Post by jerrysmith on Jul 28, 2010 15:30:20 GMT -5
The Emperor of Japan decided his empire needed some coinage to help with trading, so he called his silversmith, gave him his design, and set a day for the first coins to be struck amid great ceremony.
When the day finally arrived, there was a forge and press set up in the main assembly yard of the Imperial Palace. A hushed crowd awaited the historic moment, but the Imperial Silversmith was nowhere to be found.
A palace lackey finally informed the Emperor that his smith had been stricken with kidney stones, and the only one who could possibly complete the job was the smith's apprentice.
Of course this was a serious breach of court protocol, so the decision was left to the Emperor himself, who decreed,"Let he who is without stones cast the first sen."
When the day finally arrived, there was a forge and press set up in the main assembly yard of the Imperial Palace. A hushed crowd awaited the historic moment, but the Imperial Silversmith was nowhere to be found.
A palace lackey finally informed the Emperor that his smith had been stricken with kidney stones, and the only one who could possibly complete the job was the smith's apprentice.
Of course this was a serious breach of court protocol, so the decision was left to the Emperor himself, who decreed,"Let he who is without stones cast the first sen."
