John Boy on the Waltons and a 1879 20 Dollar Gold Coin

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Cachecoins, May 31, 2020.

  1. Cachecoins

    Cachecoins Historia Moneta

    Yes...I have been watching the Waltons and in the episode called "The Journey" he is blown away when he is shown a 1879 20 dollar liberty head gold coin a woman was given for a wedding present. That woman also said:

    "Even last year when president Roosevelt said we had to hand in all our gold coins, I just could not part with it."

    John Boy then said

    "I am sure Mr. Roosevelt would understand."

    The woman responded

    "If not, I am sure Mrs Roosevelt would"

    So this means this episode takes place in 1934. :)

    Took these pics.

    IMG_20200531_195544788_BURST001.jpg

    IMG_20200531_195708241.jpg

    IMG_20200531_195839172.jpg
     
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  3. ewomack

    ewomack 魚の下着

    According to the CPI Inflation calculator (I'm not sure how accurate or reliable that is), that $20 in 1934 would purchase $382.67 today.

    That would be quite a bit of money for John Boy.
     
  4. GoldFinger1969

    GoldFinger1969 Well-Known Member

    It's worth at least $1,720 based on gold content alone.

    This thread should go with my TV/Movie Thread ! :D

    BTW, I got into the Waltons about the 2nd or 3rd year...stopped in the late-1970's when I was in high school. Always wanted to go back and see the WW II epsiodes.
     
  5. Cachecoins

    Cachecoins Historia Moneta

    Sorry, I will find it and post a link.

    They are playing all the Waltons episodes on some TV channel and I really like them. I have seen a few of the WWII episodes but Richard Thomas, John Boy, had left the show and they have him away serving in the war.
     
  6. ewomack

    ewomack 魚の下着

    Yes, but I was talking about purchasing power.
     
  7. BJBII

    BJBII Metrologist, CSSBB

    Goodnight EWOMACK.....
    Goodnight Cachecoins......
    Goodnight GOLDFINGER 1969......
    Goodnight JOHN BOY.
     
    ewomack and Cachecoins like this.
  8. chascat

    chascat Well-Known Member

    $20 then, $1700 now. $35 in 1934.
     
  9. willieboyd2

    willieboyd2 First Class Poster

    In the episode John-Boy buys a pair of nice wool pants for $2.35.
    That show the relative worth of $20.00 then.

    :)
     
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  10. Cachecoins

    Cachecoins Historia Moneta

    Sure enough he did. He was going to a dance but because he is so nice he instead took that ailing woman to the seaside on the anniversary of her marriage to her now deceased husband. So he had to take back the fancy pants he bought for the dance. :)
     
  11. ewomack

    ewomack 魚の下着

    Yes, that's what I was trying to get at. :rolleyes:
     
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  12. willieboyd2

    willieboyd2 First Class Poster

    Thank you Cachecoins for the introduction to the Waltons "Journey" episode.

    I put a writeup of the Walton's episode on my "Coins on Television" website page.

    Actor Richard Thomas keeps a finger on the coin's date and it is possible that the prop coin used in this episode was not dated 1879.

    There also appears to be an 'S' on the lower reverse indicating the San Francisco Mint.

    :)
     
    Cachecoins likes this.
  13. johnmilton

    johnmilton Well-Known Member

    You were allowed to keep $100 in gold, if you could have afforded to do it during the Great Depression, but most people did not realize that.
     
  14. royster

    royster southroy

    I remember this episode and paused it to admire the coin the old Irish lady had. It was a great story the Captain gave it to the newly weds. On another episode John Walton SR. Looses his confidence because he's feeling old and cannot make a coin spin something i used to do as a child.His children loved to watch him do this again i paused it and it was a Walker. With his confidence back he was able to spin the coin but i could not clearly make out the date but it appeared to be a 1934 or 1935. I always enjoyed that show. Gun Smoke also showed Morgans and Gold coinage another great show at least to me as a young boy.
     
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  15. royster

    royster southroy

    Well some could afford it and were sent to prison. Many was sent over sea's to Swiss banks just ask Rick Tomaskas every other episode he has another rare Swiss find:eek:. My grand parents were good savers as most from the depression error were. Interesting stories in The Red Book Guide of Double Eagles by Mr. Bowers:bookworm:
     
  16. john65999

    john65999 Well-Known Member

    my great grand parents owned several stores, one was a convenience store or bodega as they call them now..she had over 1200 20.00 gold pieces and many more of the lesser coins, from saving every single one that came into her hands, when she died and her safety deposit boxes (she had 4 full) were being gone over by lawyers and whatever, they were all seized by the treasury agents...my grandmother's inheritance was just some apartment buildings, (where most of our relatives were living in very cheap) and that was all...20 years later, walla allowed to own gold, the government are thieves, in my humble opinion!!
     
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  17. willieboyd2

    willieboyd2 First Class Poster

    The elderly woman in the Waltons episode was Scottish.

    :)
     
  18. royster

    royster southroy

    Thank you for sharing your families story. And yes FDR legally allowed thievery. Imagine how many stories like this there are? My grandparents bought property and did quite well but again saving and living sparsely you didn't want to show wealth like folks do today. That is amazing how many $20 gold pieces and the other lesser coins might be worth a lot of money in today's market. Your story really hit me at the cruelty of the government then and i will not begin to go into how i feel about today's crazy socialist agenda. Once again Thank you for sharing your families history i would sure have liked to looked through those coin's!
     
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  19. royster

    royster southroy

    Thank you for the information it's been quite some time. I remember the old car and her dreaming about the ship captain and their journey not to mention the lobster dinner. John Boy missed a date but enjoyed a great adventure!:happy:
     
  20. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    I'm not aware of anyone who kept their legally allowed $100 worth of gold being sent to prison for it. I'm not sure any gold hoarders were ever sent to prison.

    If they had put them in little 2X2 envelopes and organized them they could have claimed them as a coin collection and would have been allowed to keep them.
     
  21. Cachecoins

    Cachecoins Historia Moneta

    Its a good show, family show but it often deals with heavy subjects. The grandfather is funny, love the running theme of 'The Recipe'. I have seen the one where John loses his confidence but didnr notice a time when the coin was recognizable...one interesting theme is how John doesn't go to church...there was an episode where a traveling fire and brimstone preacher comes to town, their preacher (John Ritter who got drunk on the recipe on his first appearance on the show) wants everyone to come and see him and get baptised. His wife and mother pressures him to go and the preacher yells about going to hell and he runs out and is a no show for the baptism. It's a bit of a running problem he has with his mother and wife that pops up in the show, him not going to church. There is no doubt he is a good man though.
     
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