Can anyone tell me......

[barrk]

I got a junk mail catalog yesterday in the mail that was selling Irish coins. It said that they would be collectors items soon because the Irish are going over to EU. Can someone explain what that means please.

Sorry for being so typically ignorant.

[Behemoth]

AAARRRGGGG! NOT the EU!

EU: European Union: BAD!

[denniswrenn]

The Euro is a new currency that will be a standardized currency throughout Europe..

[CiberTHuG]

The EU has its own denomination, to help the nations convert and trade easier: the Euro. It is a rounded E (as in element of) with two bars. There is an HTML code, but I don't remember what it is.

I didn't realize that any member was going to stop minting its own money in favor of the Euro.

Anyway... there are some American Presidental coins floating around. I think they are US$20 demoninations, but... they are backed by the bank of Liberia, they are not US currency.

***?

[Behemoth]

Its a bunch of Bureacrats in Brussels(?) who want to take over all of Europe. Strip us of our currency, our tradional weights and measures and our powers of legislation. A greengrocer has been in court this week (and lost his case) for selling someone a pound of bananas, when it should have been half a kilo.

[barrk]

I had in fact heard about the EU and the debate surrounding it. I wasn't aware that it was to replace any nation's coins...just be used in international trading. That really stinks. Is it a done deal or is it still undecided?

[sail3005]

Ok, what i don't understand is how they get around different values of currency. For example. Say that country A's unit of currency is worth 2x that of country B's. If both countries convert it euro dollar, then how do they account in the different values of currency? I seem to be having trouble articulating what i am saying. Does anyone understand this?

[SurfDemon]

I would say it's a bit of a scam. Yes, Irish currency will be phased out for the Euro, no it isn't going to become rare. Britain phased out it's non decimal system 30 years ago, and still the coins are floating around and certainly aren't rare.

I have a stack of Irish coins in a bag somewhere, I can't be bothered changing them and I strongly suspect that there will be millions of people like me who have travelled there and brought change back with them.

Any serious colector is just going to keep the coins himself, there will not be a market for any of the old European coins I'm afraid. School kids might swap them or something, but it's not an investment.

Besides if you really wanted some I'm sure your Buere D'Change would give you a much better rate.

SD

[denniswrenn]

That's why they're trying to push the euro in.. so it can all be the same..

[barrk]

I wasn't considering buying the coins.....my family are from Galway and I already have all the coins I need....I just wasn't aware that the EU deal was already complete....I thought the countries were still debating it's merit.

Is it currently being used?

[sail3005]

Originally posted by denniswrenn
That's why they're trying to push the euro in.. so it can all be the same..

Yeah, i know this, but there has to be more to it than just saying "Lets switch!"

[CiberTHuG]

Originally posted by sail3005
Ok, what i don't understand is how they get around different values of currency. For example. Say that country A's unit of currency is worth 2x that of country B's. If both countries convert it euro dollar, then how do they account in the different values of currency? I seem to be having trouble articulating what i am saying. Does anyone understand this?

Sail, there has to be some uniformity to the values, but in the case you just mentioned, you simple say that one E$1 = A$1 and E$1 = B$2. If you cross into country B, you have some more buying power, or everything cost twice as much.

Like I said, the economies have to be close enough to fudge. Now A$1 can equal B$5, as long as people get paid and spend comparable amounts. If each person gets paid $100 of his own countries money, then... there is an imbalance. But if one guy is paid A$20 and the other is paid B$100, then they are paid the same.

You won't get any more buying power in that country.

Anyway... one of the reasons Mexico isn't in the American/Canadian Free Trade Zone is because the Peco is so terribly weak.

Hope that makes sense.

[SurfDemon]

Originally posted by sail3005
Ok, what i don't understand is how they get around different values of currency. For example. Say that country A's unit of currency is worth 2x that of country B's. If both countries convert it euro dollar, then how do they account in the different values of currency? I seem to be having trouble articulating what i am saying. Does anyone understand this?

They're going to go to a fixed exchange rate effectively tying all the countries inflation together. Which is why Britain doesn't like it. Britain, Germany and France are the 3 wealthiest European countries, and they feel they will end up bank-rolling all the others.

