mr. Kolosa (and the Chief!) would feel equally as angry about coinage from nonexistent/ephemeral/unrecognized “governments” (I didn't chance to ask him!). “The value of the Shaft is so stable that the official rate of exchange is always the same: 100 Nudges = 10 Twists = Full Shaft = Nothing U.S.” In a sarcastic vein, Mr. Kolosa continues: “The beauty of these,” which were struck by a company in Chicago (Meyer & Wenthe), “is that they never go down in true value. They can't go down because they're worthless to begin with.” I respectfully beg to differ! Ironically, Mr. Kolosa's coins (he sells them for an unbelievably reasonable price) have become sought-after collectors' items. As uniquely facetious as they are, they really fit quite nicely into this family of unusual coins.
Bossi has since held several higher offices, including Senator and Speaker of the lower house of Parliament (Chamber of Deputies). On May 20, 1990 the first modern Giuramento di Pontida (Oath of Pontida), emulating the one which took place in 1167 and which united the free Italian communes against Barbarossa, was performed. 8,000 fiercely loyal participants, in an unprecedented show of support for the precise direction he was providing for them, swore fealty to Bossi's project. The inspirational triumph of a confederation of 16 small-scale Lombard and Venetian cities from the Middle Ages spurred the Lega in their own current struggle to fulfill their sacred destiny. As their protest gained steam, many supporters and activists looked back even further into the past; rediscovering their hypothetical roots in ancient/ancestral times, they availed themselves of Celtic themes and anachronistic symbolism, carving out a new identity for themselves as Celto-Lombards. They embraced these persuasive historical myths, which fostered a sense of pan-northern identity.
The birth of the Lega Nord was on February 10th 1991, when its first Federal Congress met at Pieve Emanuele (near Milan); there, a cohesive federation was officialy fashioned between Lombardia, Veneto, Piedmont, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany. The new umbrella organization was later joined by Valle d'Aosta, Trentino-Sudtirolo/Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Umbria, and Marche. On June 16, 1991 another celebration took place in the meadows of Pontida; this time there were over 25,000 attendants. On September 13-15 of 1996, Bossi led a rally of over 2 million Padanians to cluster along Venice's River Po (Padus is its Latin name, and Padania is the valley around this river) in order to celebrate the Declaration of Independence and Sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Padania. A provisional Constitution was also approved and adopted. It was hoped that this unitary milestone would lead towards statehood and self-determination. By this time, their own separatist-minded Parliament had been installed in Mantua, and a Guardia Nazionale Padana had been established. Bossi's Northern League achieved a degree of electoral success and became a political force to be reckoned with; they were, at one point, the largest party in the North. They even served briefly in the coalition government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and tried to formulate a more focused, detailed, and well-defined programme. Bossi's vociferous vision was that Italy would inevitably divide peacefully along Czechoslovakian lines. But in the years since, dwindling support for nationalism and major internal divisions further fractured and diluted the group's once radical and extremist aims; their bellicose tone and rough rhetoric have softened somewhat. Separatism is now considered to be wholly impractical by the voting public, and they opt to remain within the existing Italian framework. The party is still active, but they've de-emphasized their call for sovereignty in favor of more moderate and pragmatic goals.
