--- a/Number.st	Sat Dec 07 17:59:21 2019 +0100
+++ b/Number.st	Sun Dec 08 04:10:14 2019 +0100
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-"{ Encoding: utf8 }"
-
 "
  COPYRIGHT (c) 1988 by Claus Gittinger
 	      All Rights Reserved
@@ -430,7 +428,7 @@
      it allows for prefixed + and also allows missing fractional part after eE.
      It supports 0x, 0o and 0b prefixes (hex, octal and binary)
      and the regular Smalltalk radix prefix xr.
-     If also allows for strings like '1.0×1015' to be read (as 1E+15).
+     If also allows for strings like '1.0×1015' to be read (as 1E+15).
 
      It also allows garbage after the number - i.e. it reads what it can.
      See #fromString: , which is more strict and does not allow garbage at the end.
@@ -546,7 +544,7 @@
      it allows for prefixed + and also allows missing fractional part after eE.
      It supports 0x, 0o and 0b prefixes (hex, octal and binary)
      and the regular Smalltalk radix prefix xr.
-     If also allows for strings like '1.0×1015' to be read (as 1E+15).
+     If also allows for strings like '1.0×1015' to be read (as 1E+15).
 
      It also allows garbage after the number - i.e. it reads what it can.
      See #fromString: , which is more strict and does not allow garbage at the end.
@@ -743,7 +741,7 @@
                                     scale:(scale ? mantissaAndScale third).
                     ].
                 ] ifFalse:[
-                    (nextChar == $×) ifTrue:[
+                    (nextChar == $×) ifTrue:[
                         (((nextChar := str nextPeek) == $1)
                           and:[ ((nextChar := str nextPeek) == $0) ]
                         ) ifTrue:[
@@ -757,7 +755,9 @@
                         (self inheritsFrom:LimitedPrecisionReal) ifTrue:[
                             "when requesting a specific Float instance, coerce it.
                              otherwise return a value without loosing precision"
-                            value := self coerce:value.
+                            (self isAbstract not and:[value class == self]) ifFalse:[
+                                value := self coerce:value.
+                            ].
                         ].
                     ].
                 ].
@@ -983,7 +983,6 @@
     "Modified (comment): / 08-06-2017 / 13:58:36 / mawalch"
 ! !
 
-
 !Number class methodsFor:'constants'!
 
 e
@@ -1394,7 +1393,6 @@
     "Modified: / 25-07-2017 / 15:58:46 / cg"
 ! !
 
-
 !Number methodsFor:'coercing & converting'!
 
 i
@@ -2359,6 +2357,10 @@
     ^ self
 ! !
 
+
+
+
+
 !Number methodsFor:'printing & storing'!
 
 displayOn:aGCOrStream