Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Agatha Christie and a Mystery

Today is Agatha Christie's birthday, she was born September 15, 1895.  She is one of my favorite authors and I think, but only think, because I'm always finding more, that I've read all of her books and short stories.  The Guinness Book of records says she's the best selling author of all time having sold more than 2 billion books.  Her estate says she's third, behind Shakespeare and the Bible.  Her most popular books is And Then There Were None, which I just recently read, but my favorite is Witness for the Prosecution. Her play The Mousetrap  is the longest running play of the modern era.  It opened in 1952 and has been running ever since.  We saw it way back in the 70's or 80's in London.
Though she has shot people, stabbed people, hung people and electrocuted people,  she was the very best at poisoning them.  She served as a volunteer nurse in the first world war and was trained as an apprentice apothecary or dispenser.  The knowledge she gained there served her well.
She was married twice.  Her first husband had an affair and wanted a divorce, Agatha was heartbroken and disappeared for 11 days.  It became a cause célébre and the world was shocked, all the newspapers covered her disappearance, the police suspected her husband of doing away with her---sounds a bit like Gone Girl doesn't it.  Agatha never said where she had disappeared to, but a number of books have written about it.  I read  Agatha Christie and the Missing Eleven Days, it gives a pretty detailed account of what happened.

Unfortunately her second marriage to archeologist Max Mallowen was also unhappy (he had a long running affair with his secretary).though she stayed married to him the rest of her life.

I think her writing must have been her way of leading a happier life, I know that her books have brought a lot of reading pleasure to me.

Now the mystery.  When we were in London recently Mac went mudlarking along the foreshore of the Thames and picked up bits and pieces of things to add to his collection and one of his finds has him stumped and Lord knows I'm no help.  It's a round piece of green glass about 1 1/2 across and a 1/4 inch thick.  It has an eagle sitting on a crown and there's  a crown above the writing.  He thinks the writing is Latin.  Take a look and let us know what you think, we just don't know.





















10 comments:

  1. As you know, I am enjoying reading some her books at the moment. A great author who has stood the test of time! xx

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  2. I also love Agatha Christie!
    No idea what the coin/object is...have you put the description into a search engine yet? Sometimes, just trying something simple like that will yield results. Good luck!

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  3. I enjoyed reading about Agatha Christie. She is one of my favorite authors. One of her old mystery movies was on tv this morning. The glass piece you found is quite fascinating.

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  4. Oh, I love a mystery! The eagle looks quite German to me??? Hope you find out what it is.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  5. Good find! I have never read anything by Agatha Christie...maybe I should:)

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  6. Agatha Christie was actually staying at a hotel in Harrogate, about thirty miles from here, when she was 'missing'.
    I wonder if that picture is of something as simple as a bottle top.

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  7. Fascinating post, like you I think I've read all Shanghai Christie's books and I also saw The Mousetrap in the 70s.I didn't know that her second marriage was unhappy though. Have you read her book 'Come Tell Me How You Live' about her life on the archaeological digs with Max Mallowen? I went to a wonderful exhibition at the British Museum a few years ago called Agatha Christie and Archaeology,you would have enjoyed it I think, I certainly did. I agree with Liz that the eagle has a definite Germanic look but I've no idea what it is.

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  8. Ok - the books I've read are by Agatha Christie not Shanghai Christie:):) I wish the stupid kindlefire would print what I actually write!

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  9. I've actually never read Agatha Christie's novels. Something I should do one day as I quite enjoy mysteries :) I have no idea what your glass token is. Is it an eagle or maybe a pheonix? Interesting whatever it is, and I hope you are able to solve the mystery. I would search different descriptions on the internet too. Hard to know what to call it though ... glass token? Good luck!
    Wendy

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  10. I think wording on Mac's treasure may be the Latin motto 'Honi soi qui mal y pense', which translates as 'May he be shamed who thinks badly of it'. Among many other things, it's the motto of the British Order of the Garter, although I don't think the bird in the middle is connected to the Order of the Garter. Hope this helps in Mac's attempts to identify his find!
    And I love Agatha Christie too! Hubby and I saw The Mousetrap quite a few years ago,and more recently visited Greenway, her summer home in Devon, which is lovely!

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