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 Replies: 14 / Views: 2,294 |
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Moderator
 United States
23484 Posts |
In The 1945 MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) film "The Picture of Dorian Gray" features a collection tray of coins and medals and numismatic books and catalogs.  In one scene A tray of large coins or medals is on the table, along with an illustrated coin catalog In another Scene He is seen researching a coin in yet another he is examining a coin see photos http://www.brianrxm.com/comdir/cnsm...riangray.htmMy question
Can you identify any of the coins? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
525 Posts |
This is a larger scan of Dorian Gray's coin tray:  I tried to identify the coins but the images were too small. I suspect that they are tokens of various sizes used as film props. Can anyone identify the coin book?  Edited by willieboyd2
11/07/2015 09:03 am
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
I am not even going to try, but I look forward to the analysis.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5202 Posts |
The holder on the top left of the picture appears to be for half dollars and the one below it silver dollars (assuming we are talking mass produced albums of the time and coins and not tokens / props)
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Valued Member
Canada
109 Posts |
To me, the "coins" look more like the "wooden nickels" that used to be given out by various businesses as promotional items. I think they look too thick to be silver dollars.
Edited by rusty_f
11/08/2015 3:30 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
I recall thinking when I saw the movie recently that the catalogue was of ancients.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4227 Posts |
I would have thought ancient too, but the actual pieces may be props.
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Moderator
Australia
16809 Posts |
I can't tell how thick the book is from the still, but the layout, of pic after pic of coins with just a number next to them, is very typical of a museum catalogue, such as the British Museum catalogues of ancient Greek and Roman coins. In an age when photographic plates had to be printed separately from text, the text section of a BMC catalogue is at the front which gives a full description of the coins, with the plates at the back. Ancient coins would fit in with Dorian's more general interest in antiquities.
But I agree the coins shown are most likely prop pieces. They look much larger than ancient coins should be - compare the size of the coins in the tray with the size of the pictures in the book.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
 Genuine catalogue, fake coins. The movie was only just decent. The stupid rendition of him in the final portrait was just awful.  |
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Valued Member
Canada
314 Posts |
That's so cool... Can't wait to read more about this..
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3463 Posts |
I'm guessing they were chocolate wrapped in foil. It is a black & white photo so we can't see the true colors of them. There is a letter opener handy on the table to open them with. No one with a valuable collection of rare coins would have any use for a letter opener while looking at coins and most likely wouldn't have any sharp objects around that could damage the coins.
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Moderator
United States
16677 Posts |
The holders appear to be Wayte Raymond's.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
C'mon - A letter opener is a common item on a desk!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
525 Posts |
The "coins" might be props similar to the ones in this film which are supposed to be "Hessian gold":  "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1941) |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1839 Posts |
 Props? |
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Replies: 14 / Views: 2,294 |
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Posted 11/07/2015 11:47 pm
