"The Hardy Boys - The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure" was a television serial produced by Walt Disney Productions for it's television program "The Mickey Mouse Club" in 1956. The serial consisted of 19 12-minute episodes which were broadcast daily starting on Tuesday, October 2, 1956 and ending Friday, October 26, 1956. An introduction was broadcast on Monday, October 1, 1956. The program shows an 1808 Spanish gold doubloon several times along with a chest full of dollar-sized prop coins. "The Mickey Mouse Club" was a children's program which ran on the ABC Television Network from 1955 to 1959 and featured young teenage performers, cartoons, newsreels, and sometimes a filmed serial. The programs were one hour long and were shown usually at 5:00 pm. "The Hardy Boys" was a series of novels written for young people about two brothers who solve mysteries. They were published by the Stratemeyer Syndicate whose founder Edward Stratemeyer created the characters in 1927. Stratemeyer hired writers to write his books under the fictional name Franklin W. Dixon. The Walt Disney serial is very loosely based on the novel The Tower Treasure published in 1927. "The Hardy Boys - The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure" is about two brothers, Frank and Joe Hardy, who live with their father Fenton Hardy, a private detective, and Fenton's sister Gertrude, known as "Aunt Gertrude." The boys' mother is not mentioned at any time. Frank and Joe are approximately 14 and 12 years old. The brothers live in the fictional town of Bayport and, from some scenes and dialog in the program, the town is located in the eastern United States. It is summer, the boys are out of school, and are bored. They would like to solve mysteries like they believe their father does, and also wish that he was home more as he works some distance away in "the city" which is not referred to by name. Mr. Silas Applegate is an elderly man who lives in a large old house which hasn't been maintained well and is falling apart. There is a long time story about a cache of gold doubloons being located on or near the property. Doubloons were Spanish 8 escudo gold coins minted from 1610 to 1820 in Spain and at Spanish mints in the Americas including Mexico City (Mexico), Lima (Peru), Potosi (Bolivia), Bogota (Colombia), Guatemala City (Guatemala), and Santiago (Chile). They were worth about about US 16 dollars at the time they were minted. Mr. Applegate is regarded by the townspeople as an eccentric and most do not believe the treasure story. Ten years earlier a mob invaded the property to dig and search for the treasure and found nothing of value. A young city boy, Perry Robinson, probably an orphan, has had a hard life and current works for Mr. Applegate. Perry, believing he is about to be arrested for theft, gives the Hardy boys a gold doubloon that he found on the property. This event starts the story. A real Spanish 8 escudos "doubloon" gold coin of King Ferdinand VII dated 1808 is shown several times. Also shown are treasure chests full of motion picture prop coins of the Los Angeles Rubber Stamp Company President Monroe styles.

"The Mickey Mouse Club" logo is shown at the beginning of the television program, and after some skits, the serial chapter was shown.

The episode begins with scenes from the Walt Disney pirate-themed 1950 film "Treasure Island." A song is played over the scenes.

The coins in the treasure chest are Los Angeles Rubber Stamp Company President Monroe prop coins. Some have the Bird of Paradise reverse and some have a single line of text. The coins with the single line of text have appeared in other films and the line is "SOUVENIR."

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

This is an illustration of a dollar-size prop coin seen in this film. The coin has a wreath and the "SOUVENIR" in the center. have never seen one of these coins except in films.

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

An old house is shown and the song continues.

A barn owl, uncredited, living in the house attic, makes several appearances in the film. A scene of the town of Bayport shows a quiet street.

The Hardy's receive an anonymous telephone call.

The caller is obviously female. A femme fatale?

The caller is revealed to be Iola Morton, a neighbor girl, about the same age as Joe, and also interested in mysteries. Iola claims to have been attacked near the Applegate house and the Hardy boys head out there.

The wrench belongs to Jackley, a plumber hired by Mr. Applegate. He will prove to be a very nasty character. Mr. Applegate then makes his appearance.

Perry is believed to have stolen some items and a policeman is coming to take him back home. He gives Joe something which he doesn't want the police to find when they search him.

It is a large coin.

A coat of arms is visible on the coin.

Frank handles the coin to get a good look at it.

