The world of popular culture paused upon hearing the news on Sept. 9 of the passing of James Earl Jones. The esteemed actor with the distinctive voice who had done so much with and because of his talents was 93.

With over 70 years in the spotlight, Jones had plenty of opportunities to make an impact with his abilities. In 1995, numismatics was the beneficiary of his efforts.

The American Numismatic Association and the Professional Numismatists Guild were seeking to create a way to get new collectors interested in numismatics. It was decided to utilize the video platform. With the help of numismatist/videographer David Lisot and under the direction of Barrie Schwortz, the project began to take shape. To provide the script, the entities turned to Donn Pearlman, who recalled the experience for Coin World.

“I never met James Earl Jones but I put words in his mouth. I was asked in early 1995 to write the script for an educational video, ‘Money: History In Your Hands,’ jointly produced by the American Numismatic Association and the Professional Numismatists Guild.

“I had written about half the script when I was told that acclaimed actor — and coin collector — James Earl Jones would be the narrator and on-camera presenter in the video. I promptly tore up the initial script and began writing it fresh with the distinctive baritone voice of Mr. Jones in my head.

“I created an entirely new opening sequence with quick video cuts of different kinds of money and Jones doing a voiceover of various slang words for money. His final word in that opening sequence: ‘Moolah!’ I knew he would do it justice. When I received a rough cut of the video for inspection, I kept yelling ‘Yes! Yes!’ as I excitedly watched and heard Jones reciting my words.

“He ad-Iibbed one comment. In the video, he holds up an example of hefty Swedish plate money and, if I correctly recall, says it’s too big to carry in your pocket ‘even if you wear a double extra large.’

“The narration of my words by James Earl Jones is one of my proudest times in the wonderful world of numismatics.”

The production, in a VHS format, was made available at the 104th anniversary ANA convention in Anaheim where it could be purchased for $19.95. It received rave reviews from longtime collectors and proved helpful to new enthusiasts, and it was also available by mail for those who could not attend the 1995 show.

Copies of the video can still be found in online sales platforms and have been seen in vintage and antique stores for re-sale. For those without the means to play VHS tapes, the Professional Numismatists Guild has made the video available in two parts on the organization’s YouTube channel.

Connect with Coin World:  
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Access our Dealer Directory  
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Keep in touch on MyCollect - the social media platform for collectibles 

Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs.

The world of popular culture paused upon hearing the news on Sept. 9 of the passing of James Earl Jones. The esteemed actor with the distinctive voice who had done so much with and because of his talents was 93.

With over 70 years in the spotlight, Jones had plenty of opportunities to make an impact with his abilities. In 1995, numismatics was the beneficiary of his efforts.

The American Numismatic Association and the Professional Numismatists Guild were seeking to create a way to get new collectors interested in numismatics. It was decided to utilize the video platform. With the help of numismatist/videographer David Lisot and under the direction of Barrie Schwortz, the project began to take shape. To provide the script, the entities turned to Donn Pearlman, who recalled the experience for Coin World.

“I never met James Earl Jones but I put words in his mouth. I was asked in early 1995 to write the script for an educational video, ‘Money: History In Your Hands,’ jointly produced by the American Numismatic Association and the Professional Numismatists Guild.

“I had written about half the script when I was told that acclaimed actor — and coin collector — James Earl Jones would be the narrator and on-camera presenter in the video. I promptly tore up the initial script and began writing it fresh with the distinctive baritone voice of Mr. Jones in my head.

“I created an entirely new opening sequence with quick video cuts of different kinds of money and Jones doing a voiceover of various slang words for money. His final word in that opening sequence: ‘Moolah!’ I knew he would do it justice. When I received a rough cut of the video for inspection, I kept yelling ‘Yes! Yes!’ as I excitedly watched and heard Jones reciting my words.

“He ad-Iibbed one comment. In the video, he holds up an example of hefty Swedish plate money and, if I correctly recall, says it’s too big to carry in your pocket ‘even if you wear a double extra large.’

“The narration of my words by James Earl Jones is one of my proudest times in the wonderful world of numismatics.”

The production, in a VHS format, was made available at the 104th anniversary ANA convention in Anaheim where it could be purchased for $19.95. It received rave reviews from longtime collectors and proved helpful to new enthusiasts, and it was also available by mail for those who could not attend the 1995 show.

Copies of the video can still be found in online sales platforms and have been seen in vintage and antique stores for re-sale. For those without the means to play VHS tapes, the Professional Numismatists Guild has made the video available in two parts on the organization’s YouTube channel.

Connect with Coin World:  
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory  
Like us on Facebook  
Follow us on X (Twitter)
Keep in touch on MyCollect - the social media platform for collectibles 

Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs.