Mythbusters shooting up silver dollars
flaminio
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Anyone catch last night's Mythbusters? One of the myths they test was whether folk in the old west could shoot a hole in a silver dollar. To test it, they used period weapons and !!real!! silver dollars 
(mostly Morgans, but I think I saw one Seated).
The verdict: BUSTED. Weapons of the mid to late 1800s did not have enough force to put a hole in a silver dollar, but they could make quite a dent. The ones they hit were kinda bowl shaped. However, they did try modern handguns, and these guns were able to put a hole through a dollar quite nicely.
The coin carnage was extensive. Perhaps we need a body like the ASPCA to control numismatics -- "No coins were harmed in the making of this motion picture".
(mostly Morgans, but I think I saw one Seated).The verdict: BUSTED. Weapons of the mid to late 1800s did not have enough force to put a hole in a silver dollar, but they could make quite a dent. The ones they hit were kinda bowl shaped. However, they did try modern handguns, and these guns were able to put a hole through a dollar quite nicely.
The coin carnage was extensive. Perhaps we need a body like the ASPCA to control numismatics -- "No coins were harmed in the making of this motion picture".
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Russ, NCNE
Coin abuse!
<< <i>Did they use only handguns, or also rifles?
Russ, NCNE >>
Handguns only.
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
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<< <i>Maybe they used Chinese fakes bought off Ebay? >>
Actually, one of the coins looked like a counterfeit trade dollar. I'd like to see it again to confirm.
PCGS, ANACS, & NGC Certified Coins on My Website.
There were 3 handguns and 1 rifle. they cupped 3 of the Morgans and holed the Trade...
Had it tvo'd and was pissed as I watched them drop it from 4ft to concrete......
Hell, I don't need to exercise.....I get enough just pushing my luck.
I saw a couple morgans and I believe a seated dollar.
I would have gladly traded one of my cull morgans for that seated dollar.
Edited to add, couldn't find it on u-tube but there is one there about shaking a coin in a bottle which is pretty funny--
link
I missed that one, did they toss the coins in the air or have someone hold them, like in pix?
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
I think one of the Morgan dollars they used was 1921, but I didn't see the date of the trade dollars. FWIW, it doesn't look as if these coins were terribly valuable to begin with. The one Morgan I saw when I paused the show seemed to be in maybe VG-F condition (before getting shot up, that is!).
-- Adam Duritz, of Counting Crows
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<< <i>I crossed my fingers hoping they would say something about using couterfeit silver dollars, but they didn't. >>
If they had used counterfeits it wouldn't be a legitimate experiment unless the fakes were exactly like the real, including silver content.
Russ, NCNE
Yes Russ, I was poking fun at the previous threads....
Hell, I don't need to exercise.....I get enough just pushing my luck.
-Amanda
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<< <i>Shooting holes through Morgan dollars. What a fitting end to really ugly coins. IMO >>
It is possible you may need one of these now...
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
1969s WCLR-001 counterclash
<< <i>What night does Discovery repeat those shows?
If anyone's interested it looks like that episode of Mythbusters is going to be repeated this Sunday night (Nov 5) at 7pm and again at 11pm.
-- Adam Duritz, of Counting Crows
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I was a little taken back at first that they wree using real silver dollars, but then I realized there are professional coin dealers doing far worse things to far nicer coins every day.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
<< <i>There seem to be a lot of people on the Mythbusters forum who were upset by the shooting of the coins. (One person wrote that they actually shot at a 1879 Morgan.) And a few people seem to think that the show violated federal law by constructing an automatic weapon. >>
Did they drag out the old falsehood that it's against federal law to mutilate coins? Off to read it now...
If anyone wants to get to the Mythbusters boards and doesn't want to navigate Discovery Channel's nightmarish web site, here's your link.
It was an intersting show though. Always enjoyed Mythbusters and Adam being an idiot.
