I need help on a numismatic speech I am giving

Woof

 

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Congress must approve them and we all know they can't agree on anything.

 

Coins are fascinating to the members here, and as dull and boring as warm spit to much of the general population. My suggestion would be to do a summary of the denominations of American coinage. Some (half-cent, two cent, etc.) would be surprising to the audience and, after all, it's only supposed to be 10 minutes.

 

It may be interesting to many on the panel about how to get a coin from an idea to actual production.

Or why certain coins fail to be circulated by the public. Such as a $2.50, $5.00 or $10.00 gold Indian or a Susan B. Anthony dollar.

CT members have given quite a number of good ideas. You asked for and received our comments. The rest is up to you, after you decide how to proceed.

 

Talk about something interesting they may have heard about, but do not really know about it themselves. I suggest " The 3 Legged Buffalo nickle and how it caused people to look at their coins".

 

This is a better choice as a topic

 

Whatever you choose, just make sure it is a topic of interest to you. It will make your presentation much more natural and comfortable. And I would bet that is what your grade will be based on much more than the content of the presentation.

 

I don't see any problem with your original idea - talking about the great rarities. To focus that a bit, I might only talk about one of them. You can easily fill 8 minutes with any one of the three you mentioned. You want to make it interesting as well - tell of some of the people that owned it, some intrigue surrounding it, etc.

Are you allowed to have a slide with a picture of the coin? Or maybe a poster? That gives them something to look at and relate to your description.

 

How about the Henning Nickel?

 

Sorry, nothing but words

 

I don't find that too exciting, a guy made some counterfeits and now they are collectible?

 

Here is more of the story.

https://www.blackcatmining.com/henning-counterfeit-nickel-alaskan-jade.cfm

 

huh....20-30 dollars
Maybe have to go CRH for one

 

Having taken several speech courses in college ,I would advise to pick a subject that has a hook.
Yes when you go fishing you set the hook...you need to capture the audience attention from the first paragraph.
You need not only to set the hook but instill in them the same passion you have for the subject matter.
Your body language your confidence in the subject matter will help set the hook.
Once you have their attention you spoon feed them the facts.
Write an outline. Using bullet points leading your message from A to Z.
This way when you go and memorize the text you will have a flow of your thoughts.....
By doing so you won't loose their interest and then mess up reading their faces as being bored or uninterested in your topic.
Watch some speakers... a minster giving a sermon in church, a politician etc...as you need to project to the audience that you are spot on and that what you are selling them is gospel.
Don't focus on a single person or object.... make eye contact thought out the room.
Make each person in the room believe that YOU are talking to THEM....not just a group.... of people. Or the wall in the back of the room...
The topic of civil war era coinage and the hoarding of hard money,the issuing of store tokens etc... Will tie into a time in history where our money changed in many directions. Giving you enough subject matter to cover many aspects of coin collecting.
Impromptu speaking is for the pros, bullet points will hold you on course, reacting with the guest eye to eye face to face will make you feel like your're talking to family or friends, less Chance to freeze up... make them " the audience "yours...not you theirs to control.
Once you set the hook their body language will make your job eaiser....as you'll relax and unload the wealth of Information you have to share with them.

 

I sometimes teach propper food handeling and food safety.
To groups of people whom sometimes don't have a H.S. education.
I have to cover a broad range of topics... that would put quite a few people asleep.
Each class I need to adjust my lesson to the ability of to whom I am speaking to.
I cannot be using words and terms that they are clueless.
That said so I can get the message across ,I interact with each person in class.
Keeping the message on the correct path...but in a way a person whom never passed bio 101 interested .
My use of bullet points and adjusting to my audience level keeps them in focus as the importance of food handeling.

 

@CoinBlazer This would be a great talk, IMO. Counterfeiting nickels? Who would have suspected. But then a big Homer Simpson "Doh" when he mixed a 1944 obverse with a non-War Nickel reverse. Plus Lots of stuff in literature and no visual aid needed. Google it at see if it might work for you.

 

For counterfeit nickels don't forget the racketeers Liberty or V nickel. No five cents on them just the Roman numeral. They were gold plated and past off as a five dollar gold piece. He was caught but never went to jail. A fascinating story all around. Check it out.

 

Was it a particular person who did it?

 

Off the top of my head, I recall a story where a deaf mute would buy an item that cost less than 5 cents and would pay for it using a gold plated 1883 No Cents Nickel. He would accept the change regardless of whether it was tendered for 5 cents or $5. Since he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t be prosecuted because he didn’t say it was a $5 coin. The story may have been based on an actual event, but generally over time it has been accepted into numismatic lore, so it’s hard to prove either way.

An internet search should easily reveal more info on this story (if I remembered it correctly) as well as others

 

Correct