"Death Valley Days" was a half-hour television series which was produced for local television stations and ran from 1952 to 1970. The host was the "Old Ranger" (actor Stanley Andrews) who appeared as an Old West lawman who introduced the story. The episode "The Man Who Was Never Licked" was first broadcast on April 29, 1957. Elias "Lucky" Baldwin (1828-1909) was a California businessman and financier during the Gold Rush period. The story is set in California starting with Baldwin's arrival in 1853, his partnership with mining engineer Adolph Sutro to exploit Nevada's Comstock Lode mining district, and his later move to Southern California At one time Baldwin is seated at a table with piles of paper currency and gold coins in front of him. Later, to save a bank, Baldwin brings bags of gold coins to the bank teller's cage and dumps them in front of the teller. The coins are standard film prop or imitation coins.

The Old Ranger appears seated at a desk and introduces the program.

Baldwin is first a child who wins $200 after betting on a horse race.

Baldwin's first financial transaction finished, he moves to California in 1853. He doesn't visit the gold mining areas but stays in cities handling money. In 1863 he visits Nevada's Comstock Lode silver mining district and meets Adolph Sutro, a mining engineer.

Baldwin finances Sutro's design of a tunnel to facilitate mining and both men become wealthy.

The bills are standard Mexican Revolution motion picture stage or prop bills. For more information on these bills please visit: Mexican Revolution Currency Notes.

The coins are, of course, imitation or "prop" coins.

Baldwin is financially involved with the large Bank of California.

The bank closes and Baldwin uses some of his own money to re-open the bank. Some bank customers are waiting to withdraw their money when Baldwin arrives carrying $40,000 in bags of gold coins.

Baldwin dumps the coins onto the bank teller's table.
The coins are standard film prop or imitation coins.
Several Golden Gate Exposition China Clipper tokens can be seen.

A San Francisco Golden Gate Exposition China Clipper token:

Brass, 31 mm, 10.52 gm
Obverse:
Golden Gate Bridge, sunset, fair building
GOLDEN GATE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION / PATENTED C110010
1939 / SAN FRANCISCO BAY
Reverse:
Airplane, Golden Gate Bridge
CHINA CLIPPER / Compass letters 'W', 'N', 'E', 'S' around edge / L-50-lC

For more about this token please visit: San Francisco Golden Gate Exposition

Baldwin takes a year-long vacation and returns to California. He moves to Southern California to open a horse ranch. He also begins courting Jennie, a 20 year old girl.

They have a daughter, Anita, and Jennie dies.
The Old Ranger states "The lovely Jennie didn't live to see the beautiful cottage her husband built for her."

Baldwin takes over a smaller adobe house for himself.
The houses still stand, restored by the California Arboretum Foundation.

Stanley Andrews as The Old Ranger
William Hudson as Elias Jackson Baldwin
Robert Argent as Adolph Sutro
Daria Massey as Jennie Baldwin
Director: Stuart E. McGowan
Writers: Jacqueline Rhodes