But, they have lost all gold. There is no gold, simply paper. That's all. Simply blessing, "Yes, you'll get money."

Rascal Currency

Where has all the gold gone?

SHYAMASUNDAR: That's all right. We tried to sell your coin today, but it's only worth three or four pounds.

PRABHUPADA: Well, that's not bad. [laughter] One rupee.

SHYAMASUNDAR: Yeah. That's not bad for one rupee.

PRABHUPADA: Yes. Just like...

SHYAMASUNDAR: [explaining to David Wynne:] Prabhupada has this mint 1935, 1835 rupee piece. Show it to him.

PRABHUPADA: Indian rupee.

SHYAMASUNDAR: Indian rupee. And we thought it might be pretty valuable. So old, more than one hundred years. We went to three places, they all said three, four pounds.

PRABHUPADA: So highest bid, what was?

MUKUNDA: The highest bid I got was one pound. They said if it was in mint condition, we'd get two pounds.

DAVID WYNNE: Yes, I think, [indistinct]

PRABHUPADA: Eh?

MUKUNDA: He said if it was in perfect condition, mint condition, then he would give me two pounds. But in this condition, only one pound. He brought out many samples of old rupees with different people on them.

PRABHUPADA: You said three pounds?

SHYAMASUNDAR: He told me. He said "Two to three, it's only worth two to three pounds."

MUKUNDA: One man said three pounds.

PRABHUPADA: So why don't you sell to them? [laughter]

SHYAMASUNDAR: If we tell them... If we go around the city, we could probably get four pounds for it somewhere.

PRABHUPADA: So get the best price and sell it.

SHYAMASUNDAR: All right.

PRABHUPADA: I don't want any antique. [laughter]

SHYAMASUNDAR: Yeah. Oh, this... Which king is this?

DAVID WYNNE: That's William the Fourth.

SHYAMASUNDAR: Oh, King William. The British...

PRABHUPADA: I think Queen Victoria's father. King William. Is it not?

DAVID WYNNE: Uh huh [Yes].

SHYAMASUNDAR: When David was commissioned by the Queen's husband, Duke of Edinbur...? Duke of...?

DAVID WYNNE: Edinburgh.

SHYAMASUNDAR: Duke of Edinburgh. He went before a committee of the Duke and how many...? You tell us.

DAVID WYNNE: Twelve.

SHYAMASUNDAR: He [David Wynne] won a competition over many others for that privilege to make the coins. And his point was that the Queen Mother, the Queen on the coin, it should not be false representation. It should be... What was the...? You were telling us, that it should be as she is, depicted as she is. And they did not agree. But then he showed he, but then he showed them an old British coin. What year was it?

DAVID WYNNE: Yes. Well, Queen Elizabeth the First, a gold coin, very beautiful. And I said this was a work of art, and I showed them. It's a very beautiful thing. And I said, "I could do you one like that." So they... So I got the job. But he was very annoyed.

SHYAMASUNDAR: East India Company, it says on here.

PRABHUPADA: Yes.

SHYAMASUNDAR: So the coins were given out by the East India Company.

PRABHUPADA: Yes. First of all the Britishers went there as East India Company to have trade connection.

SHYAMASUNDAR: Disguise. So we should sell it for any price?

PRABHUPADA: Yes. Formerly, people could purchase any amount of coins from the currency.

SHYAMASUNDAR: From who?

PRABHUPADA: From the currency, government currency.

SHYAMASUNDAR: Government.

PRABHUPADA: Any amount of coins. In our childhood... Why our childhood? Even when we were young men, the Indians, generally, they like Guinea gold, British Guinea, what is called, pound?

SHYAMASUNDAR: One pound, one shilling.

PRABHUPADA: So in India it was available, any amount. You pay price and take. And they would melt it and make ornament, that Guinea gold. There was no restriction. You can purchase any amount.

SHYAMASUNDAR: Why all of a sudden it changed?

PRABHUPADA: But, they have lost all gold. There is no gold, simply paper. That's all. Simply blessing, "Yes, you'll get money." [laughter] But you'll never get. In the bank also, any amount of gold you can purchase. Bank was canvassing that "You take gold from us." I do not know where those gold gone. Nowhere, all over the world, you cannot purchase gold. Even in America.

SHYAMASUNDAR: You can purchase some places, but the price is so high for a small amount.

PRABHUPADA: Zurich, you can get.

SHYAMASUNDAR: Yes, Switzerland.

PRABHUPADA: But you cannot get out with the gold.

SHYAMASUNDAR: No, officially not.

PRABHUPADA: Well? Then? Suppose you purchase gold there. If you want to take out, they will not allow.

SHYAMASUNDAR: Not if they find it.

PRABHUPADA: Eh?

SHYAMASUNDAR: Officially, no, they will not allow.

PRABHUPADA: And these currency notes, the price, commodity, has gone so high due to this rascal currency.