A fantastic chronology, in Italiano, of Lega Nord/Padania can be viewed at:
http://www.naz-toscana.leganord.org/chisiamo.htm
An immense catalog of Padanian coins, complete with images (banknotes and stamps to boot), has been put together by ASCOLPA (Associazione Collezionisti Padani, the organization which produces all the authentic Padanian collectibles); it is available to viewers at:
http://xoomer.alice.it/pmarcello/ascolpa/ascolpdn/cataloghi/silvercoincat.htm
Images of the grand variety of Padanian coinage can also be viewed at the site of Mr. Chaim Dov Shiboleth's private collection:
http://www.taedivm.org/coin-repnord.html
http://www.taedivm.org/coin-padania.html
I purchased my 1992 Repubblica del Nord (Nathion Veneta) 1 Lega from Joel Anderson. My Federal Republic of Padania coins (1997 1 Lega and 10 Leghe; 2003 bi-metallic 1 Euro) came from Piva Gianpietro of ASCOLPA (collezionistipadani@tiscali.it or giapy@tiscalinet.it). For international collectors, their e-mail address is ascolpa_foreignservice@yahoo.it. More recently, I purchased some additional pieces from Mr. Walter Giuliani of ASCOLPA: a 1992 Repubblica del Nord (Lombardia Autonomista) 20 Leghe, a 1993 Lega Nord/Unione del Nord (Lega Lombarda) 5 Lire, a 1993 Lega Nord/Unione del Nord (Liga Veneta) 5 Lire, a 2004 Padania 5 Euro, and a 1995 Repubblica di Cellatica (Lega Lombarda) 1 Scudo; and I traded him one of my 2005 Zilchstadt coins for a 1999 1 Palanca from Crema (a little town in Lombardy), issued by its Lega Nord affiliate. I also found a 1992 Repubblica del Nord (Piemonte Libera) 5 Leghe on eBay. In regards to the Cellatica coin, Mr. Giuliani states that during that time, there were many problems between the town hall and the people of this small Lombardian community: “the local Lega Nord issued a parallel government called Republic of Cellatica, a lot of persons didn't obey to the decisions of the mayor but followed the decisions of this parallel government.”
I attended Dr. Hammargren's annual Nevada Day open-house celebration, an event which is open to the entire community, on October 30, 2005. I also visited him subsequently on a couple of separate occasions. In one of those friendly meetings, he provided me with a copy of a Principality-related snippet which he had cut from an important document he penned. Unfortunately, he could not locate the full text (I even telephoned him numerous times over the next couple of years, asking if he had unearthed it), and he referred to the missing paper as an “announcement” of some sort. The slender cut-out stated that “The Principality of Paradise was founded on the principle that where we are living is Paradise.” While reading the text aloud, he emphasized that he meant this both literally and figuratively. “This small-in-area but large-in-spirit principality was founded 8 December, 1990, at a Constitutional Convention held on the 40th anniversary of the founding of Paradise City, Nevada.” I truly wanted to know more!! But I would have to wait a few years. In August of 2008, I was very fortunate to receive a copy of the historic document Dr. Hammargren was unable to locate. My gratitude goes out to the founder of the Unrecognised States Numismatic Society (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnrecognisedStatesNumismaticSociety/ and http://www.usns.info/), Mr. Oded Paz, who had recently met with Dr. Hammargren. In the 2-page “inaugural edition” (winter 1991) of The Principality Post, Dr. Hammargren offers a humorous overview of his micro-nation. Continuing from exactly where the snippet left off, it goes on to say: “This land locked desert oasis has an average rainfall of 7.7 inches a year and an area in excess of 100,000,000 square centimeters. It has its own internal railroad service named the Internal Railroad Service. The red, white and blue flag of the country represents the colors of its mother colony, the U.S.A. The principality is highly bureaucratic, obeying all laws of the United Nations, the United States of America, the State of Nevada, Clark County, Paradise Township and Paradise Crest, in addition to its own multi-layered bureaucracy. In accordance with the Constitution of 1990 the principality could be governed by a Cabinet, a National Counsel, and a Castleowners’ Association, but remains an Anarchy. There are no rulers or subjects in Paradise. One definition of Regent is ‘acting in place of a kind or hereditary ruler’ so all citizens of Paradise may use the title Regent in the principality. Paradise has a customs union with the United States, and its currency is interchangeable with the United States. The basic unit of currency is the ‘Dupee’ which has a characteristic odor which no other money in the world has and thus is impossible to counterfeit. The exchange rate is one Dupee equals $2 U.S. and one one-hundredth of a Dupee is equal to a Scent. The Principality has its own flag, coat-of-arms, great seal, lesser seal, it issues its own stamps; its own license plate (frames), its own visas, its own gaming licenses, and has its own notorious public and issues too many proclamations. The ruling of Paradise can be practiced by children who purchase ‘Paradise, the Game’. The citizens of Paradise are known as Paradeesians, and their dependent children as Parasites. The history of Paradise is not well known; but the area was probably explored by the Anasazi and settled by the Paiute. A rune stone has been found in the territory, but it is unlikely the Vikings visited here as the date on the rune stone is 1971. The land belonged to Spain, Mexico, and finally the U.S.A. In the 60’s the Collins Brothers, Al and Marti, out of Royal Crest Rancheros to the West, carved this developing principality out of Mesquite and low Chapparal. The population is diverse, of many ethnic groups. There is a high level of education. Many professional people are represented such as entertainers, attorneys, hotel executives, realtors, physicians, nurses and underwater explorers. Holidays are multiple and colorful. The main one is Dependence Day, the eighth of December. All birthdays of all inhabitants are holidays. All religious holidays of all persuasions are holidays and June the Teenth is observed. The work week is every February 29th.”
