The 1950 film "Winchester 73" shows some silver dollars used as shooting targets, some coins on a table, and an Indian wearing a President Jefferson Indian Peace Medal. In 1876, James Stewart has been pursuing his evil brother who murdered their father. He wins a prize Winchester model 1873 rifle at a Dodge City shooting contest. The brother steals the rifle, the rifle is then passed among various people before James finally retrieves it. The rifle is a "bad luck piece" as most of the owners are killed violently. The "Winchester 73" or Winchester Model 1873 was a rifle manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and was known as "The Gun that Won the West." At the beginning of the film silver dollars are shown as shooting targets. Later, some large coins are shown laying on a table and then an Indian chief wears a President Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal.

The film opens in Dodge City, Kansas, on July 4, 1876.

The Dodge City Centennial shooting contest is managed by the renown marshal Wyatt Earp.

Lin McAdam has been hunting his brother, an outlaw who is using the name "Dutch Henry Brown." Lin encounters his brother at the shooting contest. The two are the finalists in the contest, and to determine the winner, the marshal has them shoot at thrown silver dollars.

The US silver dollars then in circulation would be Liberty Seated types as the more common Morgan types were not minted until 1878. Or the silver dollar could be a Mexican peso, which were in circulation in the American West then. The two men shoot at silver dollars. The marshal hands the bent silver dollar to Lin.

Lin asks the Indian to sell him his necklace for the dollar. The Indian bites the coin to make sure that it is good silver.

The Indian also straightens out the coin.

Lin finally emerges as the winner, but back at his hotel room Dutch and two accomplices steal the rifle. The three outlaws flee the town without their weapons and arrive at an outpost where the meet Joe Lamont, a white man who sells weapons to Indians.

The men are playing cards and a pile of prop coins is shown on the table.

The coins are dollar-size film prop coins.

The coins are Los Angeles Rubber Stamp Company Motion Picture $1.00 prop coins.

Aluminum, 38 mm, 6.29 gm
Obverse:
LOS ANGELES RUBBER STAMP CO.
MFR'S OF / MOVING / PICTURE / MONEY / AND / BADGES
Reverse:
RETURNABLE / FOR CREDIT AT LB. RATE / 1 00

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

Joe has a shipment of old rifles and pistols ready for sale to the Indians, Dutch and Joe finally make a deal to trade the Winchester for several older guns. The outlaws leave, then Joe leaves to take his shipment to an Indian tribe led by chief Young Bull.

Young Bull is wearing an old Indian Peace medal. The medal is a President Jefferson Indian Peace Medal, around three inches in diameter.

The US Mint makes smaller 34 mm (1.5 inch) copies of these medals and sells them to collectors.

A President Jefferson Indian Peace Medal:

Obverse: Head of Thomas Jefferson facing left
TH. JEFFERSON / PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. A.D. 1801 (United States, Anno Domini)
Reverse: Crossed Indian peace pipe and axe and two uniformed hands shaking
PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP

Young Bull knows about weapons, and he gets the Winchester away from Joe. He takes his band to attack a small detachment of US Cavalry, who are now accompanied by Lin, High Spade, and a couple, Steve Miller and Lola Manners. Steve is not very brave and Lola is having second thoughts about settling down with him. Young Bull's Indians get ready to attack the outpost.

Young Bull is holding his new Winchester rifle. His horse is specially marked for battle.

The reverse of the Indian Peace medal is visible in this scene. The medal reverse has two clasped hands.

Young Bull's horse blanket markings are reversed, possibly a different blanket. Young Bull is killed during the short battle and the other Indians retreat, leaving behind their dead. A young Cavalry trooper finds the Winchester rifle.

The sergeant tells the trooper that he can not keep the rifle as an officer will steal it from him. He tries to give the rifle to Lin, but since Lin and his pal have left, he then gives the rifle to Steve.

Steve and Lola head to a ranch they are thinking of buying. Some outlaws arrive at the ranch pursued by a sheriff's posse. One of the outlaws is a renown gunfighter Waco Johnny Dean, who immediately wants Lola. Waco persuades Steve to give him the rifle.

Waco then kills Steve, flees the ranch with Lola, and the head to meet another group of outlaws led by Dutch Henry Brown. The men are planning a bank robbery in a small town. Dutch recognizes the Winchester rifle and asks Waco for it. Waco sees how much Dutch wants the rifle and gives it to him.

The outlaws head to the small town, Lola is there, and Lin and High Spade also arrive. Lin manages to foil the robbery and Waco is killed.

High Spade tells Lola the story of the good and bad brothers Lin and Dutch, and why Lin is obsessed with killing Dutch. Lin pursues Dutch into the mountains for a final showdown.

After the gunfight, Lin emerges victorious and heads back to town.

James Stewart as Lin McAdam
Stephen McNally as Dutch Henry Brown
Will Geer as Wyatt Earp
Shelley Winters as Lola Manners
John McIntire as Joe Lamont
Charles Drake as Steve Miller
Dan Duryea as Waco Johnny Dean
Rock Hudson as Young Bull
Director: Anthony Mann
Writers: Robert L. Richards, Borden Chase, Stuart N. Lake