"SherlockHolmes" was a half-hour American television program which was produced for local television stations and ran from 1954 to 1955. A few episodes were adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle "Sherlock Holmes" stories but most episodes were written for the series. The regular characters are Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective, Dr. John Watson, his companion, and sometimes Inspector Lestrade. The program is set in Victorian England in the 1880's. This episode is titled "The Case of Winthrop Legend" and was first broadcast on November 29, 1954. A Spanish silver "piece-of-eight" and a gold "doubloon" are mentioned in the program. A British silver half-crown coin of King George V (1911-1936) is used as the silver coin and a Spanish gold eight escudos coin appears as the doubloon. The silver coin is an anachronism as the program is set in the 1880's.

Dr. Watson explains that he has been living with Sherlock Holmes for several weeks.

Harvey Winthrop from a wealthy family visits Holmes.

Harvey explains that the family legend is that when a family member receives silver coins for seven days he will die and a gold coin will be found on the body. The coins are ones associated with pirates. The silver coins found are Spanish "piece-of-eight" or eight reales coins and the gold coin is a Spanish "doubloon" or eight escudos coin. Harvey says that this happened to his father thirty years ago and that his older brother John has been receiving silver coins for a week. Harvey states that John controls the family money and if he dies the estate will go to Harvey even though John has a wife Alice who would normally be his heir. The family home has not been occupied since the father died but John plans to reopen the house. Holmes and Watson accompany Harvey to the reopened house.

At the house are Holmes, Watson, Harvey, Alice, and John. John's wife Alice is blind and has been for eleven years since she had a horse-riding accident. From Harvey's actions Holmes deduces that Harvey is in love with Alice. Harvey does have a girl friend Peg Hall who then arrives.

John feels something in his pocket and pulls out a wallet.

A silver coin falls to the floor.

Holmes picks up the coin.

The coin is actually a British half crown of King George V (1911-1935).

A British King George V half crown coin dated 1916:

Silver, 32.3 mm, 14.14 gm

Holmes and Watson hear a noise and investigate, finding the body of John at the bottom of a staircase.

Holmes finds a coin on the body.

Holmes identifies it as a gold doubloon. Harvey realizes that he can now marry Alice and talks to Peg.

Peg is upset and says something about the situation being ironic.

Holmes claims that Peg killed John and planted the coins. Holmes also states that there is not enough evidence to convict her in court. Peg runs up the stairs and encounters Alice.

Peg falls down the stairs and lands on John's body.

Holmes finds a coin and picks it up.

The coin is a Spanish doubloon.

A Spanish gold doubloon of Charles IV dated 1806:

Gold, 38 mm, 27.0 gm

Ronald Howard as Sherlock Holmes
H. Marion Crawford as Dr. John H. Watson
Ivan Desny as Harvey Winthrop
Peter Copley as John Winthrop
Meg Lemonnier as Alice Winthrop
Karen as Peg Hall (Karen has one name like Margo or Cher)
Charles Perry as the Constable
Director:Jack Gage
Writers: Harold Jack Bloom, Sheldon Reynolds
Based on the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle