Wealthy Romans of course were known for their collections of oddities from around the world. Weird animals were displayed - and eaten; odd skeletons, feathers, pelts, exotic plants and spices, and artifacts of all types were imported from the far reaches of the Empire and displayed as evidence of wealth and urbanity. Shapur I was said to have displayed the captured Roman Emperor Valerian in a cage in his parlor which he used as a footstool during dinner parties. The ultimate Hard Asset.
But in the 16th century Wunderkammers or Cabinets of Curiosities became the possession de riguer for the wealthy who desired to impress and amaze their freinds. These Cabinets which soon became entire rooms and suites of rooms were filled with antiques, antiquities, objets d'arts, fossils, stuffed animals, weapons, instruments of torture, astrolabs, clocks, automatons, and monseters such as two headed dogs, giant spiders, shrunken heads.
Famous collections belonged to Rudolph II in Prague, Ferdinand II in Austria and Augustus III in Poland, as well as many wealthy merchants from Naples to Amsterdam many of whose collections can still be viewed in their homes, as well as wealthy Londoners - an entire floor of the British Museum is devoted to their collections.
From the Royal Collection London
Room of wonders 1559 Naples Italy
So collecting Hard Assets as a means of cultivating one's mind, developing one's sense of history and preserving one's wealth has a long and storied history.
It is only recently in this age of Financialization where the investors have been lulled into thinking that the safest and most reaonable way to store their wealth is in theoretical ownership of companies and debts as represented - first by pieces of paper - and then by elctronic chits.
But the problem with paper and electronic chits as that you own things in Theory. And the ownership exists only as long as the Theory can be upheld by force of arms that protects the Legal System that gurantees the Theory.
We are living in a period when that Legal System is being challenged every day by the very Politicians who are supposed to defend it. The Guardians of the Legal System are telling us the System if Corrupt.
It doesn't matter if they're right or wrong. The longer and louder they proclaim it, the surer it is that it won't be able to protect your paper and electronic chits.
Only 25 % of the population has confidence in the supreme court and only 7 percent has confidence in Congress - the legislative body that makes our laws!
How long before lack of confidence in our laws leads to a destruction of value of Theoretical Wealth upheld by those laws?
But Real Things in your possession are Real Things in your possession.
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