By the way America is dead against it as well (they say it creates unfair trade markets - despite the fact that they have the same rules themselves for foreign companies), but in reality they have admitted that they are concerned that it will almost certainly replace the dollar in international trading (all the middle east countries want to use it for the oil trade) and will also consolidate Europe into by far and away the largest trade block in the world and the most powerful currrency.

And yes it does mean that most of the European countries (not Britain) will have (almost) the same notes, and you can walk into a shop in France and use an Irish Euro to buy whatever you want with no curency conversion.

Oh yeah, and British car dealers are quaking in their boots, because suddenly people are seeing their cars quoted in the same currency. i.e Mercedes-Benz in Britain costs say 100,000 Euros, the exact same car in Germany is 60,000 Euros. They have a huge mark-up cartel going on.

Just my two euros worth!

SD

[simonm]

Behemoth,
Do you really believe that all Europe is about is imposing european values on british society? You read too many tabloids!

Metric measurements make more sense are are easier to work with (Goes up in tens rather than 6's, 8's, 12's etc). People are only objecting as they are afraid of change.

The rest of the world (except America) use metric so why are we lagging behind? Even in America, scientists and engineers use metric as it makes their job easier.

Katie,
I don't know if Irish coins will be worth anything but all the European countries that have signed up for the Euro (Ireland included) will be ditching their own currency pretty soon.
Britain has not yet committed to the Euro (mainly down to the ignorance demonstrated by people like Behemoth) but I expect it will do eventually.


p.s. Behemoth, Please don't take offence at my remarks, I am not really getting at you, I'm just taken aback by (what seems to me to be) unreasonable hostility towards Europe.

[sail3005]

Yeah, makes sense. So, i guess since they are so close, everyone is just going to have to deal with a little loss or gain, right?

[SurfDemon]

Originally posted by barrk
my family are from Galway

Ha! A frightening thought for you, we could be related! Galway town or County?

[CiberTHuG]

SD, you bring up some good points. When the EC gets completely entrenched, it will be like one economic nation. Now, when the American stock market suffers a loss, the world follows. In the future, when the EC's markets close down, I'm sure America and Japan will follow.

It will help the EC that they will open their trading day atleast 6 hours before ours.

On a side note: My dad has recently become religious. I am still agnostic, but he reads all this stuff and can't help but see the parrallels. Aparently in the End Times there is a large multi horned beast with a crown on each horn north of Isreal.

It doesn't help the religiously superstitious that the EC flag has those stars in a circle.

The EC will be a monster all right. I'm not sure if it will be of biblical proportions, but it will be a force to be reckoned with.

[barrk]

Originally posted by SurfDemon


Ha! A frightening thought for you, we could be related! Galway town or County?

Actually, they are in Clifden in Galway County.

[barrk]

Originally posted by simonm
....I'm just taken aback by (what seems to me to be) unreasonable hostility towards Europe.

As I am taken aback by the unreasonable hostility towards America probably

[SurfDemon]

Originally posted by barrk


Actually, they are in Clifden in Galway County.

Your in luck. I don't think we are related then. My wifes from Galway City.

SD

[barrk]

We are all going over to Ireland to have a family reunion soon. It will be my first trip there. I'm really looking forward to it!

[SurfDemon]

Originally posted by barrk
We are all going over to Ireland to have a family reunion soon. It will be my first trip there. I'm really looking forward to it!

You will love. See if you can arrange some time in Dublin. They have an area there called Temple bar and it's full of pubs and stacked out with people way into the wee early hours of the morning. It's a real cosmopolitan city.

Galway's good fun as well. You can start practicing on the cans of draught flow Guinness (NOT the none Draught-flow stuff), it's almost as good as the real thing (just remember to chill it first).

Enjoy yourself,

SD

[SurfDemon]

Oh yeah, and if you want to swot up on the local news goto www.ireland.com , they have a link there to the Irish-Times web site which is one of the best papers for news over there.

SD

[barrk]

As I doubt if I can hide the fact that I'm an American I'm not sure if we'll be going anywhere without an Irish family member present. We did have plans to rent a car and travel for a week after the reunion but now I'm not sure it would be such a pleasant trip afterall.

