Recently i've been watching AMC's "Hell On Wheels" on Netflix. Here's the blurb... "The Civil War is in the past, but former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon can't put it behind him. Fresh are the horrific memories of the death of his wife, killed at the hands of the Union soldiers, an act that sets Bohannon on a course of revenge. This contemporary Western tells the story of his journey, a story that rides on Union Pacific's construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Bohannon's westward travels take him to a lawless melting pot of a town called "Hell on Wheels," which moves with the construction of the railroad." So far in the first 15 episode there've been a few references to coins. In one particular scene, Elam, a freed slave, is collecting $20 per for some Indian scalps he had collected. As Mr. Durant, the man who was building the rail road, digs into his money box to pay, Elam says, "...pay me with them 20 dollar gold eagles now, not that paper money" In, the second reference, some Irish workers are holding a wake for one of their fallen comrades. In the scene the coffin with the deceased is propped up as if to have the man standing, a shot glass full of liquor in his right hand. As the scene opens they are singing a song and laying braided hair (I'm guessing at the denomination) large cents over his eyes. It's an interesting show, a bit violent, but again those were violent times. I just thought the references to coins were cool.
That is cool! It's nice they are trying to be historically accurate. I remember watching a fairly new show set in the old west and people were spending shiny Lincoln memorial cents...
Really like that series. Didn't really notice those references, but yes they definitely try to make it accurate.
I've been watching the series. Historically accurate is subjective. Speech, the relationships, the human evolution are all very flawed in delivery. There's also a definite demonization of the South. But that's hollywood for ya!
In 1963 it was illegal to photograph any us currency . No way or how...that's why stage money was used.
well ya learn somthin' new every day. When did it become legal to photograph money? How did numismatic publications get around that?
I would like to see the Perry Mason episode with the 1963 $20 gold piece. There is a Confederate half dollar in a Perry Mason episode; it is obviously a replica. The US Treasury prohibition on showing coins and paper money in films was lifted in 1960. Films and television shows still use stage money as real money could be lost or stolen.
Oh! One more I forgot about, durring a particularly dark episode, Durant tells a story of how he was a kid and as he was picking through trash, some men saw him and told him they's give him a penny if he ate a rancid apple. He did and he got his penny and he kept it as a momento to never stopping that low for mone again. As he's telling the story he pulls the penny out of his pocket and calls it the seed of his destruction. It was a large cent, but could see what variety. Later, after ruining a politician on a false stock tip about which railroad he planed on connecting to for the direct route to New Your from the west, he laughs and tosses his penny to the politician and says "here's a lucky penny."
Interesting...coincidentally, I did a PowerPoint presentation a couple of months ago on coin collecting references in cinema and television. I wanted to present something a little different. It was well received although some of the older members of the club did not understand why we were presenting this. Here are some of the highlight slides.
I have to agree. I've watched the series since it began and the historical accuracy is questionable at times. Currently, the hero is in Truckee, CA having joined the Central Pacific being constructed over the Sierra Nevada. Several references were made concerning double eagles and paying the Chinese labor (which I believe is incorrect - should have been silver dollars paid by Crocker). Absolutely! Almost too good -- hard to imagine another show ever being that good
