![]() The Oxford comma is a comma that immediately precedes any of the conjunctions “and”, “or”, or “nor” before the last item in a list of three or more. But in the reworked motto, “prosperity with all nations” makes no sense, and since prosperity comes between “peace” and “friendship”, it is not clear whether “peace” is on its own or is also linked to “with all nations”.Ĭontroversy has also arisen from the fact that the motto contains only one comma, after “Peace”, as highlighted in a tweet from Philip Pullman: “The ‘Brexit’ 50p coin is missing an Oxford comma, and should be boycotted by all literate people”. Three different versions of the “Brexit” 50 pence coinĬlearly Jefferson meant making peace with all nations, having commerce with all nations, and forging friendship with all nations. “Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political:-peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none:-the support of the state governments in all their rights, as the most competent administrations for our domestic concerns, and the surest bulwarks against anti-republican tendencies:-the preservation of the General government in its whole constitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home, and safety abroad: a jealous care of the right of election by the people, a mild and safe corrective of abuses which are lopped by the sword of the revolution where peaceable remedies are unprovided:-absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority, the vital principle of republics, from which there is no appeal but to force, the vital principle and immediate parent of the despotism:-a well-disciplined militia, our best reliance in peace, and for the first moments of war, till regulars may relieve them:-the supremacy of the civil over the military authority:-economy in the public expense, that labor may be lightly burthened:-the honest payment of our debts and sacred preservation of the public faith:-encouragement of agriculture, and of commerce as its handmaid:-the diffusion of information, and arraignment of all abuses at the bar of public reason:-freedom of religion freedom of the press and freedom of person under the protection of the Habeas Corpus:-and trial by juries impartially selected”.įigure 1. Jefferson’s “essential principles of our government” published in the National Intelligencer, 4 March 1801 recorded in the Library of Congress TJ papers, 110:18838 The first coins to be minted were dated 29 March 2019, but Brexit was postponed and production was halted two other versions (31 October 2019, and 31 January 2020) have since appeared (Figure 1). ![]() ![]() And replacing “commerce” with “prosperity” may reflect the fact that trade agreements have yet to be reached. ![]() Jefferson’s text reminds us of another principle, “absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority”. The list (see the Box) included “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations”, of which the inscription on the new 50 pence piece celebrating the UK’s departure from the EU, “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations”, is a variant. In his inaugural Presidential address on 4 March 1801 Thomas Jefferson enunciated what he called “the essential principles of our government”.
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