| BrianRxm | Coins on Television | 37/88 |
History Channel Found - The Importance of Being Urn-est (2017)
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin and the Cleopatra-Bird coin
| Prev | Back | Next |
The History Channel television program "Found" shows a coin with Egyptian markings and a catalog page
featuring an Egyptian Magic Coin.
"Found" is a one-hour television program which runs on the History Channel cable network.
Episodes have been shown sporadically from 2016 to the present.
The series is produced by Committee Films for the History Channel.
A group of experts tries to identify objects found by people and submitted to the program.
This episode is titled "The Importance of Being Urn-est", it is Season 1 Episode 10, and was first broadcast
on September 3, 2017.
The first 10-minute segment deals with a coin with Egyptian markings found in a Minnesota town.
The program's experts try to determine who made the coin and how it got there.
The coin on the episode is a version of the Egyptian Magic Coin which has an image of Cleopatra
wearing a bird headdress on the obverse and is called the Cleopatra-Bird coin.
1. Program title
The episode segment is introduced as "Tip number 2378" from Phil in Minnesota.
2. Introduction page
Phil explains to Dale Simpson, an archaeologist with the program.
My mother found a strange little thing over a hundred years ago.
I don't think its American, but what is it?
3. Dale talks to Phil
The image of the individual sure looks Egyptian.
It looks like on one side I have maybe hieroglyphs.
Maybe even a great pharaoh in the center.
4. Coin obverse
5. Coin reverse
Dale continues:
I'm on the fence about this artifact
Part of me is so excited of the possibility that this coin travelled from Egypt.
Dale believes that the item is not a coin but a medallion.
He takes it to the office to do a search in an online database.
He meets Mike Arbuthnot, another archaeologist.
6. Mike
Dale and Mike bring up a database on their computer and look at Egyptian coins.
7. Egyptian coin 50 piastres 2008 with Cleopatra
The Egyptian coin image looks similar to the found item image.
They discuss the item, it appears to have been pressed from one side, and is probably more modern.
They call Stuart Grannen, an antiques expert, in Chicago.
8. Stuart explains
Stuart recognizes it as a watch fob, a piece of men's jewelry used when men carried pocket watches.
They were very common about 100 years ago.
The computer brings up an image of a watch fob with an Egyptian Magic Coin.
9. Egyptian Magic Coin watch fob
Dale continues:
Well, right around 1900, there was a whole big Egyptian revival thing.
King Tut and the pyramids were a big deal.
Maybe the owner was a Mason or a Knights of Columbus.
Now what will be really great would be to find this exact same little piece somewhere else.
A Sears catalog 1905 page appears on Dale's Apple Ipad.
10. Dale's Ipad with Sears catalog page
The computer image is brought closer.
11. Closer look at the Sears catalog page
The watch fob with the Egyptian Magic Coin is shown, and below it is the found item image.
12. Dale explains to Phil
This is actually a Sears catalog from 1905
Not only were these things watch fobs, but they were also known as magic coins.
Basically, good luck charms with Egyptian pictures.
Sometimes the answers come from a Sears catalog from 1905.
13. Egyptian Magic Coin
Gold colored bronze, 32 mm, 8.35 gm
Obverse: Pharaoh seated on throne surrounded by hieroglyphs
Reverse: Sphinx with pyramids and sunburst behind
Reverse: Sphinx with pyramids and sunburst behind
For more information on these items, please visit: The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
14. Egyptian Magic Coin Cleopatra-Bird Variety
White metal, 32 mm, 10.50 gm
Obverse: Cleopatra facing right wearing bird headdress and to right, a small bird also facing right.
Reverse: The Egyptian Magic Coin sphinx-pyramids design.
Reverse: The Egyptian Magic Coin sphinx-pyramids design.
Cast, Directors, Writers:
Michael Arbuthnot as Himself - Archeologist
Dale Simpson Jr. as Himself - Archeologist
Stuart Grannen as Himself - Antique Expert
Phil as Himself - Finder
Directors: Ben Krueger, Brandon Boulay, Brandon Juarez
Writers: Brian Bangerter, Paule Engelking, Carly Samuelson, Cate Honzl
Producers: George Norman, Michelle Lappin Day
Researchers: Jen Blanck, Cindy Barber
Dale Simpson Jr. as Himself - Archeologist
Stuart Grannen as Himself - Antique Expert
Phil as Himself - Finder
Writers: Brian Bangerter, Paule Engelking, Carly Samuelson, Cate Honzl
Producers: George Norman, Michelle Lappin Day
Researchers: Jen Blanck, Cindy Barber
| Prev | Back | Next |