"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 Unwelcome Well" and was first broadcast on April 3, 1966. Jerome Klee (Wendell Corey) owns a large oil company and is both greedy and unlikeable. He has made many enemies in his long career including men he has cheated and women he has discarded. Klee attempts to buy the oil rights from the (fictional) Arabian country of Jodhpur and offers a bribe to the country's representative, Prince Ben Ali Bhudeem (Edmund Hashim), who refuses the bribe. Later Klee is found murdered and a gold coin is found near the body. The coin is portrayed by a modern imitation of an ancient Jewish Judean shekel.

Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) visits the California desert house of Jason Rohan (Paul Brinegar) to discuss the sale of the oil rights to the property.

Jason Rohan (Paul Brinegar) wife Minna Rohan (Gloria Talbott) has sold the oil rights to his property to Jerome Klee's oil company. Jason is angry but Minna calms him down and serves cookies to Perry, Jason, and their two sons.

Jason first argues with Perry but when Perry explains how much money Klee will pay him he relents and approves the deal. Oil well driller Allan Winford (James Best) brings his crew out to construct an oil well.

The well produces oil and Jason and family borrow money from a bank and purchase $25,000 worth of furniture and automobiles. Perry and his assistant Della Street (Barbara Hale) visit Klee's mansion in Los Angeles where Della meets a handsome man dressed in a business suit who introduces himself as Prince Bhudeem. He tells Della that his brother the king has a responsibility to move his people forward and that is difficult enough without surrounding oneself with archaic, medieval trappings.

Perry is to write a contract between Klee's oil company and the (fictional) Arabian country of Jodhpur. Klee insults Della and orders Perry to accompany him to his office. Klee has dumped his long-time mistress Mirabel Corum (Marilyn Erskine) and replaced her with a French actress Monique Martin (Danielle DeMetz).

The two ladies do not get along and insult each other. Klee and Perry meet with the prince. Also at the meeting are Klee's assistant Ross Darley (William Lanteau) and Klee's political agent Harry Lannon (Les Tremayne). Klee has involved Harry in a scandal and Klee tells him that he intends to terminate Harry's employment.

Darley offers the prince a $100,000 bribe to accept a lower amount for the oil rights which the prince refuses and explains: "In my country, a brother who would betray a brother's trust - his fate would be unpleasant". Klee also orders that Jason Rohan's well be shut down for ten years which means that Jason will lose his land and Winford will lose the opportunity to drill more wells on the property. Klee visits one of his oil wells and someone uses a wrench to kill him. Los Angeles police detectives Lieutenant Steve Drumm (Richard Anderson) and Sergeant Brice (Lee Miller) examine the crime scene and soon Perry's private detective Paul Drake (William Hopper arrives. Sgt. Brice shows Lt. Drumm a coin he found near the body.

Sgt. Brice asks "what do you make of this, Lieutenant? Looks like some kind of a foreign coin". Paul asks "anything to do with the case?" and Lt. Drumm replies "Paul, I'm just a cop not a clairvoyant". Allan Winford, the oil driller, is arrested for the murder. Back at the mansion Mirabel and the prince have a discussion.

"A blessing - oil has been a blessing and a salvation to my country. It is transporting us from the 17th century to the 20th with dizzying speed". The preliminary court hearing begins with prosecutor Hamilton Burger (William Talman) presenting the state's evidence that Allan Winford killed Jerome Klee.

Some witnesses are called and Perry wants to find out if the prince took the bribe he was offered.

Paul telephones the country of Jodhpur and asks to speak to the king and is told that the king is unavailable. Perry becomes suspicious. Back in court, Perry questions the prince.

The prince denies taking the bribe. Perry asks Lt. Drumm if any other items were found near the body and Lt. Drumm produces the coin. Perry then questions Klee's political assistant, Harry Landon.

Harry tells that he offered a deal to the prince from another oil company but the prince refused. He complains "I've been double-crossed by experts, but this Arab tops them all!" Harry then says that the prince told him that he couldn't go back on his word with Klee as they had already "passed the coins." Perry asks what he meant and Harry replies that it was a custom in his country where "you exchange coins with the other fellow, and that means that you've made a contract". Perry then shows the coin to Harry and calls it a "gold dinar" and a "Jodhpurian coin." Perry then manipulates the coin to show both sides of the one coin (and not two separate coins).

The prop coin used in the program is a fantasy coin copied from two ancient Judean coins minted during the Roman occupation of Judea (BCE 63 to CE 132). There were two Jewish revolts against Romans, the first in CE 66 to 70, and the second in CE 132 to 135. The second revolt is known as the Bar Kokhba Revolt after it's leader. One side of the coin has a chalice and the other side has a lulav (a palm tree frond or leaf). The coin inscriptions use Paleo-Hebrew writing, an old form of Hebrew. The chalice side is copied from a Judean First Revolt (CE 66-70) coin and has a chalice surrounded by an inscription which reads "Half of a shekel". Above the chalice is "Year 1" (CE 66/67). The lulav side is copied from a Judean Bar Kokhba Revolt (CE 132-135) coin and has a lulav surrounded by an inscription which reads "Year 2 of the Freedom of Israel" (Year 2 is CE 133/134). Shekels are mentioned in the Bible and various copies of them have been made over the years by entrepreneurs for collectors and church groups for members.

The prince is called again as a witness and tells the court that he is actually the king and that his brother the prince is an eleven-year old boy. He tells the court that he came himself to handle the negotiations as an assistant could be bribed. Harry is called as a witness again and confesses to killing Klee.

Perry visits Jason Rohan who has received some money from Klee's company after all and is planning to remodel his house.

Wendell Corey as Jerome Klee
Paul Brinegar as Jason Rohan
Marilyn Erskine as Mirabel Corum
Les Tremayne as Harry Lannon
James Best as Allan Winford
Gloria Talbott as Minna Rohan
Danielle DeMetz as Monique Martin
Edmund Hashim as Prince Ben Ali Bhudeem
Director: Harmon Jones
Writers: Erle Stanley Gardner, Ernest Frankel, Orville H. Hampton