The bottom of the first page of the Post features a small News Bulletin: “The Moscow Circus has contacted me, asking if they could return to the house for another reception this year. We are trying to make arrangements where many people in the neighborhood could attend, hopefully after meeting some of the circus performers.” This was not a joke. Mr. Paz also provided me with a copy of a letter written by Dr. Hammargren, on official stationery, which gives all of the specific details about this event: “The Principality of Paradise wishes to welcome you to an afternoon and evening of fun enjoying the Moscow Circus. Humana Children’s Hospital, Dr. Lonnie Hammargren, and The Moscow Circus invite you to be their guests for the festivities starting at 4 pm on Thursday, February 28th. Clowns, acrobats, jugglers, and hopefully a Russian Bear will stage a mini-circus in the back yard of Paradise Castle.” The letter goes on to mention that there would be many special guests in attendance, including people affiliated with 3 major charitable organizations that are devoted to caring for sick children. Many youngsters would also attend the event. “The children will have an opportunity to directly meet the circus performers and even participate in the acts.” There would be food available and tours would be conducted of Paradise Castle. “Special seating will be arranged at the Thomas and Mack [Center] for the circus performance at 7:30 pm to see The Greatest Show on Earth, the Moscow Circus.” It truly sounds like Dr. Hammargren was accustomed to doing wonderful things for the community and for kids.
The top of the second page of the Post states that “This periodical is to keep the citizens of Paradise informed of happenings. The minutes of the Constitutional Convention, held December 8, 1990, of the founding meeting of the Principality of Paradise are herewith noted. A social hour of neighbor-meeting-neighbor, many for the first time, was conducted in the Castillo del Sol meeting room of Paradise Castle. After coffee and cider, an informal meeting was held to discuss the formation of a formal Castle-Owners Association. Spirited discussions of many of the citizens’ previous experiences with homeowners’ associations led to a consensus that a formal organization with dues, rules and obligations was not in the neighbors’ interests.” One citizen “told her views of previous autocratic institutions and wanted no part of the homeowners’ association.” Another citizen “told us of experiences 20 years before of trying to start a homeowners’ association which was not successful”. Dr. Hammargren concluded that “It appears the citizens of Paradise wish liberty above regimentation.” Several other important issues (security of the neighborhood, speeding teenagers, an upcoming “yard sale/block party” to raise money for improving the deteriorated appearance of the subdivision’s entrances) were also discussed at this meeting. The bottom of the second page contains a double News Bulletin. The first one reads: “The Principality has contacted the Treasury Department and the Secret Service; and the big news is that the agencies find no fault with our spraying U.S. currency and coin with the deodorant, Money House Blessing Spray. This is not considered defacing or devaluing the currency, and there will be no repercussions from this. A one-Dupee coin is currently being struck to honor the founding of the Principality of Paradise in 1990; this will not be considered U.S. currency and is only for use within the Principality.” The second one reads: “A bill to formally recognize the Principality of Paradise will be entered in the 1991 Legislature. We’ll be talking with each of you individually, regarding a position requesting this.”
