Movies about coins?

I'm surprised at one very popular movie that has not yet been mentioned. This is a movie that most everyone here has likely seen, although few may realize that the movie is filled with references to money. While the author of the book, L. Frank Baum never came out and said the story was all about money, his life and background, coupled with the numerous possible monetary/economic references in the story, would make it hard to deny that relationship.

What well known story would this be, with the book first published back on August 1, 1900, and the movie released in 1939? Why, none other than "The Wizard of Oz" (originally titled "The Wonderful World of Oz").

The following is largely my paraphrasing of content from Fred Schornstein's "Bryan Money".

To give a bit of background, and assuming the monetary allegories are legitimate, the story begins with the Act of 1873 (sometimes called the Crime of 1873), which demonetized silver. This was one of the leading causes of the Panic of 1893. The government could not print more greenbacks without additional gold backing, the economy was stagnant, banks were failing, farm prices were collapsing and the prices of other goods were skyrocketing - especially if paid for in silver.

He lived a good portion of his early life in New York, and was undoubtedly exposed to a fair amount of politics as he married a daughter of a leading suffragette, Matilda Joslyn Gage. He moved his family to South Dakota, and experienced the different, and tougher life of rural America. Running the Western Investor, a small newspaper, certainly leads one to believe that Baum would have been very much in tune with financial and political matters of the day.

Baum moved to Chicago in 1890, which was the site of the Democratic National Convention in 1896. Baum was a supporter of adding silver as backing for greenbacks, and had trust issues with the big money and businesses in the NE section of the country.

William Jennings Bryan was at that 1896 Democratic Convention, and delivered a rather famous speech while there. Pretty much, Bryan's campaign for the presidency was to restore silver as backing and to allow free coinage of silver.

Without going into great detail, as that would make for a very much longer post, I will just list some of the symbolism commonly thought to be in the story. If one would like to read more, I am sure that more information can be found on the internet.

Dorothy - a young, honest, average rural American citizen

Toto - the Prohibition Party

the cyclone - the free silver movement

land of Oz - ounce of gold

Wicked Witch of the East - eastern financial powers

Witch's ruby red shoes (in the movie) - these were silver in the book

yellow brick road - gold bricks

Emerald City - Washington D.C., green, the color of money

Wizard of Oz - Marcus Hanna, the wizard of banking

Scarecrow - the western farmer

Tin Woodman - American factory worker, who had no heart because he was cursed by the Wicked Witch of the East

Cowardly Lion - William Jennings Bryan, because people were afraid he would not keep his campaign promises regarding silver as backing as top priority.

the group traveling to the Emerald City - a group of unemployed workers, who were lead on a march to Washington D.C. (1894) by Jacob Coxey, and demanded that the government print $500,000,000 in greenbacks.

green colored glasses with a gold buckle - money colored glasses

Emerald Palace - The White House

There were seven passages and three flights of stairs - the Crime of '73

When the witches and wizards were found to be fake, the new, bimetallic world was found to be wonderful.

Note that the wizard called Kansas the land of E. Pluribus Unum (a motto on our coinage)

Yellow Winkies - Repubican's capture of the Philippines from Spain and refusal to grant them independence.

Munchkins - simple minded people of the East who did not understand financial issues

Dorothy and Toto could return home

Scarecrow could now understand pertinent financial issues

Tin Woodman got a new tool - the bimetallic ax (golden ax with a silver blade)

Cowardly Lion proved his primary goal was indeed the silver issue.

 

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Interesting post, but the OP topic was "Movies about coins." Your post about "The Wizard of Oz" you stated is filled with references to money. I don't recall seeing any coins in that movie, although I could be mistaken. As we all know, coins are money, but money is not necessarily coins. If I'm remembering right, I think the first "official" money was actually various types of sea shells with early human tribes. No problem with me at all with the post, I enjoyed it, it's interesting and a fun read.

Also, the following info could be wrong, but I recall reading many years ago that Baum said, or somebody wrote incorrectly what he said, that Baum came up with "Oz" from the index on his cabinet file. You know, with a small cabinet index file, some index it A-M and O-Z. Baum made a wise choice, I don't think The Wizard of Am sounds as good.

And also, if you're a The Wizard of Oz fan, one of Pink Floyd's songs, I forget which one but it's one of their best, there is a Youtube video showing the song and the progression of the movie played together, and it's obvious that the group did this intentionally - pretty cool.

I know, I know, I took the OP topic, even more off topic - LOL

 

I watched the 1939 "The Wizard of Oz" and did not find any coins in it.

The closest that I could find was the "Swami Token" and "Professor Marvel" from the film.


Swami Token

The "Swami" depicted on the coin was not a Muslim, Hindu, or Asian.
He was a carnival worker who wore a turban, gazed into a crystal ball, told fortunes, and gave advice.
One carnival term for such a worker was "raghead".

Some of the "swamis" made it into the movies, including this fellow:


Professor Marvel from "The Wizard of Oz"

 

Here's a music video with a coin in it (and it's about girls, too )...

 

What about the 3 Stooges episode when Curly found the can of money on the junk yard and called it "canned coin" ?

BTW, I did a presentation on this topic at a coin club meeting. The reviews were mixed - some of the older members were wondering why this was presented and gave me grief. I was obviously not happy afterwards.

 

A 10 minute video on how they made coins at the US Mint in 1940:

 

I can second this movie! I've seen it a dozen times.
I was married on Mackinac Island island so the wife says we can only watch it together!

 

Really? That's so nice!

 

Fascinating movie!! I couldn't stop watching it all the way to the end.

 

The Dark Knight.


View attachment 442843

1922 peace dollar.

 

Not a movie but there was an Hawaii Five-O episode involving the 1913 Liberty Nickel.

 

The Heroes Reborn ,with the cent man.

 

Do documentaries count? Fascinated by "Hunt For The Double Eagle. And I still don't have one in my collection.

 

YES! They do count. Where can we find that documentary?

 

The Smithsonian channel had it on about a year ago. I still have it on my Tivo. *Great* documentary.

 

One of you computer savvy guys need to find a link to that show and post it for us!!

 

The best I can do tonight is a 3 minute clip on YouTube:

 

actually isn't that a trick two headed coin?
Harvey "makes his own luck"
and also, the t.v series Gotham has a serial killer that leaves an Indian cent in his victims.
Edit: added the harvey piece and combined my posts

 

double post sorry

 

This has got to be out there somewhere.