The 1923 film "Safety Last" is a comedy starring Harold Lloyd as a young man from a small town who heads to the "big city" to "make good." He hopes to raise enough money to marry his girlfriend Mildred. He takes employment with a department store and gets into various comical situations. To impress the company president, he volunteers to climb up the several story building to create publicity for the company. At one point he buys a piece of jewelry for his girlfriend and is shown with five dimes in his hand of which one is a Barber dime, three are Mercury dimes, and the other can not be identified.

The first scene shows Harold behind bars with his mother and girlfriend weeping.

It becomes clear that he is at a train station about to leave his hometown on a train. Harold plans to go to the "Big City", get a position, and make enough money to marry his girlfriend.

The city was just as crowded then. Harold takes a sales job at the De Vore Department Store which is housed in a multistorey building.

He works weekdays and half-day on Saturday and receives $15.00 for the week. Harold has been writing to Mildred every day bragging about how important he is and how much money he is making. One day Harold visits a jewelry store to buy a present for Mildred.

He buys a piece of jewelry for a few dollars and fifty cents in dimes (ten cent coins).

The five dime types are Mercury, Barber, Mercury, unidentified, and Mercury. The Barber or Liberty Head dimes were minted from 1892 to 1916. The Mercury or Winged Liberty Head dimes were minted from 1916 to 1945.

A United States Barber dime:

These were named after the designer Charles Barber.

A United States Mercury dime:

They are officially known as Winged Liberty Head dimes but are nicknamed "Mercury" dimes because the design resembles images of the Roman god Mercury.

Harold's girlfriend decides to surprise him by visiting him in the big city. He takes her to the manager's office and implies that he is the manager.

He passes a bill to the office boy to go along with his impersonation.

The note is an actual US one dollar large size silver certificate note. Several employees come to the room.

Harold manages to convince Mildred that they are his employees. Harold returns to the manager's office and encounters the real manager and the store president.

Harold suggests that he could publicize the store by climbing from the sidewalk to the roof. The store president likes the idea and offers him $1000 if he will do it. Harold has a friend Limpy who is a construction worker and climber. Harold pays Limpy $500 to do the climb. Unfortunately Limpy is spotted by a policeman with whom he had a previous altercation and Harold has to do the climb himself.

Harold checks each floor for Limpy to take over.

Harold has to continue as the policeman is still looking for Limpy. A crowd is watching below.

Some pigeons spot Harold.

Harold fights off the birds and continues. Near the top he has to maneuver around a large clock.

Harold finally makes it to the building roof where he encounters Mildred.

Harold Lloyd as Harold (the boy)
Mildred Davis as Mildred (the girl)
Bill Strother as Limpy
Noah Young as Policeman (the law)
Directors: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor
Writers: Hal Roach, Sam Taylor, Tim Whelan, H. M. Walker, Jean Havez, Harold Lloyd