In regards to the aforementioned scented aerosol spray, Dr. Hammargren did provide me with some printed information about it back in ’05. And he did not forget to show me (and Oded) the actual can! I’ve also taken a peek on the Internet: “Money House Blessing Air Freshener” is from the E. Davis Ltd. line of products. “An important part of African-American hoodoo tradition concerns itself with the undoing of ‘tricks,’ jinxes, or ‘crossed conditions’ — and one of the standard ways to do this is through ritual house cleaning, which may include sweeping, floor washing, burning incense, sprinkling sachet powders, and using spiritual air fresheners. From apotropaic cleaning has developed the concept of ‘lucky’ cleaning, and since the 1930s, the two types of cleaning products, ‘uncrossing’ and ‘luck drawing,’ have existed side by side. ‘Money House Blessing’ is a popular brand name for floor wash, air freshener, hand soap, anointing oil, and sachet powder. It seems to combine the characteristics of two other well-known brand names, ‘Peaceful Home’ and ‘Money Drawing.’ The idea is that with a steady income, peace will reign in the home.”
Dr. Hammargren also provided me with a copy of the letter he wrote (January 21, 1991) to the U.S. Secret Service: “I am enclosing a copy of the announcement of the formative meeting of the Principality of Paradise, a neighborhood society with the main purpose of having fun. The announcement includes a description of the Principality of Paradise and an explanation of the currency of Paradise, which is called a Dupee. The United States prints superb money which is difficult to duplicate. Since the Principality has no printing budget, it seems more feasible to create a Dupee out of the U.S. $2 bill. A household deodorant which has a pleasant odor is being sold throughout the United States. Its name is Money House Blessing Spray. I know of no substance in this which would cause the money to deteriorate or would deface its value.” Well aware of governmental paranoia about private citizens producing his/her own circulating medium of exchange, Dr. Hammargren utilizes this formal missive to clarify his overall purpose of his currency: “Our plan in using the money is not to defraud people, only to dazzle them with our creativity. Our coinage of the realm currently resembles U.S. coinage in every characteristic except odor. The basic units are 1/100 of a Dupee, which is called a Scent. One U.S. silver dollar is worth 50 Scents. A U.S. 50¢ piece equals 1/4 of a Dupee; and a U.S. quarter is 1/8 of a Dupee. A nickle is 1/40 of a Dupee; and a U.S. penny is 1/200 of a Dupee. There is no 1-Scent piece. There is no current 1-Dupee coin; although a commemorative coin is being struck to celebrate the founding of the Principality in 1990. The head side of the coin will have my face, and the tail side will have a picture of a Bird of Paradise. This coin will not freely exchange with U.S. currency, as it is a commemorative coin only for use within the Principality. The Principality of Paradise does not have a Secret Service, nor do we have any agency monitoring our money. If the U.S. Secret Service determines that any of the Principality money is being counterfeited by others or being used to defraud or deface U.S. currency, the Principality will be glad to reimburse the Service for any costs which arose because of confusion of the markedly similar money. Please notify us immediately if any violations occur.” In our ensuing conversation, Dr. Hammargren explained to me that “Dupee”, even though it is a word he coined, is meant to be reminiscent of “Rupee”; it also stands for “duplicate”.
Semantically, one would expect a Principality to be ruled by a Prince. But instead, the handsome 1990 1 Dupee depicts its unflappable headman as “Principal Lonnie Hammargren” (I made a point to ask him why he chose to give himself the title of “Principal”. His reasoning was that, contrary to “Prince”, the scholastic term sounded dignified without being overly egocentric). I happened upon this piece on eBay. I later received a similar-looking 1991 100 Dupees, which also features the heraldic “Bird of Paradise”, directly from Dr. Hammargren in exchange for one of my 2005 Zilchstadt pieces. I also obtained a “Princess Sandra” 2,000 Dupees, dated 2000. All three coins were produced by Nevada Coin Mart (now Nevada Coin Minting). At his house, Dr. Hammargren showed me (and Oded) a red plastic holder which contains 7 different versions of the 1990 coin, each one struck in a different metal. These might have been “pre-production samples” which allowed him to choose the metal(s) for the official batch. It is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind artifact. It is worth noting that during Bill Clinton's re-election campaign, Dr. Hammargren personally gave one of his Dupees to the President. The colorful doctor's paradisiacal Web-site, though it does not include any information whatsoever about the token itself, is:
http://www.principality-of-paradise.com/
Images of one of the Principality’s coins can be viewed at the site of Mr. Peter Geelen’s private collection:
http://www.jezuss.nl/paradise.htm
According to other sources, the Sociedad Parva Domus began as a peculiar cultural association; a place of gathering for participants of the local fishing parties. On August 4, 1895, the members of this Society assembled and decided that their name would be changed to “República de Parva Domus Magna Quies”. It is a place of relaxation and recreation, distant from the bustle of the city, and largely ignored by most Montevideans. Inside the Republic, “passionate discussions are not permitted”, and one can't speak about politics and religion (perhaps the prohibition extends even to economics, or any other subject which causes division among people). Their credo alludes to Tolerance, Friendship, Fraternity, and Equality; and they are well-known for their sumptuous meals.
