I am a filmmaker based in Chicago and I have searched high and low on Documentaries that focus on coin types, Numismatic general history, or even obscure related topics and I am coming up almost dry.
SO... I am making one... or two or three, all depending on the reception and value that the coin community finds in the documentaries. So I need your help.
What do you want to see? what Documentaries would excited you and draw you into the collecting world? Are you interested in the many varieties created by "less than honest" mint workers, or maybe simply a historical documentary on a particular series? Would you be stuck binge watching short 20 minute documentaries on certain time periods and the coins that grace them or people that influenced what we collect today?
Brainstorm with me and share your dream film idea. This will probably take the better part of a year to complete but I need to gauge if there is any interest. There are so many youtube videos now, maybe Documentaries are a dying breed.
I'd welcome almost anything: whether it covered the design and manufacture of coins, the history of one famous specimen (such as the King Farouk 1933 double-eagle) or the story behind particular famous designs or rarities.
There are three ideas: 1) something on the variety of coin collectors, ranging from face-value coin roll hunters, to average coin shop visitors, to online auction bidders, to high stakes buyers; 2) the history of a particular coin as owned by several people; 3) a show that highlights people buying coins and then trying to sell them for a profit, including haggling and sales techniques; 4) interviews with dealers.
2 - a documentary about the events leading to, the development, design, mintage and hoarding history of the Morgan dollar. I think just about everyone here would watch that.
3 - something that would be a little more hands-on/outdoors: following collectors who avidly metal detect while discussing histories, techniques, etc. and getting real-time finds on film. Of course, "dirt fishing" would have to be in the title somewhere!
In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020 In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020 In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
The minting of US coins from the start how it was minted, which machines was used, making of the dies, the history of the coins from the start, on you tube there is a short vid on "press 1" the press that they used for minting CC coins. I think Morgan dollars is a must in the documentary there is no real in depth info on minting them Ps I LIVE FOR DOCUMENTARIES
1) The legal minting of counterfeit Spanish 8 reales in New England for the China trade in the 19th century
2) The minting of "counterfeit" sovereigns in the Persian Gulf region that had a higher percentage of gold than the real sovereigns. The various forms of sovereigns minted in the Levant. See, e.g., http://www.bankofgreece.gr/Pages/en...&FltVal=1324
3) The history of minting Maria Theresa Thaler restrikes outside of Austria.
How about coin discoveries? Who does not like lost and found treasure? For example the below video and also reading the comments to me was also very entertaining.
I really like the Morgan dollar documentary idea that has been espoused by a couple other people. I also think that it would be very interesting to do a history on each mint facility, and some of the rare coins from each.
"Nummi rari mira sunt, si sumptus ferre potes." - Christophorus filius Scotiae
Something about the forgeries. Forgeries of Colonial 8 Reales could be a movie unto itself. The quality of modern forgeries and how they are threatening the future markets could make for some fun Dateline type of programming. There are plenty of stories about finding hoards or discovering other types lost to history that are full of intrique and suspense that would be good for TV.
The history of colonial coinage. I like the 8 Reales idea. You could tie it into the sinking of the El Cazador and how the lost bullion forced the Spanish to sell the territory back to the French. Of course any tie ins to the wild west is always interesting.
You want to select a topic that will appeal to the masses, not just coin collectors. Sunken treasure, wild west, early colonial coinage will all have mass appeal.
Just a heads up. The History channel is running an episode of Museum Secrets called Israel Museum(Jerusalem). About 15 min. in there is a good coin story. Only about 10 min. long. It was interesting.
"We are poor little lambs...who have lost our way...Baa...Baa...Baa"
In memory of those members who left us too soon... In memory of Tootallious March 31, 1964 - April 15, 2020 In memory of crazyb0 July 27 2020. RIP. In memory of T-BOP Oct. 12, 1949 - Jan. 19, 2024
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Posted 06/01/2017 8:10 pm