The coin reads "FERDIN VII DG HISP ET IND R 1808" or "Ferdinand VII by the Grace of God Spain and the Indies King"

The coin reads "IN UTROQ FELIX AUSPICE DEO 8 S Mo TH" or "For both sides, happiness under the auspices of God, 8 Escudos, Mexico City Mint, assayer TH"

A Spanish doubloon of the same type and year as the one in the film:

Gold, 36.5 mm, 27.00 gm
Obverse:
Head facing right
FERDIN VII D G HISP ET IND R 1808
(Ferdinand VII, by the Grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies)
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
IN UTROQ FELIX AUSPICE DEO (For both sides, happiness under the auspices of God)
8 S (8 Scudi, Latin for escudos)
Mo TH (Mexico City Mint, Assayer initials)

The boys head for the local public library to identify the coin.

The boys have a coin catalog open to a black page with white images of old coins.

Now the coin catalog is open to a white page with gray images of old coins. The coins appear to be ancient coins, Roman or before. However, the boys find their coin to be a Spanish doubloon of Ferdinand VII dated 1808 which must be part of the legendary Applegate treasure. The boys visit Mr. Applegate and he is happy to meet believers in his story as most of the town's residents don't believe it. Mr. Applegate begins his story.

A few years before this program was filmed there were several government investigations of the comic book industry following claims that reading comic books caused juvenile delinquency.

Mr. Applegate then states that Fenton Hardy was one of the investigators. The boys have been using Iola Morton as an "assistant detective."

Mr. Applegate tells the boys that the barn owl in the tower has been making unusual noises. The boys ask if the owl has been screeching and Applegate replies "it's a barn owl not a screech owl." They head into the tower and find something. Mr. Hardy receives a telephone call to come home. At the Applegate house he is joined by the others to see what they have found.

Mr. Applegate's former gardener Boles has been found in the Applegate house tower.

Boles is an Irish man who has been gone for several years and is now living in a rented room. The boys examinine Boles' shoes.

The boys find something familiar, another doubloon, along with a note.

Boles is questioned but gives evasive answers. The boys examine the note they found.

The boys finally show their father and aunt their doubloon.

The doubloon gives the boys instant credibility with their parents. Aunt Gertrude performs the old test for gold.

Biting a gold coin is old fashioned test for purity. Boles' landlady has seen the gold doubloon in the shoe and she races to telephone her friends. Soon another mob descends upon the Applegate house.

The police manage to disperse the mob and then begin a rough search of the tower.

The boys and friends watch the searchers ripping off wall coverings to expose the interiors. Unfortunately nothing is found and the searchers leave. The boys are watching Boles to see what he does.

Apparently some comic books are all right for the boys to read. Jackley finds Boles in his room and begins working him over.

A scene of an old railroad water tower appears.

The boys come to the conclusion that the "tower" is the old abandoned water tower and they climb up to investigate.

They have been followed.

They also spot the bags of coins laying around.

Jackley slugs Frank Hardy and then begins putting the treasure coins into his jacket. Boles then appears, both men then encounter the rotten floor boards and take falls. The coins with the single line of text "SOUVENIR" appear here also.

He is covered with coins.

It is explained that Jackley and Boles had both been in prison, heard about the treasure, and when released headed for the Applegate house to look for it.

They sing an old pirate song.

"Pieces of Eight" are mentioned in the episodes but are never shown. They are Spanish silver 8 reales coins worth at the time about a US dollar.

A Spanish 8 reales silver minted in 1806:

Silver, 38 mm, 26.86 gm

Obverse:
Head facing right
CAROLUS IIII DEI GRATIA 1806

Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
HISPAN ET IND REX Mo 8R T H (Mexico City Mint, Assayer initials)

Tim Considine as Frank Hardy
Tommy Kirk as Joe Hardy
Carole Ann Campbell as Iola Morton
Florenz Ames as Silas Applegate
Russ Conway as Fenton Hardy
Sarah Selby as Aunt Gertrude
Donald MacDonald as Perry Robinson (the city boy)
Robert Foulk as Jackley (the plumber)
Arthur Shields as Boles (the ex-gardener)
Director: Charles F. Haas
Writers: Jackson Gillis, Edward Stratemeyer, Franklin W. Dixon