The Case:
A contributor from Bath, Maine has an 1853 French Napoleon coin with a bent, split edge and a great bit of family lore: it's said that the coin was shot by Annie Oakley and that Annie herself gave the coin to two of the contributor's great-grand uncles.
It doesn't look like any of the souvenir coins the Wild West icon typically handed out to her many fans. Can we prove that the sharp-shooting star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show shot up the coin for the two brothers - and turn family lore into bona fide bragging rights?
To find out, History Detectives conducts ballistics tests, scours the Buffalo Bill Historical Center archives and recreates one of Oakley's sure shots.
Related Content
Feature:
Video:
Technique:
Technique:
Technique:
Related Links
Explore
-
Also with Elyse Luray
Black Star Line
Is this certificate a rare artifact from the heyday of Marcus Garvey?
-
Related Investigation
Grace Kelly Car
Is this the car driven by an actress turned princess, which would give it a place in cinematic history?
-
Also with Elyse Luray
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Why would writing this song be bad for Bob Nolan?
-
Also in this episode
1856 Mormon Tale
Is this tattered book a true account of female slavery in the old West?
-
Also in Season 6
Slave Songbook
Are these tattered pages the earliest record of music created by slaves?
-
Also in Expansion: 1801-1861
Chinese Opium Scale
Could this really be an opium scale from the Chinese community of Montana?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.