Last free month

Today starts my last month as a free man because in one month I will be married. The countdown has started and it leaves me with a strange feeling about a strange ritual called matrimony. In one month I will promise to be faithful, although I already am. After this promise we are officially faithful to each other and are expected to spend the rest of our lives this way, although in recent times with some money and a lawyer it is easy to break this faith. Sill, we are confident we’ll be together for a good portion of time, enough to make a commitment.

The ritual is so important it will be celebrated by our families, friends and acquaintances. In fact there are entire industries relying on this ritual and providing every service you can think of, naturally for a good price. I send it is a strange situation what almost seems un real… a strange dream where you are working and looking forward to something for months… a big party and for what exactly? A ritual that really does not mean so much.

Still, we hope for a good party and afterwards… we’ll see. This month of freedom will undoubtedly be the same as the months to follow, so there is no need to sowing my wild oats. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with having some good old fun.

Coin issues

Gold coin!They are doing it again! The royal Dutch mint has decided to sell a new set of coins. Coins that used to be legal tender will be created again just like that. This time it is not a set of various normal coins, but that are going to recreate a set of gold coins.

This recreation is made using the original stamps and using the exact same specifications and the exact same gold content as the original coin. Today the original coin has a list price of € 1600,-. You can obtain this recreation for € 199,-. With this exact recreation you will be the owner of the very first Dutch golden 5 guilder coin. A very special recreation that should not be missing in your collection.

The coins seem to be identical to the original, with the only difference that they will appear a lot newer. I think it is incredible that an official body as the KNM is allowed to produce and sell these coins for just 10% of the catalog value. Am I really the only person worried that the original coins will drop in value fast, because any normal person will be unable to tell the difference between the original and the recreation in 20 years.

By the way, what is stopping me to by myself an old coin press and create my own old Dutch guilders. Under the pretext that it might be interesting for collectors. I can then sell these coins for 90% of their catalog value. That in the future collectors can no longer have confidence in any Dutch guilder I will just take for granted.

Update:
My paranoia was partly unjustified. When I checked with the KNM it turned out that:

The difference between the original and the reproduction is shown by an “R” that is added to each reproduction.

Smoked sausage

Smoked sausage!It is only one month more to our wedding date. The big day is approaching fast and we can notice the stress accumulating slowly but surely. I have selected and bough a nice suit and here are just a few still quite a lot of details that need our attention. The final selection of the menu, the rings, the music, some small details like cufflinks and a belt, the little pillow for the rings, the setup of the tables for the dinner, calling friends and family to get the final confirmations, translating the plan for the day to have it available in both Spanish and Dutch, translating the menu, finding little thank-you presents, etc. etc.

It is still pretty manageable. The annoying thing it that then suddenly all plans can make a turn for the worst. I received two delicious smoked sausages!! Really fantastic of course, and in the stressful time it offers the perfect way to relax and wind down by eating a very tasty Dutch smoked sausage. Sadly it was not meant to be. Enclosed with the sausage I found some instructions stating that we had to wait before eating the sausage. Oh NOOOO! For sure there is some reason to it, and I’m curious to find out. For now I’ll attempt to not eat the sausage.