The 1949 film "Passport to Pimlico" is a British comedy set after the end of World War II in the London district of Pimlico. A search of a German bomb crater finds a treasure room and an ancient document signed by King Edward IV (1461-1483) giving the area around Pimlico to France's Duchy of Burgundy. Pimlico declares independence from Britain and refuses to enforce British laws which creates all kinds of problems. A man accidently brings home a gold coin from the crater. The coin appears and it is a prop or imitation of an Edward IV gold rose-noble or ryal. Some British coins including Queen Victoria pennies also appear at a newspaper stand.

There has been a lot of damage caused by German bombing raids.

In Pimlico army bomb disposal soldiers have dug a hole to an unexploded German bomb which they plan to detonate. The local children like to play in the ruins and some boys push a large metal wheel into the hole.

The bomb detonates and the noise brings a crowd.

Local businessman Arthur Pemberton falls into the hole and sees a gold goblet. He is pulled out of the hole and returns home to his wife Connie and their daughter Shirley, a young woman.

Mrs. Pemberton is patting Arthur's head bump when he moves and a coin falls out of his clothes onto the carpet.

The coin obverse appears and it matches the obverse of an Edward IV gold rose-noble or ryal. The real coins were minted from 1464 to 1470. The film coin is a prop or imitation of the real coin.

After looking at the coin, Arthur and Shirley put on old clothes and air-raid warden hats and return to the crater.

They discover goblets, jewels, and gold coins. Arthrur removes a rolled document from a box.

Some coins appear to the right of the empty box. The treasure is removed from the hole and lodged at a local bank. The document is given to a professor Hatton-Jones of London University who examines it.

The document gives the area around Pimlico to the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Rash, who (in the film) survived the Battle of Nancy in 1477 where the Burgundian army was wiped out.

The residents start claiming exemptions from British laws including post-war food rationing, taxes, and emergency regulations. They rename the area "Burgundy" and begin to enforce their own immigration and customs laws.

A Frenchman, Sebastien de Charolais, appears with papers proving that holds the ancient title of Duke of Burgundy. The residents set up a council to negotiate with British officials and the new duke joins them. The duke meets Shirley and they start seeing each other.

The British attempt to force Burgundy to capitulate by shutting off electricity and water and blocking access from London to the duchy. A major sticking point is who gets the treasure, Britain or Burgundy. The conflict gets alot of press coverage, mostly slanted in favor of the tiny duchy.

A news and magazine stand has newspapers.

British coins appear on a newspaper, including Queen Victoria pennies, a George VI florin, some shillings, sixpences, and threepences. People begin to send food items and other things to Burgundy.

There is even an airlift similar to the "Berlin Airlift".

Finally Burgundy and Britain negotiate a settlement where Burgundy "loans" the treasure to Britain.

Stanley Holloway as Arthur Pemberton
Barbara Murray as Shirley Pemberton
Betty Warren as Connie Pemberton
Margaret Rutherford as Professor Hatton-Jones
Paul Dupuis as Sebastien de Charolais, Duke of Burgundy
Director: Henry Cornelius
Writers: T. E. B. Clarke