The 1957 film "Sierra Stranger" is a Western film set in the late 1800's. The story is about a miner who rescues a man from two attackers and later discovers that the man is a local troublemaker. The man gives the miner a "good luck coin" and the coin is passed among various men. The "good luck coin" is a dollar-sized Los Angeles Rubber Stamp Company President Monroe prop coin with a minature horseshoe attached to it.

The town of Colton is located near a mining area. Jess Collins, a lone prospector, is looking for a mining location when he sees two men holding a third man and tying a rope to him.

Jess does not know the men but manages to rescue the man at gunpoint. The two men ride off and the saved man, Sonny Grover, asks Jess to share his dinner.

Sonny tells Jess that his older half-brother Bert Gaines lives in Colton where he is a wealthy man who owns the Primrose Hotel. Sonny gives Jess a "good luck coin" which he examines.

The coin is then shown.

The coin is a Los Angeles Rubber Stamp Company President Monroe Motion Picture prop coin with a minature horseshoe attached to it. Only the obverse of the coin is shown.

White metal, 38 mm, 20.68 gm
Obverse: President James Monroe facing half left, no text
Reverse: Bird of Paradise and man kneeling in temple surrounded by eight-pointed star, no text

For more information on these prop coins please visit: Motion Picture Prop Coins

Sonny tells Jess that the brother will recognize the coin and will "grubstake" or loan Jess money to buy mining supplies and food. The men split up and Jess rides into the town of Colton. The two men who tied up Sonny are Lem Gotch and Tom Simmons who run a store in town. They see Jess arrive and immediately move to confront Jess. Jess visits the Wells Fargo (bank) office to see if there is any mail for him.

Meg Anderson runs the bank office and Jess is immediately attracted to her. Jess then goes to the Primrose Hotel to see Bert Gaines, Sonny's rich brother, and shows him the coin.

Bert holds up the coin.

Bert offers Jess a hotel room and money to buy mining supplies. Jess also learns that Meg lives at the hotel but that she might be Sonny's girlfriend.

Bert's wife Ruth Gaines manages the hotel desk and she checks Jess into a room. At the desk are Jess, Meg, Ruth, and Bert. Ruth later lets Jess know that he should leave town if he is a friend of Sonny as Sonny has many enemies in Colton because of his rowdy and wild behavior.

A nice quiet little town which is going to see some action. Lem Gotch and Tom Simmons accuse Jess of helping Sonny steal a mining claim and a fight ensues. The sheriff arrives to break up the fight.

The sheriff tells the men to behave. Sonny arrives at the hotel during the night and sees his brother Bert. Sonny asks Bert for some supplies and money so that he can do some prospecting in a faraway area. It is obvious that Sonny has to leave town for some reason. Bert arranges for the supplies and gives the coin back to Sonny.

Sonny leaves and the next day stops a stagecoach at gunpoint.

Sonny shoots one of the drivers and leaves with a Wells Fargo strongbox carrying $80,000 in (presumably) gold coin. The surviving stagecoach driver arrives in Colton.

The driver describes the robbery and a sheriff's posse is formed to hunt down Sonny. Sonny's enemies Lem Gotch and Tom Simmons join the posse. Jess tells Meg that he is going out alone to capture Sonny as a matter of honor. Sonny stops to examine the loot.

The box is marked "Wells Fargo" and the bags contain coins. Jess heads for the place where he and Sonny earlier shared dinner and finds him. The two men have guns but end up in a struggle for a gun.

Sonny manages to produce a gun but accidently shoots himself. Jess examines the body and picks up the coin.

The "good luck coin" is shown again.

It appears that Sonny's "good luck coin" was not so lucky after all for Sonny. The posse arrives, finds Sonny dead, and leaves. Jess then brings Sonny's body to Colton.

Bert pulls out a gun intending to shoot Jess but then decides not to and leaves. Meg arrives and she and Jess walk away together.

Howard Duff as Jess Collins
Ed Kemmer as Sonny Grover
Gloria McGehee as Meg Anderson
Dick Foran as Bert Gaines
Eve McVeagh as Ruth Gaines
Barton MacLane as Lem Gotch
Robert Foulk as Tom Simmons
John Hoyt as Sheriff
Director: Lee Sholem
Writers: Richard J. Dorso