Re: OT: coins and currency (was: [Theory] Types of numerals)

For some reason, on the previous times I tried to send this message to
the list, it bounced back with some kind of error saying the address I
was posting it from wasn't recognised as being subscribed...  but all my
previous mails to this list went through without a hitch, and I haven't
changed anything on my end since those other mails...

I seem to be having the email equivalent of a bad-hair day...

If someone has been tweaking the listserv software, they need to tweak
it back the other way...  :-D

[tried to send it again]

Okay, I'm gonna try this one more time... munging something later in the
message which, it seems, there is a remote possibility is related to why
I can't get this message to go out onto the list...

Hi Tim (Tim May), in <17344.8731.334313.308194@...> on Jan 7 you wrote:

> Nik Taylor wrote at 2006-01-07 00:15:39 (-0600)
>  > Nomad of Norad -- David C Hall wrote:
>  > > Another thing that seems a mite peculiar: Most of the coins I've
>  > > seen pictured from all over the world tend to be round, or at
>  > > least round-ISH.
>  >
>  > Historically, Japanese silver and small gold coins were
>  > rectangular, while large gold coins were oblong.  Copper coins were
>  > circles with square holes.
>  >
>
> I'm not sure what distinction you're making between "rectangular" and
> "oblong"; the two words are effectively synonymous to me.

Hmmmmm... T_o me, "rectangular" denotes a shape like a square, but
stretched out.  That is, two longish, straight, parallel lines, and
two much-shorter parallel lines.  While "oblong" to me would mean,
say, a disk-shape stretched out, or some other uniform shape -- that
wasn't itself consisting of straight, parallel lines -- stretched out.

One could take, say, two triangles, turn them so the top points were
towards each other, and merge them together at the points.  That, to
me, would be an example of "oblong."  Also, if you took those same
two triangles, turned them bottom to bottom and merged them, then
stretched the two ends way out.

At that, simply taking one triangle and stretching it way out might
well be considered "oblong."

On the other hand, a quick glance at my handy-dandy Websters tells me:

1. Having one of two perpendicular dimensions, as length or width,
greater than the other: rectangular.  2. Elongated.

 ...so I guess we're both right!  :-D

I haven't laid eyes on these Japanese coins, though.  Somebody got a
URL providing pictures?

--
      Nomad of Norad (David C. Hall)  ---  *TeamAmiga*
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