[SurfDemon]

Originally posted by barrk
As I doubt if I can hide the fact that I'm an American I'm not sure if we'll be going anywhere without an Irish family member present. We did have plans to rent a car and travel for a week after the reunion but now I'm not sure it would be such a pleasant trip afterall.

Don't let the people on here give you a biased opinion. Rent the car, travel around and enjoy yourselves.

The only advice I would give you is ask about the diffrence in price renting the car from America as opposed to renting it when you get there. It could be a good deal cheaper. Oh! Yeah, and when your planning your trip, remember that Irish roads are generally very narrow and you'll end stuck behind a lorry so don't bank on doing more than about 45mph avergae.

The only place your liable to get any agro is in Northern Ireland and even then thats unlikely. (Some Americans financially support the IRA, and despite what you read in the press, the IRA are pretty much detested by catholics and protestants alike - so stay out of the heavily political areas of the North.)

Go, you'll enjoy yourself, it's a fabulous country and the people are great (although not quite as backwards as some people beleive)

Cheers,

SD

[barrk]

I really love my Irish relatives...they are very open and seem to have a fascination with the American half. They have visited here and are great people. I don't find them backwards at all. I just haven't been there before.

Since we plan on sight seeing 45mph sounds great. My parents went to Ireland two years ago and they spent two weeks doing nothing but putzing around from town to town checking out the pubs. It's a wonder they made it back alive but they had a great time. They didn't go to Northern Ireland though.

[SurfDemon]

Originally posted by barrk

but putzing around from town to town checking out the pubs.

Yeah, you should start planning this now. Agree with your hubby that you'll do the driving in the morning if he takes the afternoon shift. Then when you stop at a pub for lunch, you can get sloshed and he'll have to drink Coke.

Oh Yeah, and another thing, they don't call lemonade, lemonade. They have two flavours white and red, and thats how they refer to it. So instead of ordering a vodka and lemonade, you would ask for a vodka and white. The reason you have probably never heard of red lemonade is that every other civilised country in the world (apart from Scotland) has banned it because it's so bad for you.

SD

[barrk]

Hehehe...if it's that bad for me I'm gonna have to try it now!

[parksie]

You'll try anything

[Good Dreams]

Originally posted by Behemoth
Its a bunch of Bureacrats in Brussels(?) who want to take over all of Europe. Strip us of our currency, our tradional weights and measures and our powers of legislation. A greengrocer has been in court this week (and lost his case) for selling someone a pound of bananas, when it should have been half a kilo.

Some years ago, an Israel embassodor said that Hitler tried to conquer Europe using force without success, but now it is being conquered by bureacracy with success.

This wasn't really what she said, but it has the same meaning.

[simonm]

Katie,
I think an American travelling to Ireland or Britain would be very unlikely to encounter any hostility. I can guarantee you that there are many places that you would encouter hostility (because of you nationality) but Ireland and Britain aren't in that list.

Goodreams,

Some years ago, an Israel embassodor said that Hitler tried to conquer Europe using force without success, but now it is being conquered by bureacracy with success.

I have heard the above (or something like it said before). The fallacy to this argument is that countries are not being conquered, they are willingly joining the union. Not only that, but the union is democratic as well.
Yes, Germany have the largest economy in europe so it might seem that they are 'dominating' it but at the end of the day, they have no more say in Europe than (say) Britain does.

[Behemoth]

Originally posted by simonm
Behemoth,
Do you really believe that all Europe is about is imposing european values on british society? You read too many tabloids!

Metric measurements make more sense are are easier to work with (Goes up in tens rather than 6's, 8's, 12's etc). People are only objecting as they are afraid of change.

The rest of the world (except America) use metric so why are we lagging behind? Even in America, scientists and engineers use metric as it makes their job easier.

Katie,
I don't know if Irish coins will be worth anything but all the European countries that have signed up for the Euro (Ireland included) will be ditching their own currency pretty soon.
Britain has not yet committed to the Euro (mainly down to the ignorance demonstrated by people like Behemoth) but I expect it will do eventually.


p.s. Behemoth, Please don't take offence at my remarks, I am not really getting at you, I'm just taken aback by (what seems to me to be) unreasonable hostility towards Europe.

