The 1964 film "The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre" is a ghost story about a wealthy man and his wife who invite an amateur psychic researcher to their house to investigate the possible visits by the ghost of the man's deceased mother. The investigation involves activities in the small Mexican town of Sierra de Cobre and it's supposedly haunted Spanish mission. Two scenes show a small tray with then current United States coins. The first scene has a half-dollar, a quarter, and a dime. The second scene adds more dimes, a nickel, and an encased cent.

Henry and Vivia Mandore are a young married couple living in Henry's mansion located near a Southern California beach down, possibly Santa Monica.

Henry has been blind since birth and has always had servants to assist him. Vivia returns from a business trip involving Henry's estate and finds that the two long-time servants have left and that a lady named Paulina has been sent by an agency. Henry's mother is interred in a mausoleum located on the estate grounds. She was afraid of being buried alive and had a telephone installed and connected to the son's bedroom.

Henry believes that his mother has been calling him and Vivia invites amateur psychic researcher Nelson Orion to look into the situation.

Vivia offers him money but he refuses it. She tells him about the telephone and they visit the crypt to check it out.

The telephone is a 1960's model with a rotary dial. A rather frightening ghost then appears.

Vivia tells Nelson that real estate developers want to buy the property and Nelson believes that the ghost was "manufactured" by someone.

Vivia, Henry, Paulina, and Nelson discuss the events.

Vivia places a small bottle on a tray.

Three United States silver coins appear, a Franklin half-dollar, a Washington quarter, and a Roosevelt dime. All three coins were in circulation in the mid-1960's but would soon disappear to be replaced by the clad coins.

The small bottle appears several times. Vivia shows a painting of the Sierra de Cobre Mission in Mexico

Nelson Orion had investigated the mission and had written an article titled:
"The Mission of Sierra de Cobre - Hoax and Murder"
Vivia then explains the family's connection to the mission.

Her parents moved to Mexico when she was a child and to make money she would lead American tourists to the mission and tell them about the ghost. Her mother would dress up and play the "ghost". The the mother discovered a drug called "ayahuasca" or "yage" which was hallucinogenic and would carry a small bottle of it and slip it to the tourists. One time the mother gave too much of the drug to a visiting school teacher who died. The mother and daughter then fled.

Nelson's assistant Mary stands in the back. Vivia then identifies Paulina as her mother.

There are now several dimes in the tray along with a five cent nickel and an encased cent.

A similar encased cent:

Aluminum, 34 mm, 5.82 gm
Obverse:
KEEP ME AND NEVER GO BROKE
Horseshoe and Four-Leaf Clover
Lincoln Cent 1946
Reverse:
BOB AND SANDY
SANTA ROSA CALIF.

Nelson explains that the ghost is not Frank's mother but the school teacher who will haunt Paulina until she confesses to the murder. Paulina then attacks Nelson with a knife.

Nelson is saved by the ghost.

The ghost scares Paulina away from Nelson and then Paulina collapses. Vivia goes outside and climbs into the family car.

She drives the car to the beach cliff.

Paulina's ghost appears with the bottle and frightens Vivia who drives off the cliff.

Mary and Nelson watch.

Nelson explains that Paulina was a possessive mother even after death.

Martin Landau as Nelson Orion
Diane Baker as Vivia Mandore
Tom Simcox as Henry Mandore
Judith Anderson as Paulina
Nellie Burt as Mary Finch
Director: Joseph Stefano
Writers: Joseph Stefano