JAMES JOYCE COIN QUOTATION ERROR

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V16 2013 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 16, Number 15, April 14, 2013, Article 24

Turns out the James Joyce coin from Ireland I featured last week has a design error. Tony Hine forwarded this article from The Guardian. Thanks! Pabitra Saha also forwarded to article. -Editor

A silver €10 coin issued by Ireland's central bank to commemorate James Joyce's Ulysses misquotes a line from the modernist masterpiece.

The new coin features a portrait of the author's face and a short quotation taken from the book's third chapter, into which an extra word has mistakenly been added.

The coin was launched at a private event at Newman House, St Stephen's Green – Joyce's alma mater when he was a student at University College Dublin.

The central bank's governor, Patrick Honohan, said: "The coin's design, combining portrait and concept in an original manner, reflects Joyce's standing as one of the leading figures in the modernist movement."

The quote comes from a scene when one of the two main characters, Stephen Dedalus, is walking along Sandymount Strand in the writer's native Dublin.

Joyce wrote: "Ineluctable modality of the visible: at least that if no more, thought through my eyes. Signatures of all things I am here to read."

However, on the €10 (£8.50) coin the extra word "that" is inserted into the second sentence.

Dick Hanscom forwarded this article from the BBC news. Thanks. -Editor

The Central Bank of Ireland has said it regrets an error on a new commemorative coin that misquotes James Joyce.

The 10 euro coin features an image of the writer and a quote from his groundbreaking novel, Ulysses, which contains an extra word.

The Central Bank said that the coin was an artistic representation of the author and the text, and was "not intended as a literal representation".

However, the bank said it accepted there was an issue with its internal processes and was reviewing those processes.

The coin remains on sale, but the bank said it would inform purchasers of the error in advance.

Anyone who has already bought the coin and wishes to return it, will be given a full refund of the 46 euro purchase price.

The gaffe hasn't stopped collectors from scooping up the coin depicting the popular writer. Here's an article I found in the Irish Times. -Editor

A James Joyce commemorative coin featuring a misquote from the author’s masterpiece, Ulysses, proved popular with collectors when it went on sale yesterday.

A spokesman for the bank said yesterday evening that about 7,000 coins, of which 10,000 had been minted, had already been sold.

“He’s quite a popular figure so there was always going to be demand for it,” the spokesman said.

The special €10 coin depicts the first lines of chapter three of the novel pouring out of the top of the writer’s head in a stream of consciousness.

Joyce’s words read: “Ineluctable modality of the visible: at least that if no more, thought through my eyes. Signatures of all things I am here to read.” However, the Central Bank coin mistakenly includes the word ‘that’ in the second sentence.

Earlier the bank said it regretted the error but added “the coin is an artistic representation of the author and text and not intended as a literal representation”.

Anyone who purchased the collectors’ item – at a cost of €46 – was informed of the error in the text and “anyone who may already have purchased the coin and wishes to return it will be facilitated with a full refund”, the Central Bank said in a statement.

To read the complete article, see: Flawed Joyce coin proves popular (www.irishtimes.com/news/flawed-joyce-coin-proves-popular-1.1357767)

Wayne Homren, Editor