Some people on that board need to lighten up. Come on, IT'S A FREAKING TELEVISION SHOW. They act like Grant was going out to commit mass murder. Relax people, geez.
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Russ, NCNE
--Severian the Lame
<< <i>On the plus side, looks like a silver dollar back in the day would have made relatively good body armor. >>
Probably not. They were shooting the coins suspended in air. I'd bet that, at least with the Peacemaker, the bullet would penetrate if the coin were up against something like a body.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>They re-ran it last night and now that I have cable I got to watch it. Interesting show.
Russ, NCNE >>
Is it the episode titled, "Western Myths"? If so, it's going to be on again next week, Wednesday May 30 9pm out here on the west coast.
Joe G.
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<< <i>
<< <i>On the plus side, looks like a silver dollar back in the day would have made relatively good body armor. >>
Probably not. They were shooting the coins suspended in air. I'd bet that, at least with the Peacemaker, the bullet would penetrate if the coin were up against something like a body.
Russ, NCNE >>
Silver is harder than gold right? Didn't the commander of the Hunley get saved when a bullet nailed in him the $20 gold coin he had in his pocket?
Joe G.
Great BST purchases completed with commoncents123, p8nt, blu62vette and Stuart. Great coin swaps completed with rah1959, eyoung429 and Zug. Top-notch consignment experience with Russ.
<< <i>Silver is harder than gold right? Didn't the commander of the Hunley get saved when a bullet nailed in him the $20 gold coin he had in his pocket? >>
There is some dispute as to the authenticity of the story. In addition, we don't know the specifics such as the type of weapon. On mythbusters they used both a cap and ball, and a Peacemaker. The latter being a more powerful gun. If Dixon was shot with a cap and ball weapon, (which is likely since it was early in the war), it would not have had the same penetrating power.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>I just can't get the image of a shirt of armor made from silver dollars out of my head >>
Lordmarcovan might be safer in a firefight than the rest of us.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>Silver is harder than gold right? Didn't the commander of the Hunley get saved when a bullet nailed in him the $20 gold coin he had in his pocket? >>
I saw the original 1860 Liberty Double Eagle in Charleston harbor. Lt. Dixon was not the commander of the CSS Hunley.
The coin in question was given to him by his girlfriend when he went off to war. It was in Lt. Dixon's left pants pocket when it was struck at the battle of Shiloh in April, 1862. The rifle most likely was a .577 caliber, muzzle-loading rifle. It most likely was a percussion cap style, but still could have been flintlock, but unlikely.
The Double eagle was badly bent, but no hole through it. He then hand engraved it with the inscription " Shiloh, April 6, 1862, My Life Preserver G.E.D."
Lt. Dixon never wrote about the double eagle, but his "pard" wrote to his wife and when Lt. Dixon died on the CSS Hunley, it all became legend. In 2002, the Hunley was raised from the harbor and it was then the legend became true as they found the double eagle in his pocket, just like it was described.
I think I missed the rifle part, must have been grabbing a beer.
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Prior to reading this post I was a supporter of the 2nd Amendment's right to bear arms. Not any more. Horrible, just horrible. Shooting poor defenseless coins.
I have seen the light. Repeal the 2nd Amendment and outlaw guns. Make it a felony for anyone (private citizen, police departments, the military and/or Roosie O'Donnell) to own, possess, have a picture or or even think about guns. That will make us all safe, Wot?
Sorry, but those guys make a total joke out of the scientific method.
<< <i>Mythbusters is a joke. I especially loved the one that said a can of coke exploding in a hot car is a myth. This aired a few weeks after I accidentally left a can of Dr. Pepper in my mom's car (on the dashboard) in 100 degree heat and it *did* explode. >>
I too can confirm that I had (stupidly) left a Coke in my glove compartment one day in June and had the soda can explode. I never did get the sticky to go away.
-Fuzz
(who admits to shooting dimes with a bb gun as a youth, which results in a bb sized dent)