Newscaster flips 1913 Liberty nickel on air
Halfsense
Posts: 600 ✭✭✭
Thank goodness for "Cointains."
Mark Concannon, a Milwaukee television anchorman, unexpectedly flipped the Bebee/McDermott specimen 1913 Liberty Head nickel during a live interview segment on WITI-TV's Fox 6 Wake Up News program on Wednesday morning, August 8. (Yes, he'd been politely informed before we went on the air that the "props" for the interview could be handled, but with care.....)
Dawn Haley, Director of External Affairs for the U.S. Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and I were the interview guests on the segment to promote the opening of the ANA World's Fair of Money. She brought along a few eye-opening items from the BEP's popular Billion Dollar Display including Series 1934 Gold Certificate $100,000 notes and a $500 million Treasury Bond. With the gracious permission of the ANA and the assistance of ANA Money Museum Curator, Douglas Mudd, I had the Bebee/McDermott 1913 nickel which is making its "homecoming" appearance in Milwaukee for the first time in 40 years. Here's a photo of us (shot by the BEP's Karen Smith) on the studio set:
Click here for photo of Dawn Haley, Donn Pearlman and Milwaukee newscaster Mark Concannon
During the interview, newscaster Concannon picked up the nickel and flipped it in the air. Fortunately, it's in a Cointain protective holder, and fortunately, Concannon caught it. A similiar situation occured with me in the late 1990's when I was on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles with Greg Roberts to show an 1894-S dime that was going on display at the Long Beach Expo. Comedian Bill Cosby was also on the set. During the live interview, the Cos came over to look at the coin (it was in a PCGS holder), took a dime from his pocket, put it on the table, picked up the '94-S and began doing a "Fat Albert" walk off the set with the '94-S. It was very funny, and after the segment he graciously posed for a photo holding the coin (which was safely returned to Roberts.)
You can see a video clip of the Milwaukee coin flip. I don't know how long this video will remain online on the WITI-TV web site, but here's a link to a recording of the Fox 6 Wake Up News television interview segment where the 1913 Liberty nickel goes for an unexpected flip:
Fox 6 Wake Up News: World's Fair of Money segment, August 8, 2007
Newscaster Concannon was enthusiastic about coin collecting and genuinely interested in the items Haley and I brought for "show 'n' tell." It was a great promotion for the ANA convention. As a numismatist, I was briefly stunned by the coin flip. As a 30-year broadcaster (before turning to The Dark Side of the Force, PR), I knew it was "good television." But I hope that this was a TV first that has no sequel....
-donn-
Mark Concannon, a Milwaukee television anchorman, unexpectedly flipped the Bebee/McDermott specimen 1913 Liberty Head nickel during a live interview segment on WITI-TV's Fox 6 Wake Up News program on Wednesday morning, August 8. (Yes, he'd been politely informed before we went on the air that the "props" for the interview could be handled, but with care.....)
Dawn Haley, Director of External Affairs for the U.S. Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and I were the interview guests on the segment to promote the opening of the ANA World's Fair of Money. She brought along a few eye-opening items from the BEP's popular Billion Dollar Display including Series 1934 Gold Certificate $100,000 notes and a $500 million Treasury Bond. With the gracious permission of the ANA and the assistance of ANA Money Museum Curator, Douglas Mudd, I had the Bebee/McDermott 1913 nickel which is making its "homecoming" appearance in Milwaukee for the first time in 40 years. Here's a photo of us (shot by the BEP's Karen Smith) on the studio set:
Click here for photo of Dawn Haley, Donn Pearlman and Milwaukee newscaster Mark Concannon
During the interview, newscaster Concannon picked up the nickel and flipped it in the air. Fortunately, it's in a Cointain protective holder, and fortunately, Concannon caught it. A similiar situation occured with me in the late 1990's when I was on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles with Greg Roberts to show an 1894-S dime that was going on display at the Long Beach Expo. Comedian Bill Cosby was also on the set. During the live interview, the Cos came over to look at the coin (it was in a PCGS holder), took a dime from his pocket, put it on the table, picked up the '94-S and began doing a "Fat Albert" walk off the set with the '94-S. It was very funny, and after the segment he graciously posed for a photo holding the coin (which was safely returned to Roberts.)