After World War I, they wanted to emulate the Swiss and form their own type of Dadaist movement (which was founded in Zurich); at the time, Uruguay was considered the “Switzerland of South America” (due to its social peace, its relatively stable democracy, and its advanced level of economic development). They were serious admirers of the poet Comte de Lautréamont, who was born in Montevideo. This brotherhood has its own President, Vice-President, Ministers, and Ambassadors. Some of their laws are downright droll and surreal, and they are fond of comical rituals and customs. The Republic is reminiscent of a “secret society”, and it is surrounded by a myth of impenetrability. Their membership is restricted to those of the masculine gender, and its members have included some of the most illustrious names in the field of academia, the arts (painters, photographers, singers, musicians, actors), science, and high-society (including some millionaires). Even though one of the articles in their Constitution states that “Neither women, nor animals, nor inferior beings” are admitted inside, females are actually allowed entrance twice a year, for a special dinner. I learned a portion of this information from one of its citizens, Mr. Walter Carrasco. Here is one more odd thing he had to say: “The only one who commands us is the president and we all obey him with pleasure and admiration because he is our teacher, because in the parva domus, we are ignorant people and the person who enlightens us is the president when he talks and explains what he is saying because we never understand anything.”
In 2003, they issued 3 coins to commemorate their anniversary. I purchased the 1 Peso Cobre, 5 Pesos Plata, and 10 Pesos Oro (which I've since traded to another colleague) from Mr. Mario Sanchez. Previously, under the name “Republica Parvense”, they had issued a 1953 10 Pesos Oro (which I also acquired from Mr. Sanchez; perhaps this coin commemorates their 75th anniversary), and an undated 1 peso (one catalogue states circa 1890s; but it is more than likely from 1953 as well, or possibly from 1928, when the Parva Domus would have reached its 50th anniversary). These coins were purportedly used for gambling, and perhaps also used for buying other items within the walls of the Republic. They have also produced some banknotes, including a humorous one for the absurd amount of 499 Pesos.
Images of Parva Domus' coinage can be viewed at the Coin Library of the USNS:
http://www.usns.info/coin-parvense.html
I obtained the One Phoenix Dollar (1 PxD) piece, dated 2006, directly from its Web-site. “Phoenix Dollars are physical 1oz disks that are used for transactions between private parties who wish to trade for products and services offline.” They “are designed to be spendable over the counter to private individuals and businesses who openly accept them as payment for goods and services.” They “are weight denominated and fluctuate based on the market rate of silver.” Therefore, unlike the Liberty Dollar (see my separate listing for NORFED), each Phoenix Dollar disk is exchanged at that day’s “spot price” per ounce of pure Ag. The Web-site is wisely careful to repeatedly declare that “The Phoenix Silver Bullion Products are NOT ‘legal tender’ and NOT ‘current money’ nor are they endorsed by any sovereign government, country, city or state.” Images of the very attractive coin can be viewed at:
https://www.phoenixdollar.net/art/PxD-2006-front.jpg
https://www.phoenixdollar.net/art/PxD-2006-back.jpg
While researching the Phoenix Dollar, I exchanged a few pleasant e-mails with Mr. Gordon Hayes, the corporation’s President. In these communications, he stated that “this currency was conceived between 2003-4 and built during 2005. We did a pre-launch to about 800 founders who had purchased a special issue (1000 qty) coin along with a founder's account on 07 Oct 2005 02:30 am. This was essentially a grand experiment in fund raising which went very well. We proved the idea of raising funds through pre-selling value through a community platform. Then we went into beta testing mode with the founders to debug the website and digital currency system since it is very complex. We officially opened to the public on 10 Nov 2005 11:00 pm”. From Mr. Hayes, I obtained the “limited edition release” he mentioned (“we sold those with special founders accounts that have a no fee digital currency account with them”). This 10 Phoenix Dollars medallion, dated 2005, has “an Egyptian style theme, but really it’s a future scene and depicts a floating city.” Mr. Hayes also mentioned that “I aim to do one limited edition run per year, but in 2006 we never got around to doing one, so maybe we will try a second edition in '07 or '08.”
