by S G Read
He dropped everything he wanted through the hole making sure that they landed on the duvet he had dropped through first to make a soft landing for everything else. Now he dropped through himself and using the torch very carefully, taped the towel over the window. When that was done he unscrewed the metal retainer which held the door closed then carefully opened the door. Outside there were some lights shining but he could not see anyone. He covered the doorway with the duvet to keep what he was doing a secret.
With that done he was ready to work he shone his torch on the door, unscrewed the handle and pulled it free from the lock. Now he was unable to unscrew the lock and screw his lock in its place. It was not easy using a torch that he had to hold and every time he rigged it up to shine on the door handle it moved. Finally the lock was screwed in place and then with the handle refitted he was ready to uncover the door way and lock the door up again, using his key.
He was tired and returned to his room but before he could go to sleep he had to get rid of the coins on the bed. He did that the easy way and scraped them onto the floor but when he lifted the box off he heard the chinking of more coins. Even though he was tired he stopped to look what was left in the box and found three more small bags of coins. He tipped each bag out on to the floor, as he was tired and looked at each of their contents. The first one he tipped out had half pennies in it, the second in one had farthings in it whereas the third had silver three penny pieces. He did not investigate further but the noise when the box landed on the floor made him investigate further. He found coin book it showed world coins and their values but it was dated 2004. He remembered back to when he first found the silver three penny pieces and what he was offered for them, it was when he had money and it had been low enough for him to dismiss out of hand at, had he looked since he might well have sold them.
His interest was aroused despite his tiredness and he looked through what he thought would be the most expensive coins the silver three pence coins. He was to be disappointed they were mainly all the same value at around seven pounds, if they were in reasonable condition. What he did find however, when he was checking out the pennies that a new penny in Victoria's reign was worthwhile having. With that in mind he looked through all the money, coin by coin to see if any were usable when he went into the past. He had no idea what year it was and therefore he could not predict which would be useful when he got there. If it was in Victoria's reign then it was probably early on and therefore all the pennies and half pennies were so worn that eyes would be raised when he tried to pass them. The only coin he found that might be useful was a George III silver three penny piece dated 1820 to him it was probably worth £10 but when he sold it to the man he had sold coins to before it would be valued at five pounds whereas back in the past, three pence could be the difference between making something of his life or giving up.
With that settled in his mind he fell on the bed pulled the duvet over him and was soon asleep. It was early morning and he had no plans to rise early. The coins lay where he had dumped them all, except for the silver three penny piece, that took pride of place on the table next to the TV.
When he finally opened his eyes it was earlier than he thought, he had grown used to waking about 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning and then laying there for some time longer. Inwardly he must have been a little excited as he woke at 9 AM and could not lie there any longer. He could hear the horses and carts trundling by the door, back in the past. The very door he could now unlock and go out into the past. It was an intriguing thought.
He dressed in his father's old clothes, to look the part with his father's black shoes on as well, slipped the three penny piece into his pocket making sure that there was no hole for it to slip through and fall on the floor, then prepared to travel back in time once more.
Chapter 2
He dropped through the television screen onto the dusty floor with the key in his hand but paused to pull the duvet over the television to stop anyone finding it easily, just in case something happened. Then he peered through the window to see if anyone was about and not seeing anyone unlocked the door and stepped out onto the cobbled road.
Tooley Street looked very different, outside the tavern stood a horse and some sort of wheeled vehicle, it was not a cart but more something for somebody to ride in. William had made plans before he stepped through, he needed to find out if his silver three penny piece was still legal tender and then swap it for three pennies preferably brand-new. To do this he walked over to the tavern to ask if the publican would accept it. If he would then he then needed to find out where the nearest bank was so that he could change it for newer coins than he assumed, the publican would have in his till.
He walked across the street and into the tavern where the publican, William assumed he was the publican as he was behind the bar, stood talking to another man and as he was the only man in there he assumed that he was the driver of the vehicle outside.
‘Excuse me,’ William asked politely, ‘I have just come back from abroad and wondered if this was legal tender now?’
The publican took the coin looked at it and merely said ‘Yes, did you want to buy anything with it.’
‘What I do want,’ William answered, ‘is to change it for at least two of this year's pennies one for each of my twin nephews as presents, do you have any new pennies for this year?’
‘No I am afraid I haven't not this year's pennies all my pennies are old but you could get some from the bank up the road.’ The publican answered.
William turned to the man, who he hoped drove the vehicle outside.
‘Do you know where this bank is sir?’ He asked politely.
‘I do, ‘the man answered, ‘I can take you there for a farthing if you so desire.’
‘And back to here will cost a farthing I assume.’ William asked.
‘You assume a right young man.’ The driver answered.