You can see a video clip of the Milwaukee coin flip. I don't know how long this video will remain online on the WITI-TV web site, but here's a link to a recording of the Fox 6 Wake Up News television interview segment where the 1913 Liberty nickel goes for an unexpected flip:
Fox 6 Wake Up News: World's Fair of Money segment, August 8, 2007
Newscaster Concannon was enthusiastic about coin collecting and genuinely interested in the items Haley and I brought for "show 'n' tell." It was a great promotion for the ANA convention. As a numismatist, I was briefly stunned by the coin flip. As a 30-year broadcaster (before turning to The Dark Side of the Force, PR), I knew it was "good television." But I hope that this was a TV first that has no sequel....
-donn-
"If it happens in numismatics, it's news to me....
0
Comments
wow wow wow is all one can say... thanks for sharing that... i will be having nightmares tonight!
/ed
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I've been doing coin and bank note show 'n' tell interviews with the news media for decades, and this is the first time anything like this ever happened. As I said in my earlier post, in retrospect this was "good television," and I'm sure over the next several days here in Milwaukee we'll have a number of visitors who come to the show just to see the "$3 million dollar nickel the guy flipped on TV...."
Back in 1993 during a live TV segment in Colorado Springs, Colorado, I was holding one corner of a 12-note sheet of the $100,000 bills and the TV interviewer carefully had the other corner as he asked me, "What are we holding?" I replied: "You're holding $1.2 million." Honest to goodness, the guy dropped the corner he was holding. He had no idea about the value of the notes until we were live on the air, and he obviously was stunned. Luckily, I had a good grip on my corner of the 12-note sheet, so it didn't drop and I quickly got hold of the other corner to continue displaying it on the air.
-donn-
Oh, and also I have several snaps of the movie clip in case it disappears! so if anybody misses it let me know
/ed
The Maddy Rae Collection
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Over the years I've asked a number of well-known dealers what they think one of those notes would bring if it came on the market. Remember that the $100,000 notes were not intended for release to the public, only to be used between banks (especially, the Fed) in the days prior to electronic funds transfers. Every one of the dealers I asked indicated that if one of the notes were made available it would surely bring $1 million or more.
I'm privileged and fortunate that the nice folks at BEP let me participate with these historic notes and other "goodies" in their educational exhibits.
-donn-
He seems to me like a pretentious jerk with no respect for the hobby.
I hope that coin was at least in an airtight plastic holder before they handed it to him. Did he hold it in his hand after he flipped it?
That video made me angry, sorry about my fuming
or at least not very smart about the coin and its value.
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etexmike
I also want to thank Donn for linking the broadcast so we could see the program. What a wonderful era we live in. Not only can people tell us about events in the hobby that we are interested in, we can actually hear and see them via the internet. I truly enjoyed it. Steve
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The Maddy Rae Collection
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They don't teach journalism/broadcasting students how to flip a nickel. You need a real trade dollar nut to do that properly.
l
I also believe that women is incorrect, there are no $100k bonds in private hands as someone else said, they were only used by governmental departments only.
(and, I don't even like the 1913 lib nickels....I just dislike stupid people less than that )
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
Link to video mirror
"I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow."
Woodrow Wilson (1856 - 1924)
"he'd been politely informed before we went on the air that the "props" for the interview could be handled, but with care....."
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
-donn-
<< <i>Aside from this coin flipping incident, I guess nothing else of significance occured during the convention......
-donn- >>
Any interesting no-sales to talk about?
<< <i>
Link to video mirror >>
I'm surprised it too THAT long for you to chime in?
Now I know what the heck it is....KEEP IT !!! (you know what I mean)
Bill
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