In May of 2006, at another Web-site (http://www.moneynetnews.com/blogs/1/What-is-the-Phoenix-Community.html), Mr. Hayes wrote: “I have spoken in the past about how a currency and ‘monetary policy’ should and does truly form the very basis for a group or community and in many cases a country to be born, develop and thrive. I have spoken about how important it is to initiate that thing or policy in a way that helps people to thrive and succeed and I have spoken about how a poorly implemented financial system can and does affect people in a negative way. Right now I see the shift toward the negative on a worldwide scale with the removal of a beneficial preserver of wealth to a system that sucks wealth from the bottom up in a sort of pyramidal structure. Hence the apt use of the pyramid and all seeing eye on the US Dollar. The images truly are reflective of the current system. What I have come to understand now is that although I have spoken about sovereignty and the use of various gold and silver currency systems as the basis for a new country, I have been in many ways overzealous and incorrect about what that means and why it is, or is not important.” Mr. Hayes’ philosophy has led him to envision a kind of “Phoenix Community”, and that is the reason he issued the Phoenix Dollar. “Money, exchange and trade is a bridge. It is not so much that money is important in and of itself, but its importance stems from the fact that money, trade and exchange forms a basis and method for how people interact. In other words, money is the bridge that brings people together. How this bridge is built is in many ways what defines how people interact and that is what makes the creation of a financial system so important outside of just the money aspect of things. It is exactly where the meaning of community comes in. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is the most important aspect of money.” He believes that “A good system leads to good experiences, quality friends, a united family, and personal wealth and does strengthen all of those things in the individual, in family and even in a country. That is exactly the reason why the USA became as powerful as it has become after using a gold and silver standard for the short time that it did. It is also the very reason it is in decline today. Cracks are forming because of the way the current monetary policy is eroding society. Families are disjointed, wealth is siphoned off, people are indebted to one another, and we are losing our spiritual sides as a result. The monetary policy changes made just after the turn of the century and perpetuated through to today are nothing more than a virus in the community on a worldwide scale. It is a powerful virus that changes the way people interact and is the reason for a large majority of our problems today.” With the establishment of a Phoenix Community, “my intention is to make these thoughts the foremost reason for our currencies existence and with that in mind, to design, implement and teach a way toward more wealth in all facets of peoples lives starting with my own and branching out as we grow larger. My goal here is to design something that focuses on these things, rather than to design something that does not look at these things and operates in a cold, strictly ‘its all about the money’ basis…So in the future, as we move along this journey, it won't be so much about money itself, but it will be about community. Our goal is to implement positive policies that encourage growth, inventiveness, creativity and freedom in exchange which ultimately supports life for all beings, or takes it away depending on how it is done. We continue to encourage all our members and prospective members to participate directly in this adventure as we are certainly not perfect. There is always room for improvement and we would like it if you get involved on a personal level. Our strength originates directly from the bonds we create and the strength of those bonds must be supported by a means of trade that preserves wealth, creates a basis of equitable trade and ultimately helps people come together in a positive way. Over time, those bonds become the bridge to our future and directly represent what our future will be for generations to come.”
In one of the e-mails I received from Mr. Hayes, he summed up his views of micro-national coinage and speculated as to the underlying reason why we both share a mutual fascination for this topic. “The character of any group or nation is determined by its monetary policy. That I suspect, is why you might be attracted to their currency issues. How people trade between two parties, or between the state and other parties defines how people interact with one another for better or worse. With that in mind, I set out to create the best currency and community I could. If at some point down the road we find a way to become sovereign, then I will have achieved a goal worthy of pursuing. Until then, I aim to just have a currency and no ‘country’ at all.”
