The 1950 film "Bright Leaf" is set in 1894 in the tobacco growing region of North Carolina. Brant Royle (Gary Cooper) returns to his hometown of Kingsmont and, with some local partners, opens a cigarette manufacturing plant. While becoming wealthy, he pursues Margaret Singleton, the daughter of a tobacco planter whose father Major Singleton considers Brant to be "white trash." Twice in the film Brant gives Major Singleton's servant a "tip" of a coin and there is a scene of a pile of coins representing wealth.

Brant Royle returns to his hometown of Kingsmont, North Carolina. He visits the ruins of the tobacco farm he grew up on and then rides to the mansion of Major Singleton, a major tobacco grower. He throws a coin to the Major's servant and asks if the Major is at home.

The servant first tells Brant "I ain't allowed. Major Singleton would skin me for sure" but then picks up the coin.

Brant asks him who is home and then roughly enters the house and sees the Major.

Brant has issues with the Major as Brant was once seeing the Major's daughter Margaret and the Major chased him off. A medicine show man, Chris Malley or "Dr. Monaco", arrives in town.

Dr. Monaco promotes a "health elixir." John Barton, a scientist from Boston, has tried to sell the plans for a cigarette manufacturing machine to the Major but was turned away. He finds Brant Royle to be more receptive. Brant goes to see Sonia Kovac, another old girlfriend, who is now a respectable and wealthy madam.

Sonia loans him the money to start his cigarette company with Chris Malley, John Barton, and Sonia as partners. Chris comes up with a slogan for the company.

The company is a success and is selling lots of cigarettes. The success is shown with scenes of coins arriving which are later stated to be gold $10 and $20 coins.

A pile of gold coins (actually prop coins) appears next to an accounting ledger.

Some of the coins are Prosperity Lucky Ship Good Luck Coins which have appeared in other films.

A Prosperity Lucky Ship Good Luck Coin:

White metal, 30 mm, 10.38 gm
Obverse:
Woman standing holding cornucopia, rising sun to right
PROSPERITY / 1932 / LUCKY COIN
Reverse:
Sailing ship facing right
LUCKY SHIP / SUCCESS TO YOU

For more about this coin please visit: Prosperity Lucky Ship Good Luck Coin

Brant and Sonia are happy with the money.

Brant holds up a coin and talks about gold coins which at the time were the Liberty Head coins, all of which had the same design: "In God We Trust. Same girl they have on the $10 ones, But she's so much prettier named $20" Sonia replies: "I'm just crazy about profit. There's something about money that brings out the beast in me. I love it so much, I hate to fold it"

Brant realizes that his wealth may make it easier to restart his pursuit of Margaret Singleton and goes to see her father.

Major Singleton tells Brant that he may be wealthy but is still "white trash" and doesn't want him near his daughter. To emphasize the point the Major pulls out a pistol and shoots Brant. Brant survives, the Major collapses and dies, and he and Margaret are married.

Margaret proceeds to make trouble for Brant by giving information to Federal investigators and not sleeping with him. Brant naively asks her why she is doing this.

She explains that she is avenging her father. Margaret leaves for good and Brant accidently sets the house on fire.

Brant goes to see Sonia.

Sonia gives Brant a lecture about his shortcomings and tells him to get out.

Gary Cooper as Brant Royle
Patricia Neal as Margaret Singleton
Jack Carson as Chris Malley
Jeff Corey as John Barton
Lauren Bacall as Sonia Kovac
Director: Michael Curtiz
Writers: Ranald MacDougall
Based on the 1948 novel Bright Leaf by Foster Fitz-Simons