Shire Post Coins

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After some encouragement from others on the forum, I have started a new thread on all things related to the Shire Post Mint, the brainchild of Tom Maringer.

For a time, Mr. Maringer created coins inspired by the world of Tolkien, but has now moved on to other worlds and realms for reasons you can read about on his website. He makes all of his coins by hand in his workshop in Springdale, Arkansas. To borrow from his website, he is "dedicated to the principle of making fantasy realms tangible through the creation of small, everyday artifacts, such as buttons, coins, and stamps that help us form a 'sense of place'".

Feel free to post pictures of your coins, ask questions, discuss, etc.!

I'll start with two of my coins from the Shire Post: the Iron Coin of the Faceless Man, which is licensed by George R. R. Martin, author of the "Song of Ice and Fire" series. One is from the 5th pressing, and one is from the new 6th pressing. I enjoy the variations between the two. Both of these coins are available through the Shire Post Store.

Attachments:
1) Materials included, with a handwritten order form from Mr. Maringer - you can tell how much he loves his work!
2) Iron Coins of the Faceless Man, with info cards
3) Obverse of coins, 5th pressing on left, 6th pressing on right
4) Reverse of coins, 5th pressing on left, 6th pressing on right
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my collection of shire post coins
1555 - 4 silver shire coins, 3 copper shire pennies, and a copper rohan coin-
1556 - 3 copper shire pennies and a 3 penny coin, 3 copper pennies from dale, and a silver 10 penny dale coin, and a silver gondor coin
1557 - 4 1/4 pennies, the hand of saruman iron coin, and an silver coin from mordor
1558 - coin of southern men, and the axe of durin coin
1559 - second largest silver shire coin
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Re: Shire Post Coins

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more shire post coins -
1560 - bilbo's party mathom
1561 - coin from lothlorien, image of galadriel
1569 - reverse of lothlorien coin
1568 - lothlorien coin - highly domed on both sides
1566 - elven coin
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more shire post / lotr coins
1562 - silver rohan coin
hpim1132 - large bronze coin from dale
hpim1139 - wax stamp with shire penny imprint
hpim1134 - red tengwar script geocache coin lotr
hpim1554 - comparative sizes
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Re: Shire Post Coins

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[quote=""Valkrist""]Man, I wish I'd known about these sooner. They are pretty cool, but like Nerdanel said, Tom has moved on to Game of Thrones. There were a few of these on ebay not too long ago, but now there's nothing. :( [/quote]
Yeah, they are pretty cool, and definitely worth picking up if you do find them on eBay. The quick and dirty version of the story is that someone representing the Tolkien estate threatened to sue Mr. Maringer if he did not cease producing coins inspired by the world of Tolkien. Hence why they are hard to come by, and why he only produces licensed coins now.

My understanding is the "Iron Crown of Morgoth" coin was the last coin produced by the Shire Post Mint because it made no reference to LOTR or the Hobbit (I don't know who owns the rights to the Silmarillion?). So funnily enough, the most evil possible coin was the only one he was able to find a way to make (while it lasted). I think he stopped producing that one in 2009 to avoid litigation.

Mr. Maringer received permission from GRRM to make the Game of Thrones coins long before the series became widely known and popular. Thank goodness he did, otherwise something similar might have happened to these coins.

Thank you to Rick Cottontree for posting those awesome pictures! I will try to post some more pictures of my coins when I get the chance. :)

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The Silmarillion rights are owned by the Tolkien Estate as well.

The other coins were likely stopped by them also. I can't see Warner Brothers or the Saul Zaentz Co. stepping in to stop something that was not in the movies, so it was all the work of the Estate's legal team which, though it kinda sucks for us, is only doing what is right.

Doing a search just now actually did turn up a few coins: two sets of different year Shire farthings, a Mordor coin, an elven leaf-shaped coin, and a Shire copper 3 pence.

I would just like to know if those prices are reasonable before taking the plunge. :|
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Re: Shire Post Coins

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Well, those prices are much higher than the guy I have purchased all my other LOTR Shire Post coins from on eBay, but he is almost completely sold out. I bought his last 2 Rohan "Foal" coins earlier this week.

