The 1963 film "Gidget Goes to Rome" features a US 1898 ten dollar gold coin which a young woman is given by her parents just before she visits Rome. This was the third and last "Gidget" film about the California surfer girl, based originally on the novels by Frederick Kohner. A different actress played Gidget in each film. The film stars Cindy Carol as Gidget (Frances Lawrence) and James Darren as her on-and-off boyfriend Moondoggie (Jeffery Matthews). Gidget lives in Los Angeles, but in this film she and two girlfriends head to Rome. Her mother gives her a ten dollar gold piece which belonged to her mother. Although the Gidget character was a surfer, there is very little surfing in this film.

Frances and Jeffrey are a couple of Southern California surfers whose nicknames are Gidget and Moondoggie. It is the beginning of summer, Gidget has just turned eighteen and has graduated from high school, and her boyfriend Moondoggie is a college boy and a little older. He gave Gidget a club pin signifying that they are "going steady." Gidget and she and her two girlfriends Lucy and Libby want to go to Rome for the summer, and Jeffrey and two friend Clay and Judge also plan to head there. Judge has a wealthy aunt who lives in Rome and he suggests that she be a chaperone for the group. Gidget has to persuade her parents to allow her to go and to provide the money.

After some talking, Gidget's parents allow her to go on the trip. Her mother pulls out an old coin out of a drawer and gives it to Gidget, telling her that it is a ten dollar gold piece that belonged to her mother and that it is for "good luck."

The coin's obverse is then shown.

The coin is a United States $10 gold coin dated 1898 of the Liberty Head type. The coin's reverse is never shown in the film so the mint name can not be determined. These coins were minted in Philadelphia (170,470 coins) and San Francisco (2,575,175).

A Liberty Head $10 gold coin similar to the one in the film:

Gold, 27 mm, 16.7 gm

Gidget's father is still worried about her and he contacts an Italian friend named Paolo Cellini and asks him to meet Gidget and quietly watch over her. Gidget and her friends fly off to Italy and arrive in Rome.

They are, from left to right, Libby, Clay, Gidget, Lucy, Jeff, and Judge. Gidget suggests to Jeff that they not use their California surfing nicknames, he agrees but she ends up keeping hers in the film. The group goes sightseeing, accompanied by a Daniela, a beautiful Italian guide hired by the men.

They pass the famous Trevi Fountain which will become more important in the story later. Jeff starts paying attention to Daniela and Gidget becomes upset. At one point she becomes bored and imagines that she is in Ancient Rome.

Or at least the Rome of the 1951 film "Quo Vadis" where the Emperor Nero and his evil wife are about to send the beautiful blonde Livia to the lions. She is, of course, rescued by Marcus. The middle-aged and very attractive Paolo arrives and is introduced to Gidget, whom he takes to dinner.

He tells her that he is a magazine writer and wants to write an article about her impressions of Rome. At one point she becomes separated from her tour group and wanders into a closed section of a museum. The guards arrest her and take her to the American Embassy.

A US Marine sergeant gives her a lecture and then she is released. Note the picture of President John Kennedy on the wall. Jeff has been spending time with the beautiful Daniela and Gidget is developing a crush on Paolo, and she decides to give Jeff his pin back so he can give it to Daniela.

Jeff looks at the item and asks "What would she want with a ten dollar gold piece?." He hands it back to Gidget and she then gives him the pin and tells Jeff that she is in love with Paolo. Jeff visits the magazine office, finds out that Paolo is married, and tells Gidget. She then visits Paolo's apartment to meet the wife.

Gidget meets Paolo's wife and four children and then sees the letter from her father asking Paolo to watch her. Meanwhile, Jeff is with Daniela and gives her a gold heart-shaped locket.

Daniela hands Jeff back the locket and separately, he and Gidget head for the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain was featured in the 1954 film "Three Coins in the Fountain", where a legend stated that anyone who threw a coin into the fountain would get their wish. Gidget throws a coin backward into the fountain and then realizes that it is The Coin.

She runs into the fountain to get the coin but is caught by a security guard.

She and Jeff make another trip to the Embassy where the officials are happy to learn that the pair are flying back to California the next day. Back at the Trevi Fountain, Jeff shows Gidget the locket.

He throws it into the fountain, and both, freed from their summer romances, get back together. The last scene of the film shows the gold heart locket resting next to the gold coin.

A United States Lincoln cent is also visible.

Cindy Carol as Gidget (Frances Lawrence)
James Darren as Moondoggie (Jeffrey Matthews)
Cesare Danova as Paolo Cellini
Danielle De Metz as Daniela
Director: Paul Wendkos
Writers: Ruth Brooks Flippen, Frederick Kohner (novel)