"Perry Mason" was a one-hour television program which ran on the CBS television network from 1957 to 1966. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who specializes in defending people accused of murder. He is assisted by his secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale), and private investigator Paul Drake (William Hopper). The district attorney who prosecutes the cases is Hamilton Burger (William Talman) who is assisted by police lieutenant Arthur Tragg (Ray Collins). Some stories were adapted from mystery novels written by Erle Stanley Gardner and others were written for the program. The program followed a formula where Perry's clients are always innocent, and the "real killer" confesses at the end.

This episode is titled "The Case of the Golden Fraud" and was first broadcast on November 21, 1959. Richard Vanaman (Arthur Franz) is an investment advisor who works for the Noble Company. The company's president named Noble has given two English gold coins called "Nobles" to Richard and another top employee who are competing for promotion to vice-president. Richard visits supposedly wealthy client Sylvia Welles (Joyce Meadows) who has installed recording equipment in her hotel apartment in an attempt to compromise Richard. Richard finds the "bugging" device but upon returning home finds that he has lost his coin. He goes back to Sylvia's apartment and finds her murdered. The coin is described as a "British gold coin of King Henry VI" who was the king of England from 1422 to 1461 and 1470 to 1471. Both sides of the coin are shown.

A large Los Angeles house is shown.

A table appears with some items on it.

The items are a key chain, an old coin, and a pocket knife lying on a table. Then Richard and Mrs. Frances Vanaman (June Dayton) appear.

Richard shows his wife the coin and tells her that the coin was presented to him by Mr. Henry Noble, the president of the company, as an award. The coin is an "English quarter noble", obviously chosen by the company president due to it's name. Richard continues: "in the firm's 43 years, Mr. Noble has presented only eight of the coins." Richard tells her that he had a jeweler drill a small hole in the coin but doesn't say why.

Richard receives a telephone call from a customer named Sylvia Welles (Joyce Meadows) who wants him to visit her to discuss investing her supposed $250,000. She has hired Rip Conners (David Sheiner) to install a hidden microphone connected by a wire to a tape recorder.

Richard shows her some papers while Sylvia's Siamese cat watches.

The cat then moves to a curtain and begins playing with the wire connected to a hidden microphone. Richard finds the hidden microphone and accuses Sylvia of running a "badger game", threatens her, and leaves her apartment.

Richard goes home and tells his wife what has happened. He then realizes he has lost his coin and goes back to Sylvia's apartment to look for it. He finds Sylvia lying on the floor dead and then leaves without the coin. Rip Connors also visits Sylvia's apartment and picks up his tape recorder and the tape.

Richard then visits attorney Perry Mason at his office.

Perry reads a newspaper article aloud to Richard and Della Street.

Richard tells Perry that the coin might be his and about his visit to Sylvia. Perry calls private investigator Paul Drake and asks him to go to the police "lost and found" office and retrieve the coin.

Paul arrives along with a flashy blonde woman Bunny Lee (Asa Maynor) who describes the coin accurately:

Bunny then tells the policeman that she put it in a parking meter on Santa Monica. Paul gives up and leaves. Perry Mason goes to see Mr. Noble.

Mr. Noble tells Perry that he doesn't want bad publicity for his firm and has fired Richard. Richard and another employee, Fred Petrie (Alan Hewitt), were candidates for the position of vice-president. Rip Connors calls Mrs. Doris Petrie (Patricia Huston) and offers to sell her his tape. Perry learns of the call and sends Della to impersonate Mrs. Petrie and purchase the tape. The efficient police Lt. Tragg then arrives.

Lt. Tragg arrests Richard Vanaman for the crime and Richard retains Perry as his defense attorney. A court preliminary hearing is held. Prosector Hamilton Burger questions Elliott Hale (Alex Gerry), the clerk at the hotel where Sylvia was living. Burger shows Hale the coin and asks him to identify it.

Burger manipulates the coin to show both sides.

The coin is hard to identify but does look like a hammered medieval coin.

Burger questions Mrs. Petrie who states that she wanting to help her husband become the company vice-president by eliminating his rival Richard. She admits that she hired Sylvia to record the conversation with Richard.

Mr. Hale tells the court that Sylvia reminded him of his mother who he also worshiped as an "angel" until he discovered that she had boyfriends and admits to strangling Sylvia.

Richard Vanaman is released from jail and is rehired by Mr. Noble. Mr. Noble gives Perry Mason a package

It is, of course, a gold noble. Perry promises not to put it in a parking meter.

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason
Barbara Hale as Della Street
William Hopper as Paul Drake
William Talman as Prosector Hamilton Burger
Ray Collins as Police Lieutenant Arthur Tragg
Arthur Franz as Richard Vanaman
Alan Hewitt as Fred Petrie
June Dayton as Frances Vanaman
Neil Hamilton as Henry Noble
Alex Gerry as Hale
Patricia Huston as Doris Petrie
Joyce Meadows as Sylvia Welles
Asa Maynor as Bunny Lee
Director: Herbert Hirschman
Writers: Erle Stanley Gardner, Robert C. Dennis, Maurice Zimm