I was really bummed to find that I missed his multiple offerings of a pair of the Elven leaf coins (1 Fall / 1 Summer) that he was selling for $22-$24.95 per set. So much so that I just bought the last Fall leaf from the guy you referenced. Sorry about that. In truth, that price was too high, but I wasn't sure how many more chances might present down the road.

There are inherent dangers in sharing your search results with others in a hobby this acquisitive! :thumbs_up

When I get the Rohan Foal coins and the new Fall leaf, I'll post some pics of my collection of these. My favorite is a tiny silver Gondorian coin commemorating Aragorn's ascension to the throne as Elessar.

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Hey Val,

You're right, that was a bit lame of me. However, I couldn't answer your question without reviewing the prices. I really don't think you should pay what he/she is asking for that 3 pence coin or the Hobbit sets. The Hobbit sets are extremely tiny coins (like less than half the size of a dime). I'm not sure about the 3 pence copper and it is a cool shape, but that is a steep price.

In truth, I shouldn't have paid that for the leaf, but I had been "seeking it, seeking it always" and couldn't resist the pull...Again, I'm sorry to have ganked the leaf. Tell you what, since I bought the last 2 of that other seller's Rohan Foal coins, I might have an extra for you! Again, sorry for the untoward behavior. When the blood fever gets up, it's hard to rein in the crazy. Pon Farr with Shire Post coinage in the role of T'Pring!
Last edited by polyphemus on Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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It's ok. I'll admit I was seeing a little bit of red after I saw that but didn't feel it was worth getting into an argument over, especially as it is my duty to uphold the rules of conduct in this forum.

Speaking of which, a situation like this almost makes me feel that we should have a modicum of respect among our membership and foster the spirit of camaraderie and helpfulness that we encourage here.

I honestly feel that if one of us finds an item that he or she is thinking of buying and posts a question intended to help with that decision, it is only polite that the rest of us not jump in behind them and 'steal' that item for themselves. At the very least, the second party can ask the first if they can buy the item should the original member decide not to pursue it. It's the respectful thing to do.

On a side note, I would exempt an ebay auction from this as that should be fair game because an auction should be open to all by its very nature. Not so on an item that there is only one of and is up for purchasing only.
Last edited by Valkrist on Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Hey Val,

In truth, his leaf listing had shown multiple quantities. I really only noticed I sold him out when I hit "commit to buy." Regardless, as you wisely point out, that is still uncool given you were inquiring. As I said, I feel that price was way too high (particularly for a coin sight unseen that may prove miniscule as so many of these are).

Here's the deal, if you really wanted it for his price of $34.99, it yours! I'll just include it with a certain other item soon to be winging its way to the Great White North. Seriously, not a big deal. I'll even let you wait so that I can inspect it and report its size in order to help you make a more informed decision. After all, we already discovered we were "brothers from another!" No way I want to start a family feud over a leaf-shaped coin. :thumbs_up

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I appreciate you trying to make this better, and yes, the price does sound too high for what you get. That's why I came here to ask as I had no point of reference.

Honestly, it's not worth it over a single coin. Had it been over something much more valuable and rare, then I might have a harder time with it, and it is for that reason that I feel we should encourage one another to a collector's code of honour. ;)

I did notice the multiples counter on each of the seller's pages, but I guess you didn't.

At this point I almost feel like I don't want to pursue these coins. Knowing myself, I would try to hunt them all down, and there are a ton of them. If this is an indication of the price people are wanting for them on the aftermarket, then it will be too rich for my blood to try and complete the set. Now I have to debate whether it's even worth it to have just a couple of them and be left feeling like I want the rest, or not bother at all.

Yet another example of what happens when you wait too long on collectibles, though to be fair, I wasn't really aware of the existance or extent of this collection. :(
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The four coins Polyphemus just posted are by far the smallest of the Shire Post LOTR coins I've seen. I have a couple more coming from a recent purchase, but here are the four I currently own (apologies for the so-so quality of the image).

Clockwise from top left:
Foal of Rohan
1403 Tree Penny
Iron Eye of Sauron
1402 Three-Pence
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Re: Shire Post Coins

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[quote=""Valkrist""]Wow, you weren't kidding. Each of those are smaller than the buttons on a small children's shirt!!![/quote]

Indeed they are tiny.
I had no idea they were that small, and after they arrived I wished I had asked the seller to place them next to a conventional coin so i could gauge the scale.

I don't know if I would have bought them knowing how small they were.

As for price, I paid $17 (incl shp) for the 1402 set.
I saw them elsewhere on ebay going for $24 for the set.

As for my other coins, I bought the 12 coin set sold by Obi_wan on ebay (he has sold numerous identical sets).

Most of those coins are actual "shire" coins, altho' there is one Saruman coin and one Dale coin in the set. I paid $55 for that set.

I wanted that set primarily for the actual coins used in the Shire...the other two coins are just bonuses.
Last edited by Deimos on Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Shire Post Coins

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[quote=""Valkrist""]The Silmarillion rights are owned by the Tolkien Estate as well.

The other coins were likely stopped by them also. I can't see Warner Brothers or the Saul Zaentz Co. stepping in to stop something that was not in the movies, so it was all the work of the Estate's legal team which, though it kinda sucks for us, is only doing what is right.

Doing a search just now actually did turn up a few coins: two sets of different year Shire farthings, a Mordor coin, an elven leaf-shaped coin, and a Shire copper 3 pence.

I would just like to know if those prices are reasonable before taking the plunge. :| [/quote]
I love the coins, but I definitely understand why the Tolkien estate would want production ceased. But, in good faith, Mr. Maringer did send them requests for a licensing arrangement, samples of his coins, and changed names/spellings so as not to directly copy Tolkien's work. For example, on the "Hand of Saruman" coin, it doesn't say "Saruman". It says "Sharku-Manu" for "Hand of the Old Man". The Tolkien estate ignored all his requests, and after a few years of production, they decided to threaten the lawsuit. So it goes with fan art... :|

As for the size of the coins, it helps to keep some perspective. The "farthings" are the smallest denomination for Hobbits, who as we all know are quite tiny. ;) I don't think many of the Shire Post coins are larger than a US nickels, and I suppose that's okay because the materials, time, force, etc. necessary to mint larger coins would make them unnecessarily e xp ensive.

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Here are the Shire Post coins I have collected over the years. Most are very similar to each other. The "Bronze Daler of New Dal (Dale)" is a great design showing Bard with his bow aimed at Smaug on one side and the town of Dale with the Lonely Mountain on the other. The blue "Mithril Hay-Pennys" are different as well, in color only really. The "Raven Penny of New Dal (Dale)", and the "Copper Penny of Dal Tun" are different using runes and Raven imagery.

As far as price/cost/worth for these coins, imo, they are worth what you will pay as a collector. If you want to add something different to your Middle Earth collection, then these are pretty cool. I honestly can't remember the price I paid for these. They are something to give a display some more authenticity. I have always thought that N2Darkness should have an assortment of these coins in his displays as they would fit right in with his coffee table display (which I love, btw)!

I know I haven't posted in quite a while, but I'm still creeping around. ;)

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Re: Shire Post Coins

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Great to see you, Rough, and thanks for the awesome pics and thoughts! :thumbs_up

I'm still debating on whether to pursue this particular side of ME collecting, but you're right in that they add a whole other dimension to a collection of 'artifacts.'

I actually think N2 has a few of these in his display. I can see some coins lying about, but I'm not sure if they are Shire Post or not.
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Re: Shire Post Coins

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[quote=""Valkrist""]Great to see you, Rough, and thanks for the awesome pics and thoughts! :thumbs_up

I'm still debating on whether to pursue this particular side of ME collecting, but you're right in that they add a whole other dimension to a collection of 'artifacts.'

I actually think N2 has a few of these in his display. I can see some coins lying about, but I'm not sure if they are Shire Post or not.[/quote]

Thanks, Val! Pretty sure I will be adding a few more items to my collection soon, so I will be more visible around these parts. Especially with some anticipated Hobbit props coming soon. I still have my collection except for a few items which I sold last year to appease the wife. Happy wife, happy life.

