American coin documentary online
Brasher doubloon, 1792 half disme among Web topics
Coin World
Monday, May 28, 2007

The first gold coin struck in 1787 for the United States is featured in a free educational documentary available online.

Titled The First American Coins, the six-minute video uses early American coins including the unique 1787 Brasher doubloon with the EB counterstamp on the eagle’s breast, and the finest known 1792 half disme to show real world applications of mathematics and history, and provides information about coin collecting.

Brasher doubloons were struck in 1787 by George Washington’s New York City neighbor, silversmith and well-known political figure of the day Ephraim Brasher.  Seven examples are known today, with only one showing the designer’s initials, EB, punched across the breast of the eagle depicted on the coin.  All other surviving examples have the initials on the eagle’s wing.

The owner of the Brasher doubloon and half disme, Steven L. Contursi, president of Rare Coin Wholesalers, and RCW consultant Jeff Ambio are prominently featured, according to a press release from the documentary’s producers, The Futures Channel.

"Steve Contursi and Jeff Ambio turn the subjects of numismatics and coin collecting into detective work and treasure hunting with fascinating history tied in as well," said Steve Heard, Futures Channel executive producer, who interviewed them for the documentary.   "The good news is that their stories and the visuals of RCW’s spectacular collection will be used by thousands of teachers to make math come alive."

The video can be found at www.TheFuturesChannel.com under the complete movie listings for the Hands-On Math category, and also through the Rare Coin Wholesalers Web site, www.RCW1.com.

The video was shot during last summer’s American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money convention in Denver and created by The Futures Channel, a Burbank, Calif., company that produces multimedia educational materials. CW

Digital Image courtesy of The Future Channel.

STEVEN L. CONTURSI, president of Rare Coin Wholesalers, holds the unique 1787 Brasher doubloon with EB Punch on Breast, in a scene from a video, The First American Coins.

Digital Image courtesy of The Future Channel.

AMONG the coins on view in the video is this unique 1787 Brasher doubloon with initials on the eagle’s breast.