BrianRxm Coins on Television 15/88
Dennis the Menace - Dennis' Paper Drive (1960)
Woman offers children a Morgan silver dollar for old newspapers
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"Dennis the Menace" was a half-hour television program which ran on the CBS Television Network from 1959 to 1963.
 
The program was based on the popular comic strip written by Hank Ketcham which ran from 1951 to 1994.
 
Dennis Mitchell is a mischievous little boy living with his parents. Mr. and Mrs Wilson are a middle-aged childless couple living next door. Dennis is always pestering Mister Wilson who doesn't want him around.
 
The episodes starred Jay North as Dennis Mitchell, Joseph Kearns as Mister (George) Wilson, Gloria Henry as Alice Mitchell, Herbert Anderson as Henry Mitchell, and Sylvia Field as Mrs. Wilson.
 
Several episodes of the program deal with and show various United States coins and coin collecting supplies as Mister Wilson is a dedicated coin collector or numismatist whose main interest is collecting United States coins. He keeps and shows his coins in a specially made suitcase with trays.
 
Dennis sometimes becomes involved with Mister Wilson's coin activities.
 
Mr. Wilson sometimes uses a book which is the "Red Book", a well-known coin book. The "Red Book" is A Guide Book of United States Coins, by R. S. Yeoman (Author), Kenneth Bressett (Editor), published yearly since 1947, now by Krause Publications. The book has a red cover, hence the name.
 
This episode is titled "Dennis' Paper Drive" and was first broadcast on April 10, 1960.
 
A woman heads a charity which is collecting old newspapers for recycling and offers a silver dollar to the child who collects the most newspapers. Dennis aims to collect the coin.
 
Dennis the Menace
1. Dennis' Paper Drive - Mrs. Holland offers a silver dollar
Mrs. Holland heads a charity which is collecting old newspapers for recycling. She offers a silver dollar to the child who collects the most newspapers. Dennis and his friend Tommy become partners.
 
The silver dollar she is holding is a Morgan type, minted from 1878 to 1904 and again in 1921.
 
Dennis the Menace
2. Dennis' Paper Drive - Dennis really wants the paper
Dennis is eager to collect papers and tries to hurry his parents.
 
Mrs. Holland and Mr. Wilson are at the Mitchell house and she shows the silver dollar.
 
Dennis the Menace
3. Dennis' Paper Drive - Mrs. Holland shows the silver dollar
Mr. Wilson takes a close look at the coin.
 
Dennis the Menace
4. Dennis' Paper Drive - Mr. Wilson is shocked
He recognizes it as an 1895 dollar, a very rare date.
 
He heads home where his sister is staying with him, and looks up the dollar in a coin book.
 
Dennis the Menace
5. Dennis' Paper Drive - Mr. Wilson looks up the coin
Mr. Wilson visits the boys and pays them a dollar each for the right to the coin.
 
Dennis the Menace
6. Dennis' Paper Drive - The boys with their dollar bills
The bills are standard Mexican Revolution motion picture stage or prop bills. For more information on these bills please visit: Mexican Revolution Currency Notes.
 
Mr. Wilson and his sister argue over whether he did the right thing. He is eager to add the rare silver dollar to his coin collection.
 
Dennis the Menace
7. Dennis' Paper Drive - Mr. Wilson's coin collection
A Britain Queen Victoria crown is prominently displayed below his finger.
 
The boys win the contest and Mr. Wilson gets his coin.
 
Dennis the Menace
8. Dennis' Paper Drive - Mr. Wilson gets his prize
The boys express admiration for Mr. Wilson and call him a hero. He decides to come clean and pay Mrs. Holland the real price of the coin.
 
Cast, Directors, Writers:
 
Jay North as Dennis Mitchell
Herbert Anderson as Henry Mitchell
Gloria Henry as Alice Mitchell
Joseph Kearns as George Wilson
Sylvia Field as Martha Wilson
 
Billy Booth as Tommy Anderson
Helen Kleeb as Mrs. Holland
 
Director: Charles Barton
Writers: Peggy Chantler, William Cowley, Mannie Manheim, Arthur Marx
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