diff --git a/gtsam/base/LieScalar.h b/gtsam/base/LieScalar.h
index 4626306b6..fc9004930 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/LieScalar.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/LieScalar.h
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ namespace gtsam {
 		/** wrap a double */
 		LieScalar(double d) : d_(d) {}
 
+		/** access the underlying value */
+		double value() const { return d_; }
+
 		/** print @param s optional string naming the object */
 		inline void print(const std::string& name="") const {
 	    std::cout << name << ": " << d_ << std::endl;
@@ -45,8 +48,10 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
 		/**
 		 * Returns dimensionality of the tangent space
+		 * with member and static versions
 		 */
 		inline size_t dim() const { return 1; }
+		inline static size_t Dim() { return 1; }
 
 		/**
 		 * Returns Exponential map update of T
diff --git a/gtsam/base/tests/testLieScalar.cpp b/gtsam/base/tests/testLieScalar.cpp
index 87560780a..a5428f803 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/tests/testLieScalar.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/base/tests/testLieScalar.cpp
@@ -20,11 +20,15 @@
 
 using namespace gtsam;
 
+const double tol=1e-9;
+
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 TEST( testLieScalar, construction ) {
 	double d = 2.;
 	LieScalar lie1(d), lie2(d);
 
+	EXPECT_DOUBLES_EQUAL(2., lie1.value(),tol);
+	EXPECT_DOUBLES_EQUAL(2., lie2.value(),tol);
 	EXPECT(lie1.dim() == 1);
 	EXPECT(assert_equal(lie1, lie2));
 }