‘Then please take me to the bank but as I only have this three pence piece can you wait for the return journey when I have some change for payment or do you have any new pennies on you?’ William replied.
‘I have no new pennies and I will certainly wait at least until you come back out of the bank for payment.’ The driver replied.
The journey in the wheeled vehicle, which he was to later find out was a chaise but with a roof specially fitted by a friend of the driver, was the highlight of his day. The cabbie as he now knew him stopped outside of the bank and waited while William went in to complete his business.
He opened the door and walked up to the counter in the bank, there were three tellers to choose from and he chose the nearest one to the door. The teller looked up when he arrived and smiled.
‘Can I assist you?’ He asked.
‘Yes I am hoping to change this coin to two brand-new pennies and two half pennies if that is possible.’ William answered.
He laid the three penny piece on the counter in front of the teller when he finished speaking. The teller picked up the three pence piece and seeing that it was fine although a bit old looking he opened his draw in front of him picked out two pennies and two half pennies slid them across the counter and the transaction was completed.
William walked back out at the bank with his four coins and climbed into the chaise. The cabbie let the horse turn in its own good time and they started back towards the Tooley road tavern. As the horse trotted along, William looked at the two pennies. They were shiny and new and the date on them was 1841. When he returned to his flat he would be able to look them up, his father's book did not show notes only coins but he had looked up the cost of a white fiver which was in use at this time. He could buy one of those for £50 but back in these times they would be worth a lot more. The possibilities were endless but he was aware of causality, he had seen lots of programs on time travel and read where a writer had assessed the changes possible by going back in history and changing something small, he did not want to do anything like that.
The cabbie stopped outside the ta
vern and William paid him his halfpenny for the fair, nodded in thanks and walked back over to the flat door with its new lock on it. He unlocked it, walked in, locked up again and returned to his flat. He was hungry now and he had thought of having a meal and a pint in the tavern but with only a halfpenny to spend he did not know how far that would go. He pushed his way back up through the duvet climbed out into his flat and changed his clothes. He intended to go in and sell one penny after he had looked up what the 2004 price was. The book was not that helpful as it was in dollars but the coin he had was worth $300 in 2004 which equates roughly to £180, he expected to get £100 for the coin. That would pay for an awful lot of electricity which is what he wanted.
He walked down the road briskly to the underground which would take him to the shop he had used before. It was a coin dealer who bought and sold coins, he intended to buy a white five pound note from this dealer after he had secured £100 for his coin. When he swiped his Oyster card it did nothing and he was left to walk all the way to the shop.
Consequently when he arrived at the shop he was going to get his hundred pounds for one coin or he was going to travel on to Spinks the auction house and sell both coins at auction. He stood outside to rest and work up his courage before he went in and then strode in as if he meant it. The same man was behind the counter; his name was Richard Sharpe and sharp by name, sharp by nature.
‘Hello William and what have you to sell to me today or are you buying?’ Richard asked in his usual cheery voice.
‘I have for you today a very nice 1841 penny.’ William answered and slid the penny across the counter to where he stood.
Richard picked up the coin and studied it, tut, tutting as he did so. It was his way but really all he was trying to do was to reduce the amount of money he had to pay for it. Really to him it was a very nice coin and he wanted it but he also wanted to pay as little for it as she could.
‘I could offer you £50 for it.’ He said after a while.
‘You could,’ William answered, ‘but I wouldn't accept it.’
‘Well it isn't worth a lot more.’ Richard answered, thus giving himself room to negotiate.
‘As it is a £300 coin and worth every penny I was looking for £300 but I know you have to make a profit to make a living like us all so I will take £150 for the coin.’ William answered succinctly.
‘I would like to see the shop that would give you £150 for this coin,’ Richard answered, ‘but I will offer you £75 for it as it will go into my personal collection.’
‘I was considering whether or not if I should take the coin straight to Spinks and sell it at auction,’ William replied, ‘and let it find its own level as it is such a nice coin brand-new mint condition and uncirculated.’
He knew it was uncirculated, as he bought it himself straight from the bank but he could hardly tell Richard that, as it was not really possible. In his father's book it had a column for uncirculated and they commanded a lot more money. As Richard had offered so little money William now had his sights on the £150 he had mentioned not being satisfied with £100 any longer. The rest of his father's collection had been sold to Richard and he was sure he had never paid the correct value for any of the coins. This time it would be different.
Richard examined the coin again this time with his eyeglass to see if there were any blemishes or any wear. After examining in it for several minutes he laid it back down on the soft pad he had in front of him, this was a very good coin and he wanted it.
‘I'll give you £100 for the coin and that is my final offer.’ He said at length.
‘You may want to give me £100 for the coin and when I walked in I might have accepted £100 for it but now it will be £150 or I walk on to Spinks, it's your choice.’ William answered.
