In a big bank, coins are sorted by robots. These robots discard coins which do not fit their criteria for the coin in question. I imagine there are a number of ways in which an object might be culled because it is not coin enough. I propose that an art display be made with the culled coins and coinlike objects.

These would be displayed in large windows, so that viewers can walk around as see the reverse sides. Atop the ranks of the culled would be a single pristine and perfect example of the coin which they were not.

Such an exhibit would be most interesting if it included coins of many nations as sorted by bank robots in other countries. I imagine that among the culled would be coins of other nations - for example the Venezuelan 10 centimo piece I found among my dimes. Others would be damaged by forces unknown. Others would be noncoin impostors which were coin enough to fool someone. Some might be counterfeits. Some might actually be the coin in question, but very old and of different metallic composition (eg bronze indianhead penny) and electrical impedance.

Because these culls are actually trash, I envision posters comprised of cull coins, similar to those in the exhibits, which would be for sale as souveniers in the gallery gift shop.

Last and only marginally related (but not enough for a separate idea) I would like an image analysis robot to look at pennies and create a display of all the different hues of oxidation, wear and abuse that these coins can acquire.
-- bungston, May 14 2007

Somewhere I have a dime that has been neatly folded in half, and a quarter that has lost it's silvery foil, leaving a dull copper George and eagle. I'd really like to know how these came about.
-- ye_river_xiv, May 15 2007


I was pondering this one again. This could be adapted for a fundraiser / science project: for example for 5th graders. It could be done as follows.

1: Over the course of a week, kids bring in penny dishes, old coffee cans full of change, and other coin troves from the house. Each class would have a collection.

2: Collections are weighed.

3: Coin sorter is rented and brought class to class. Coins are spun and wrapped.

4: Culls are collected, weighted and classified, then mounted for display.

5: Stats science: Pie charts can show the number of each type of coin collected and also how each coin is represented by weight and by value. Cull objects would be on the pie chart also.

Cull objects could then be categorized as well. In the original idea it states that culls are trash but some would not be: there might be steel pennies, foreign coins, barnacle-crusted gold pieces marked with the visage of Dagon the Fish God, and so on.

Statistics would be shown by class and for the school as a whole.

Benefits: 1: Money is intrinsically interesting. By harnessing the power of money to a subject like stats that can be boring, it will be easier to learn.

2: Funds are raised for the school.

3: Cool cull coin display still gets made.
-- bungston, Nov 17 2008



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