N2D, I did see your Shire Post coins in your table display as I toured your home theater on Youtube. That room blows my mind! Great vid too, btw. :thumbs_up
Head of the Department of Evil, Canadian Division.

"All that Longbottom gave me the munchies."

Re: Shire Post Coins

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Just in case anyone is interested, obi-won has begun selling his 12-coin set of Shire Post coins again. I won the auction for the first one he put up at $36 and I also bought his Eye of Sauron coin separately. Almost immediately after I won the auction, he put up a second set of the 12-coin package deal. There's about 6 days to go on the auction and the bidding is already up to $34.
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[quote=""Valkrist""]Just in case anyone is interested, obi-won has begun selling his 12-coin set of Shire Post coins again. I won the auction for the first one he put up at $36 and I also bought his Eye of Sauron coin separately. Almost immediately after I won the auction, he put up a second set of the 12-coin package deal. There's about 6 days to go on the auction and the bidding is already up to $34.[/quote]

Good buy on the coin set, Val.

I paid $54 for mine (incl shipping) and that was after losing out on two other sales, both of those going for $50+ as well.

I'm not keen to get all the Shire Post LOTR coins out there (I'm NOT a coin collector) but I wouldn't mind having a coin from Rohan (the one with the foal) and the one Polyphemus has from Gondor: the "tiny silver Gondorian coin commemorating Aragorn's ascension to the throne as Elessar."

Those two would be cool to display

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Shire Post Coins

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Thanks, I felt it was a very decent price, especially as he is combining shipping with the other coin I bought. The current set is already at $41.

I asked him if he had any other coins lying around and he said he does have a few but just mainly Shire pennies that he's trying to combine into further sets. Looks like the dwarven, elven, and Gondor coins will be extremely hard to find now.
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[quote=""RevAnakin""]Woot, I am the highest bidder![/quote]

Did you win? I saw that it sold for about $46. Immediately after that, he posted yet another 12-coin set. I believe he mentions this will be the last one containing the Hand of Saruman coin in it.
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So far, my collection counts the following coins:

1404, 1405, 1406, 1407- Circulated copper Shire Pennies
1404, 1405, 1406, 1407- Uncirculated copper Shire Hay-Pennies
1403 - Circulated copper Shire Hay-Penny
1403 - Uncirculated copper Shire Penny
Mordor Dark Lord Coin - Circulated Iron
Red Hand of Sharku - Copper coin of Saruman
3014 - Rohan Foal - Uncirculated copper

I have also bought and they are on the way:

Holly Leaf of Autumn - Elven coin of Eregion - copper
Mumak of Far Harad - Uncirculated copper
Silver Full Dram of Rohan - Rough strike and circulated
1402 - Shire Shilling - Rough strike and circulated silver
1402 - Shire Shilling - Beautiful strike and uncirculated bright silver
1402 - Shire Si xp ence - Rough strike circulated antique silver
1402 - Shire Si xp ence - Beautiful strike uncirculated bright silver
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Ditto...mine should arrive next week.
Wonder how many more he's got....
Last edited by Deimos on Thu Jul 11, 2013 6:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Shire Post Coins

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My Axe of Durin [coin] arrived. Neat-o torpedo ;) .

The only other coins I'd like to get are the silver Kastar and the silver Tharni of Gondor.....but that is dreaming.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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[quote=""Valkrist""]Why is it dreaming? I never thought I'd find many of the coins that I ended up buying, so who's to say those won't pop up?[/quote]

Oh, I think they will pop up at some point, and then you and I and everyone else on this forum who covets them will get into a bidding war. ;)

And we all can't win, juneau? (That's the "dreaming" part.)

But...like Obi-Wan having multiple coin sets to sell, there may be quite a few that will show up....fingers crossed.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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[quote=""Buckeye""]The only Rohan coin I have is the copper Foal. You're referring to the silver Foal, correct?[/quote]

Yep, that's the one! The other one I was mentioning was the octagonal copper coin with an elephant on it.

I have a few other cards that are in bad shape, but thought it would be nice to fill in the missing ones first. I'm happy to reciprocate as well if anyone else is in need of a card. :)

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Welcome back, Nerdanel! :)

Speaking of Shire Post coins, after some tense moments on ebay today, there were some wins, and there were some losses, but after a few bruises, I walked away with:

Spring, Summer, and Fall Leaf of Holly (Fall is a double for me but these came in a set so I had no choice - only missing Winter now.)
1402 - Red Brass Farthings - five sets of four coins each, with coin purse.
Mordor Eye of Sauron - Copper
Copper Penny of Dal Tun
Bronze Daler of New Dal

The one that got away: Copper Groat of Gondor :(

The search continues...
Last edited by Valkrist on Wed Nov 20, 2013 8:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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[quote=""Valkrist""]Welcome back, Nerdanel! :)

Speaking of Shire Post coins, after some tense moments on ebay today, there were some wins, and there were some losses, but after a few bruises, I walked away with:

Spring, Summer, and Fall Leaf of Holly (Fall is a double for me but these came in a set so I had no choice - only missing Winter now.)
1402 - Red Brass Farthings - five sets of four coins each, with coin purse.
Mordor Eye of Sauron - Copper
Copper Penny of Dan Tun
Bronze Daler of New Dal

The one that got away: Copper Groat of Gondor :(

The search continues...[/quote]

Thanks for the welcome back, Val! I missed the folks here, I couldn't stay away forever, no matter how crazy life gets! :)

WOW! I am really jealous (but also happy for you!) that you found a Spring leaf...really hard to come by. If you ever happen to come across an extra (or extra Winter for that matter), keep me in mind, please? :)

Thankfully, I think groats tend to pop up more often than leaves, so you are in luck there!

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I will definitely keep my eyes open for them and let you know. These coins seem to come and go in waves. There's not a single one in sight for weeks, then suddenly someone lists their whole collection, as it happened this week, and everyone descends on them like a pack ravenous wargs.
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[quote=""Valkrist""]I will definitely keep my eyes open for them and let you know. These coins seem to come and go in waves. There's not a single one in sight for weeks, then suddenly someone lists their whole collection, as it happened this week, and everyone descends on them like a pack ravenous wargs.[/quote]

Wargs. :laugh: Thanks Val, I appreciate you keeping an eye out for me. I'm assuming you're still looking for the backgammon set...no luck finding it yet though.

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[quote=""Nerdanel""]I'm assuming you're still looking for the backgammon set...no luck finding it yet though.[/quote]

Yes, I am. One did come up not too long ago, spotted by Polyphemus, who promptly informed me. Unfortunately, the asking price was out of my range at the time. :(
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For the folks who were curious as to why the Shire Post was forced to stop producing Middle Earth inspired coins, here is the story I was provided:

The Shire Post (which “provides an interdimensional mailing service&#8221 ;) had its beginnings, with philately and stamps, in 1987. Its very first Halfling/Shaire coins, also Hobbit-themed, were made in June of 2001, when its founder, Tom Maringer, chanced upon an old antique manual coining press. Those initial pieces were marked “SR 1401” (S.R. signifies Shire Reckoning, the calendar used by the Hobbits of The Shire, a region of Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth). Starting with the 2nd series, he partnered with another talented engraver named Oswald Oaklif. Creating coins has now become the main activity of the Shire Post, and the varieties of coins Mr. Maringer now offers has greatly e xp anded. After the “SR 1403” series (struck in 2003), numerous “‘Outlandish’ coins from other realms of Middle Earth (Gondor, Arnor, Mordor, Dale, Angband, Moria, Isengard, Harad, Rohan, Erebor, Hollin etc.) soon followed, in various materials and with design features appropriate to the culture of the issuing people.” These realms are separate from “The Land of the Halflings” — far beyond the bounds of “The Shayre” — and are collectively referred to as “the ‘outlands’ (meaning any land outside those of normal halfling folk)”. Over the years, the coinage of the Shire Post Mint has become extremely popular, to the point of even inspiring a counterfeiter, who “is known to be currently operating in Germany, casting coins from molds cloned from the die-struck originals.”

