German South West African Mark the gold content of the British Pound Sterling was 7.3224 grams, while the gold content of 20 marks was 7.168 grams. According to Gresham's Law, "bad money drives out good", so the "bad" Mark replaced the "good" British Pound Sterling. In 1901, the German Mark became the official currency of German South West Africa, hence replacing the 20 and 5 mark denominations of the German South West African Mark, for which they were also demonetized (although, they continued use in the metropolis of German South West Africa until 1907). In 1923, the coins of the German South West African Mark
Hard cases make bad law Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Its validity has since been questioned and dissenting variations include the phrase "Bad law makes hard cases", and even its opposite, "Hard cases make good law". The maxim dates at least to 1837, when a judge, ruling in favor of a parent against the maintenance of her children, said, "We have heard that hard cases make bad law." The judge's wording suggests that the phrase was not new then. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. made a utilitarian argument for this in his judgment of "Northern Securities Co. v. United States" (1904): Holmes's dissenting opinion in the case,