The 2010 film "True Grit" is based on the Western novel by Charles Portis about Mattie Ross, a 14-year old girl who hires US Marshal Rooster Cogburn to capture Tom Chaney, the man who robbed and killed her father, Frank Ross. They are joined by LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger, who wants to capture the Chaney to collect a reward. The story is set mostly around 1878 in the state of Arkansas and the Oklahoma Indian Territory. The father was carrying two unusual California gold pieces on him and Rooster finds one at a store. He gives it to Hattie who is shown handling it. The prop piece shown in the film was probably specially made for the film. It is based on a California Gold Rush period privately made small gold ingot.

Mattie Ross tells her story in 1903, which happened twenty-five years ago, thus 1878. She arrives in the town of Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Mattie visits Colonel Stonehill, a businessman who had some horse dealings with her father. She refuses to accept the original amount of money offered by Stonehill.

Mattie threatens Stonehill with a lawyer. She later collects her father's goods from the undertaker.

The items include Masonic emblems and a Colt pistol. The local sheriff tells Mattie that Tom Chaney has fled to the Indian Territory and has possibly joined an outlaw gang led by a Ned Pepper. Mattie goes to see US Marshal Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn, who has been recommended to her as a man with "true grit" or courage and toughness.

Mattie offers Rooster a $50 reward but he doesn't believe that she has the money. Mattie is visited by a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf.

LaBoeuf has been hunting the murderer Tom Chaney for some time. He wants to take Chaney to Texas to collect a large reward. Mattie want's Chaney brought to Fort Smith to hang for killing her father. Mattie visits Stonehill to collect her money.

A pile of US currency notes are on the table.

The bills are copies of US currency, based on Demand Notes and Legal Tender Notes of the 1860's. The three head west into the Oklahoma Indian Territory. They argue along the way and LaBoeuf leaves the group. Rooster stops at Bagby's, a way station and retrieves something.

Rooster hands the item to Mattie and she holds it in her hand.

The piece reads "CARAT 18 1/2 DWT 25 6/10" The prop piece is a reproduction of a Colorado pioneer gold piece made in 1860 by Dr. John D. Parsons, an assayer in that state. The original unique piece is in the Eli Lilly collection housed at the Smithsonian Museum. There are copies made of base metal and one of these is probably the source for the prop. Some reproductions are advertised as being 1-1/4 x 7/8 in. Only one side of the piece is shown in the film, the other side should read: "Parsons & C. Assayers Col. 1860 Twenty Dols.." The meaning of the inscription "CARAT 18 1/2" is 18.5/24 or 77 percent gold. The meaning of "DWT 25 6/10" is 25.6 pennyweights or 1.28 troy ounce.

LaBoeuf has rejoined Rooster and Mattie.

One morning at an overnight camp, Mattie spots a group of men including Tom Chaney.

She pulls out her pistol and shoots him. Tom is able to grab her and take her to Ned Pepper's outlaw gang. The gang leaves the wounded Chaney with Mattie and the remaining four men ride away.

Rooster arrives to confront the four outlaws in his way.

Rooster manages to dispatch all four outlaws. Chaney attacks Mattie but is killed by LaBoeuf, then Mattie falls into a snake-infested hole. Rooster rescues Mattie, who has been bitten by snakes, and takes her to a doctor. He leaves before she can recover from the bites. Twenty-five years later, Mattie finds that Rooster has died while working at a Wild West show. She has him interred at a family gravesite.

A final look at Rooster's grave marker.

IN MEMORY OF REUBEN COGBURN BORN July 15 1825 DIED Aug 12 1903 A RESOLUTE OFFICER OF PARKER'S COURT (Isaac Charles Parker was the federal judge in Arkansas)

Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn
Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross
Matt Damon as LaBoeuf
Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney
Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned Pepper
Directors: by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Writers: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Charles Portis (novel)

The United States issued coins in 2015 to commemorate the U.S. Marshals Service.

Silver, 38 mm, 26.74 gm
Obverse:
Frontier Marshal wearing pistol and holding paper which reads: "WARRANT / FORT SMITH"
JUSTICE INTEGRITY SERVICE
E PLURIBUS UNUM
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1
Reverse:
United States Marshal badge.
LIBERTY
2015
IN GOD WE TRUST
1788-2014