The Shire Post is “devoted to the premise that fantasy is a useful tool in growing our own personalities” and everyday artifacts such as coins “can bolster our ‘sense of place’ and transport us more fully into these realms of thought.” The Mint approaches each coin “as IF it were from the period…rather than an obviously modern coin celebrating a past event.” Each coin/token “conceivably could have existed had history gone just a little bit differently.” For Mr. Maringer — as well as for a growing number of numismatists — “The term ‘fantasy coin’ is a technically precise term in numismatics…referring to items that appear to be a [bona-fide] coin, but which were not actually issued by any real-world authority as a medium of exchange. For our purposes however, we extend the use of the term a bit further…to cover coinages FROM fantasy worlds, including those which are” based on literature, contemporary fiction, ancient mythology, chronicled happenings, “and even coin fantasies that comemmorate historical events that might-have-been…places that surely somehow exist in the infinite multiverse! You will not find coins bearing the images of film characters here…but rather the coins that those characters might have been carrying in their pocketses! The premise of this effort is that coins provide for us a TACTILE sense of time and place…something we can touch and handle. It is to this goal of making history, mythology, and fantasy seem more real that we dedicate our labors.” What is the purpose of it all? “This is all for fun and enjoyment! Shire Post coins are used to lend a sense of tangibility and realism to the fantasy worlds of the imagination. There is a sense of place that comes with jingling some coins in your pocket.”
Mr. Maringer (willwhitfoot@shirepost.com). Will Whitfoot (Mayor/Postmaster/Mintmaster) is his “alter ego, my Hobbitly personna if you will.” The Mint's most resplendent piece to date might well be the Silver Daler of New Dal, which pertains to the Realms of Men (Middle Earth/Outlands) series. Its remarkable beauty is a direct result of the timely collaboration between Mr. Maringer and the great Mr. Greg Franck-Weiby, who invested over 340 hours of meticulous hard work towards the finely detailed engraving of its dies.