‘You must be joking,’ Richard replied, ‘I can't go paying more than a coin is worth.’
William picked up the coin and walked to the shop door.
‘Your choice,’ he said from the doorway, ‘when I go out the door you won't be able to buy it at all, even if you chase me up the street.’
He walked through the door but held it open for a few seconds longer.
‘I'll give you £125.’ Richard replied in the nick of time.
‘150 or I close the door,’ William retorted, ‘do we have a deal or do I close the door?’
‘Let me have another look at it.’ Richard asked.
‘You have looked at it,’ William replied, ‘do we have a deal or do I walk on?’
Richard visibly sagged he wanted the coin and William knew it.
‘£150 it is,’ Richard answered and picked up his cheque book.
‘If I wanted a cheque I would go to Spinks,’ William declared, ‘£150 cash please?’
‘I may not have that much cash about!’ Richard declared.
‘Then you won't get the coin,’ William answered.
Richard opened the till counted out £150 in cash laid it on the counter and waited, William walked back and put the coin on the soft pad Richard had been studying it on. He picked up the money counting it as he did so, he had been taught to count everything he was given, as later on there was no comeback if it was short.
‘Last time I was in you tried to sell me a beaten up old white fiver for a ridiculous price,’ William said tiredly, ‘is it still for sale?’
Richard opened the case where he kept the notes and brought out the white fiver sealed in a plastic container to keep it as good as it was when he got it.
‘I was only asking £70.’ He declared.
‘As I said, a ridiculous price but as I did well on the coin I will give you £50 for it but to save time if you say no to £50 I shall walk out there are other shops where I can get a nice white fiver.’ William answered.
Richard considered his next words very carefully, he went to speak, stopped, went to speak again, hesitated and merely said ‘£50 it is then,’ the note had been with him for a long time and he was still making a profit, what is more, he was getting £50 of the money he had just laid out back.
William gave him back £50 and put the white fiver into his pocket. After that he started browsing coins, he had money and he knew the year he was visiting or at least he knew that 1941 had either passed or it was still 1941.
All the coins he looked at for that year were very worn and therefore not wanted, but he did find a 1920 six pence with George III’s head on it and six pence in 1841 would buy three good meals and transport to wherever he wanted to go.
‘How much is this one and don't put a silly price on it I know just how many of these were produced?’ William asked.
‘You can have that for a fiver,’ Richard answered, all his fight had gone.
‘Okay I'll have it William answered.
He slid another fiver across the counter and picked up the coin. Now that he had what he came for he nodded to Richard and walked out. He walked to the nearest underground station, walked straight up to the ticket office and recharged his Oyster card with £50, no more walking for him unless he had to. He took a tube to the nearest underground station to Spinks and walked in looking and feeling like he owned the place. No one seemed interested but he walked up to a desk where a man was sitting and held the coin out, his second 1841 penny.
‘I want to put this into auction,’ he announced, ‘you do, do that here don't you?’
The man looked at the coin, put on some white gloves and examined it, as he examined it he grew more interested.
‘This is in very good condition.’ He announced.
‘Mint condition I would say,’ William answered, ‘are you interested in selling it?’
‘We are, it is good enough to sell as a single lot in my estimation I will take some details.’ The man answered.
He passed William a form and William filled it in giving his name and address and date of birth. When he had filled the form in, he passed it back to the man.
‘What sort of reserve would you like to put on it?’ A man asked.
‘Well, I know I can sell it for £150 to a shop down the road so we'll put the reserve 150, does that sound reasonable?’ William answered.
‘It sounds very reasonable sir I will put £200-£300 estimated price on it and we will let it find its own level thank you Mr Just we will let you know what it makes and if you so desire we can phone you when it is going under the hammer.’ The man answered.
‘If I am available I might well do that, I'll give you a ring prior to the auction date.’
With that William walked out of the shop and headed for the underground, he wanted to go back in time and have a cheap meal in the Tooley road tavern. On the way to the underground station he passed a bookshop, it was an everyday bookshop but it got him thinking. If he knew what sporting venues were going on in the summer of 1841 he could bet and win, as he could find out the result. Instead of going home he headed for the library, they had all books there and although he could not take them out he could photo copy any pages he wanted to, for a price.
He rode on the underground until he was at the station closest to the library and he was soon standing at the counter in line, waiting to ask about sporting results in Victorian times. Slowly the line decreased and he ended up in front of the woman at the counter.
‘Excuse me I would like to look some results up for sporting events in Victorian times, is that possible?’ William asked politely.
‘We do have books about that, they are very old but they are readable, section three is where you want to look. I don't know exactly which book you need, you'll have to look at each one to find out.’ The woman answered.
