The 1987 film "Empire of the Sun" is set in World War II Shanghai China from 1941 to 1945 when the city was invaded and occupied by Japanese soldiers. A young English boy, Jamie Graham (Christian Bale) is separated from his wealthy parents and first lives on the streets and then in a Japanese internment camp for white foreigners. Along the way be becomes "Jim." The film is based on the autographical novel of the same title by J. G. Ballard and has some fictional elements. At the beginning of the film his father uses a Great Britain half crown coin to mark a golf ball. Jim finds the coin later and carries it for a while until it is taken by a street hustler who later gives it back to him. The half crown appears several times in the film. It is a silver (50 percent) King George VI half crown minted between 1937 and 1946.

In 1941 Jamie Graham lives with his parents Mary Graham and John Graham who are wealthy business owners who live in a large house in the foreigners section of Shanghai.

John practices golf and uses a coin to mark the location of his golf ball.

The coin is a British coin with the head of King George VI facing left. It is shown later to be a half crown or two and one-half shillings or one-eighth of a British pound, and worth around US fifty cents then (in 1941). These British coins were not used in China which had it's own money consisting mainly of Nationalist China issued paper money and Mexican silver dollars.

The legend reads "GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX."

Shanghai is a very crowded city with a population of several million.

The Japanese invade the city sending the Chinese and foreigners fleeing.

Jim gets separated from his parents and then heads back to his home which he finds deserted.

He examines the coin.

It's the British half crown again.

Jim checks both sides to make sure.

Jim sometimes rides a bicycle around town believing that he is to "report" to the Japanese, however the soldiers he encounters ignore him. Jim meets an American who is stuck in Shanghai and has been living rough.

Basie (John Malkovich) lives with a friend Frank Demarest in a room. Basie brings Jim over and Frank examines Jim's goods.

Frank finds the coin and gives it to Basie who plays around with it.

Frank and Basie have a dilapidated truck.

Jim suggests that the two men search the abandoned houses in his old neighborhood for goods. Basie gives Jim his coin which Jim then examines.

The obverse appears to be worn in comparison to the coin obverse shown earler.

The reverse appears to be somewhat worn also.

A British George VI half crown coin dated 1943:

Silver (0.500 fine), 32 mm, 14.14 gm
Obverse: George VI facing left, GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX
Reverse: Royal emblem, FID:DEF IND:IMP HALF CROWN 1943

Back to the film:

The two men and Jim visits Jim's old house and find Japanese officers living in it. The officers attack and beat the two men with sticks and grab Jim. Jim is sent to an internment camp located near Shanghai.

Jim sees that lots of people are living there. Jim finds Basie there but still recovering from the beating.

Basie is fingering the coin.

This coin reverse appears to be in better shape; possibly Basie has another similar coin. Basie has somewhat recovered from the beating.

Basie performs a coin trick for another little boy. Jim is getting older and Basie and Frank invite Jim to live in the American barracks.

The years pass and it is now 1945. The Japanese close the camp and order the inmates to walk to another camp. At the second camp, which is located near a Japanese air force base, Jim witnesses an attack.

Japan surrenders in September 1945 and American soldiers arrive at the camp.

Jim has always wanted a Hershey Bar (a chocolate candy bar) and one of the soldiers gives him one.

Hershey Bars cost five cents then (1945). The surviving parents and children are bought together at a Red Cross building.

Jim reunites with his parents.

Christian Bale as Jamie Graham
Emily Richard as Mary Graham
Rupert Frazer as John Graham
John Malkovich as Basie
Joe Pantoliano as Frank Demarest
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Tom Stoppard
Based on the 1984 novel Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard