Carl Barks was undisputedly the birth giver and the architect behind most of the ingredients in the duck universe. He invented numerous primary and secondary characters as well as countless objects and locations. He even invented the state name of Calisota and the city of Duckburg as the homebase and springboard for all his creations. Now, we should not be surprised to learn that he also invented the currency!
In 1977 Barks launched a new idea for his painting motifs. He grandiosely referred to it as Famous Figures of History as they might have looked if their Genes had gotten mixed with Waterfowl. Barks was always very interested in history and mythology - which are in most of his adventure stories - and he now energetically delved into history and mythology to find his themes. He painted a great number of mythical and historical figures with mixed genes. Their most obvious physical trait was the fact that they all had beaks!

In the same period of time Barks toyed with the interesting idea of issuing a special currency for the city of Duckburg, and below you are treated to a few of his preliminary sketches. There is no saying of the value of these Quackers and Ducats compared to Dollars and Cents, but if the newly invented currency equals the normal American currency, Scrooge McDuck's status as the world's richest duck is not in peril...

THE DUCAT

THE QUACKER