Simon, Whilst I appreciate the disclaimer, I suggest you put a little more effort into not offending people...Every argument has 2 sides, we are merely arguing on different sides. I haven't taken it upon myself to slag you off yet, have I?

1) I believe that going into Europe would be dangerous to the economy.

2) I also have purely sentimental feelings towards my surrent way of life. I dislike change at the best of times - I felt that the introduction of the £2 coin and the new smaller, lighter 50p implied a devaluation of my currency (a smaller coin would cost less to mint) I despise the attitudes of thos that feel they must change it in the same way I despise westerners who attempt to modernise tribal societies and destroy rainforests.

Whilst these may be personal feelings, I feel it is necessary to voice them to avoid being called narrow minded - yes, I will be influenced by things that I read, but I try to ensure I read enough material from a number of sources to get a balanced overview and ultimately make my own decision.

*Rant over*

[simonm]

Behemoth,
Ah, now (i feel) you are presenting a somewhat more rational argument.

I did not mean to sugest that you are narrow minded for being anti europe, but...

Its a bunch of Bureacrats in Brussels(?) who want to take over all of Europe.

The above statement seems (to me) to be based on an irrational fear rather than common sense. These 'bureacrats' are people elected from each of the member states and sent to Brussels to represent the interests of all countries involved.
The suggestion that another country or a bunch of bureacrats is trying to subjegate the rest of Europe is ludicrous.

Still, you are entitled to your opinion but I believe it is naive of anyone to think that Britain can remain as it is. As I see it, there are three options:

1) Join Europe as an equal member with the other major countries.
2) Go in with America (but it certainly won't be as an equal member, more like the 51st state).
3) Become an Isolationist country with protectionist policies.

I believe (1) to be the lesser of the three evils (Although 3 might not be too bad but it would involve Britain changing in a big way).

[SurfDemon]

In the words of a famous politician "No country is in island".


.... er actually Britain is.

I think he should have shot his speech writer

SD

[Arbiter]

SimonM,

I think you're the one who is influenced too easily by the material he reads.

Do you really think those people are 'elected'? Look at the farce in America where the person with the least overall votes wins. Europe's no different, it's just Europeans keep a tighter lid on it.

I don't remember electing anyone to represent us in Europe. No one asked my opinion. It's all 'who you know, not what you know' in politics.

We can't join Europe as an equal member, because there is no such thing as an equal member. Britain is already pouring billions into Europe and what are we getting out of it?

Very little. Losing our independance and our identity. Initially Europe refused to allow us to print the image of our reigning monarch on coins produced in Britain. I don't know if that still stands.

I think the concept is great, but it's being implemented by the same fools who are just as out of touch with reality now as they've ever been.

[simonm]

Do you really think those people are 'elected'? Look at the farce in America where the person with the least overall votes wins. Europe's no different, it's just Europeans keep a tighter lid on it.

I don't remember electing anyone to represent us in Europe. No one asked my opinion. It's all 'who you know, not what you know' in politics.

You could have had your say on it at the last European elections (if you were old enough). We have Euro elections every four years. The UK is divided up into regions and each elects an MEP to represent them in the european parliment. This parliment then votes for or against proposed laws.

We can't join Europe as an equal member, because there is no such thing as an equal member. Britain is already pouring billions into Europe and what are we getting out of it?

Actually, Germany put more money (net) into the union than any other member state. Substantially more than us (I might add).

Not only that, but look at Ireland. They have been transformed into one of the fastest growing economies of Europe by projects funded by the union. Cornwall and Mersyside are two areas of Britain that have been singled out for 'objective one' funding to help revive those long deprived areas that successive British governments have done nothing about.

I should say that I think Europe is far from perfect and there are many things that I don't like it. I do believe, however, that the best way to change things is to be part of it.

[denniswrenn]

Originally posted by SurfDemon

has banned it because it's so bad for you.

What makes it so bad? High alcohol content, or just bad lemons?

[SurfDemon]

I think it's got a really high content of sugar, caffiene, and all those lovely E numbers and Sodium BenzoFlouroDouroChlorine etc.

If you spill some on your hand it'll burn through the skin faster than a pan-galagtic gargle blaster.

SD

[denniswrenn]

I've got to get one of those

[barrk]

Count me in!