Big lot of nothin’

I have been commenting all week to colleagues in the office that my phone calls and e-mails have been a little bit on the odd side.

Yesterday I received an e-mail from an attorney in Chicago. How would you take this:

“I read your quote in the April 14, 2009 issue of the Chicago Sun Times about ‘the sense of rarity’ of the 2009 Lincoln cent. Little did I realize that the editor of Numismatic News was a world famous celebrity.

“Do you receive a fee for your words of wisdom, or is this noble task done free of charge?”

Would you respond to it, or wouldn’t you?

While you are thinking, I will tell you a bit more.

I was telephoned by a USA Today reporter to talk about all the hullabaloo surrounding the first Lincoln cent design in 2009. Our conversation was boiled down into a one sentence quotation in the story.

A number of friends and acquaintances e-mailed me to tell me they had seen it.
Then the attorney’s e-mail arrived.

Perhaps he is looking to round up celebrities whom he can represent as agent.
Let’s see, 10 percent of nothing is nothing.

I did finally respond, but I had to think about it. I thanked him for his e-mail and told him I wasn’t paid for it.