“Frankly my dear, I don’t give a dime!” Gone With the Wind is 80 and Perth celebrates

When adjusted for inflation, Gone With the Wind is still the most successful film in box-office history. Released in 1939, it went on to win ten Academy Awards  from thirteen nominations, including wins for Best Picture, Best Director (Victor Fleming), Best Actress (Vivian Leigh), and Best Supporting Actress (Hattie McDaniel, garnering the first Oscar won by an African American). Starring Clark Gable, it was a hit on release, and has remained so ever since – widely considered one of the finest American movies of all time.

The film tells the story of Scarlett O’Hara, the strong-willed daughter of a Georgia plantation owner. Set in the American South during the backdrop of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era that followed it, the film follows her romantic pursuit of Ashley Wilkes, who is married to his cousin, Melanie Hamilton, and her subsequent marriage to Rhett Butler. This epic historical romance film was adapted from the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell.

The movie certainly has the credentials to appear on its own silver coin and the Perth Mint is gambling that you do to. Depicting the famous scene on the movie poster, the choice of image is bang on and will resonate with fans. With an inscribed title, there’s no confusing what this one is about. It’s an okay, if typically unadventurous tribute. The new premium silver foil format may perhaps have been a better choice for a full poster reproduction, but we’re unsure of what is going on with those, given the Alien 40th anniversary issue was pulled from the release schedule.

The obverse is the usual Tuvalu one – the Queens effigy – in this case being the venerable Ian Rank Broadley variant. So, a typical Perth 1oz silver, popular culture release, just like today’s Bart Simpson one. Fortunately they are still putting effort into other coins of a similar ilk, like the gorgeous Alien 2oz ‘Egg’ coin also out today. Packaging of Gone With the Wind is the new Perth Mint style of box, which we do like the look of. Available now for $115.00 AUD, and with a 5k mintage.