It should be noted that Mr. Maringer has always been careful to respectfully alter — at times just slightly — the copyrighted names (settings, characters) pertaining to the books of Tolkien. This applies not only to The Shire, but to the other unique regions of Middle Earth categorized as the “Outlands” (for example: “Rowan” for Rohan, “Dal Tun” for the town of Dale, “New Dal” for New Dale, “Palan Haraud” for Far Harad, “King Eleussar” for King Elessar). He has done this in order to steer clear of any unforeseeable lawyerly woes. As a devoted and well-intentioned fan (he “first read Tolkien beginning in 1970&#8221 ;) , Mr. Maringer passionately produced a beautiful array of Tolkien-inspired pieces. For about 6 years, he clearly enriched our hobby with his gifted artistry. He added something beautiful to our world. Whilst detailing the history of his venture in an earlier version of a text entitled “The Development of Shire Post as a real-world hobby and it's growth into a community”, Mr. Maringer wrote: “From the beginning in 1987, this has all been a rather elaborate hobby, created for the purpose of making the fantasy come alive by making simple everyday artifacts that one might have encountered in Middle-Earth, and it was all done with a deep respect and an immense love for the body of work created by Professor Tolkien. I anticipated little outside interest in this fantasy coinage…aside from a few friends and the people who were interested in the stamps I was already making. I felt that I was rather foolishly spending a lot of money on equipment and supplies, and that I would probably just make a few coins at great e xp ense that I could play with and share with a few friends…and that would be that. But it soon became clear that there was a lurking latent interest in such things…after I published photos of some of my first pieces on my website folks began to chase me down seeking to obtain these items. Many hundreds of people have thanked me for creating these items and enabling them to further deepen their enjoyment of Tolkien's Middle Earth by adding the simple tactical ‘sense of place’ that a common-place everyday object like a coin can provide.
It became clear to me that the potential market was huge and that this hobby had the potential to become a real business and I became concerned about the possibility of copyright problems. At this point I began to seek contact with copyright holders for the Tolkien Works in order to obtain their blessings and move forward. I initially sought to make contact with the Tolkien heirs, but then found that Professor Tolkien had sold many of his merchandizing copyrights to Saul Zaentz (Tolkien Enterprises) years ago. In February of 2002 I shut down Shire Post and sent a formal licensing proposal offering a percentage of proceeds, and including samples of coins and stamps and postmarked envelopes to Laurie Battle, licensing director at Tolkien Enterprises. On March 4, someone at their office signed the postal receipt for the proposal. I waited. For three months I waited, calling and leaving messages occasionally, with no response whatever. After three months, with people pounding at my door to obtain coins and stamps, I started making and selling them again, trusting in my hope that a licensing agreement would soon be arranged and that all would be well. Nine more months would pass without substantive word from Tolkien Enterprises. My naiive hopes were shattered on Febrary 27th 2003, just five days short of a year from the time that I sent in my proposal, when Annette Hurst, attorney for Tolkien Enterprises, sent me an email very bluntly stating that Tolkien Enterprises rejects my proposal outright (with no offer or attempt to negotiate terms) AND that they also demand that I immediately ‘cease and desist’ all commerce related to what they refer to as ‘infringing’ activities. In a following email and in very haughty terms she informed me that I was ‘in no position’ to ask for anything, and that Tolkien Enterprises had no legal obligation to review or consider my proposal either now or ever, but that I DID have a legal obligation to immediately cease any and all of the allegedly ‘infringing’ activities.” On March 4th, he continued this train of thought: “So now what? To say that I am disappointed is a paltry description of how I feel. Is this what we have come to in this world? Is this the legacy Professor Tolkien would have wished for us? If the standard of human interaction is to be only what is legally obligatory, then the dark powers have won.” On March 6th, he added an addendum: “It has come to my attention that The Iron Crown of Morgoth, being based in The Silmarillion, is NOT infringing on any rights held by Tolkien Enterprises. Therefore the Online Store, while nearly eviscerated compared to previously, will reopen with a mundane map compilation of Washington County Arkansas, and the Iron Crown of Morgoth, coin of the ancient enemy of the elves, as the sole available products. It takes a wry sense of humor to appreciate that the only coin I can sell based in the Tolkien Mythos is the one representing the most truly evil character that ever existed in that world.” Unfortunately, on August 1, 2007, a heavy-hearted Mr. Maringer posted a very sorrowful message at his Web-site: “Due to legal action by attorneys claiming to represent Saul Zaentz Corporation, (doing business as Tolkien Enterprises), Shire Post has been forced to remove all references to the works of professor Tolkien from this website. Our online store will be shutting down completely as of the end of August 2007. The website will remain in place, but will no longer have any connection to the works of the professor.”
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EDIT - I should add this e xp lanation was from Erik McCrea, a fantasy coin enthusiast.
Last edited by Nerdanel on Sat Jan 18, 2014 7:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Shire Post Coins

49
Nerdanel, that story that you posted makes me violently ill, if it has an ounce of truth in it. What is wrong with the Tolkien Estate? They're so haughty. They seem hellbent on not letting anyone get at their "intellectual copyright" over the stories of Middle-Earth. The world's love for Tolkien's universe is going to dry up real quick if they don't release their stranglehold. :angry:
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

Re: Shire Post Coins

50
It definitely makes me sad to say the least. Like I'm sure Val, or others here, can attest too, they are very neat little pieces and it's a shame something similar to them cannot still be produced. :(

I have to wonder in today's world, if someone tried to make a type of shire coin again, if the Tolkien Estate would still bother going after them if they weren't contacted about a licensing agreement or if no reference to the literary works of Tolkien was made.

Example, if I wanted to make a copper coin with an oak tree and 1402 stamped on it, and maybe even throw in some random runes...can the Estate tell me to stop? Let public record show though, I do no own an antique coin press. ;) I definitely don't understand where they draw the line between plagiarism of copyrighted material and handmade, fan art...

EDIT - Because I can't get over my frustration with this scenario, it was Saul Zaentz Co who threatened legal action...but there were no coins like this in the films?! I'm more confused...there are way too many companies seeking to represent the wishes of the Tolkien Estate...
Last edited by Nerdanel on Mon Mar 10, 2014 8:21 am, edited 2 times in total.
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