It goes without saying that all of my contacts with Mr. Hayes were extremely pleasant. The main focus of all my questions was his coinage (they are clearly a small part of the entire Phoenix Dollar program), and he supplied me with all the information I requested. Nevertheless, I would be remiss if I did not share this informational tidbit with numismatists: a man named Mr. Travis Bishop, who often frequents an anti-scam Web-site
(http://www.cattyshaq.com/forum/index.php), contacted me in order “to educate you on how the Phoenix Dollar was ACTUALLY started. The coins you own were created simply to further a scam. Period.” According to him, the information contained in my write-up (because it is based solely on the words of Mr. Hayes) is incorrect. “I guess my main concern over the listing on your site for the Phoenix Dollar (and other scam related coins) is that it glosses over a very important fact about the coins themselves and encourages others to buy them. These coins do nothing but give money to scammers who continue to basically fund the theft of money from unsuspecting and gullible people.” Mr. Bishop informed me that “Gordon Hayes…owns a web hosting company that hosts offshore (used to be U.S. too) scams. No matter what he says, he started the Phoenix [Dollar] to let people fund the scams he hosted as an alternative to e-gold.” His motivations for launching the Phoenix Dollar “were anything but altruistic.” At the time, “The scam he was most involved with that started the Phoenix [Dollar] was ‘Reality Millions’.” Turns out that Mr. Hayes, who was the founder/owner an outfit called Katz Global, was making business deals with the man (known only as “Midas”) running Reality Millions (even though Gordon himself stated that most such programs were Ponzi schemes) and FreeLandOpps (another failed racket) before that. By the way, “e-gold” is a digital gold currency founded in 1996 by Dr. Douglas Jackson and Barry K. Downey; it is a system which allows the instant transfer of gold ownership between users. And a “Ponzi scheme” is a fraudulent investment operation that involves paying abnormally high returns (“profits”) to investors out of the money paid in by subsequent investors, rather than from net revenues generated by any real business; the high short-term returns that a Ponzi scheme advertises (and pays) not only entices new investors, but they also require an ever-increasing flow of money from these unwary victims in order to keep the scheme going. As for Gordon Hayes, there is an entire lengthy thread on the Catty Shaq Forum (http://www.cattyshaq.com/forum/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=40) which focuses specifically on the controversies surrounding him.
Mr. Comino also founded, along with 2 other men (including Vito Gnutti), a political group called “Autonomisti per l'Europa” (described on the Internet as a “Confederazione dei Movimenti Federalistici Liberal Democratici”). This took place in Alessandria, a city in Piemonte, in January of 2000. “Autonomists for Europe” united a total of 7 federalist movements from northern Italy, the leaders of which were all outside of Lega Nord. Because its acronym (A.P.E.) forms the Italian word for “bee”, the party (a veritable “stinger” on the backside of the establishment?) used an amusing image of this insect on its logo. As a cluster, they are now defunct.
The ones in my collection came directly from Mr. Kolosa, but I must confess to having owned another set prior to this. I purchased it from Mr. Frank S. Robinson (http://www.albany.net/~fr/), and it was in my custody for only about a day. I was seeing these pieces for the very first time and I was pretty unimpressed. Though it was a bout of narrow-mindedness I'd later bemoan, my disappointment led me to mail the set back to the coin-dealer for a refund. Eventually, I was forced to reconsider my decision of years before because now there was a gaping hole in my ever-expanding collection due to the absence of those coins. At this crucial juncture, I resolved to locate another set and rectify that omission. I hectically e-mailed Mr. Robinson; he no longer had any of those coins in stock, but he kindly provided me with Mr. Kolosa's phone number and mailing address. A few minutes later, I was having a pleasant conversation with this gentleman. I may have rejected his handiwork the first time around, but on my second attempt, I finally succumbed to their ribald brand of charm!
Images of the Purple Shaftieuland tokens can be viewed at the site of Mr. Haseeb Naz’s private collection:
http://chiefacoins.com/Database/Micro-Nations/Purple-Shaftieuland.htm
Images of the coins can also be seen at: http://69.55.175.34/dan46.html.Return to the Main Index
