The 1974 film "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" is about a Southern Black woman, Jane Pittman (Cicely Tyson) in 1962 Louisiana who is 110 years old and tells her life story to Quentin Lerner, a reporter. Jane is born a slave and is liberated by Civil War Union soldiers. She and her friends are attacked by hooded gang members, she marries a man who is later killed, and finally does her part for the 1960's Civil Rights movement. Around 1876 Jane meets Joe Pittman and they marry and move to a Texas ranch. There is a problem in the marriage and Jane goes to see a "Hoodoo Woman", Madame Gautier, for advice and pays her with an unusual silver coin, a Chicago Columbian Exposition commemorative half dollar. Sheriff Guidry is the county sheriff in 1962 and he wears a Morgan silver dollar as a string necktie clip.

Quentin finds Jane sitting with her friend Lena. He asks Jane if he can interview her and later Jane agrees to multiple recorded interviews. Some of Jane's Black friends go into town to stage a demonstration at the city hall which has a drinking fountain labelled "Whites only."

Sheriff Guidry wears a string necktie with a clip made from a Morgan silver dollar enclosed by a minature horse shoe. A Black teenage girl tries to drink from the water fountain and the sheriff has her arrested.

Jane describes her life beginning as a slave who is then liberated to face hooded gangs and lynchings. Around 1876 Jane meets Joe Pittman and they marry and move to a Texas ranch. Joe is a "horsebreaker" who trains wild horses to become working horses. Joe becomes obsessed with "breaking" a white horse whom Jane regards as an evil horse. Jane goes to see a "Hoodoo Woman" Madame Gautier for advice.

She asks for "l'argent" or a silver coin. Jane hands her a US silver half dollar.

Jane puts the coin on the table and Madame puts three bones around it.

The coin is a Chicago Columbian Exposition commemorative half dollar. Only the obverse is shown.

Silver, 30.6 mm, 12.50 gm

These half dollars were minted in 1892 and 1893 to commemorate the Chicago Columbian Exposition or World's Fair which was held during the 400th anniversary of the Columbus landings in America. The coins were first sold at a premium to raise funds for the fair and later were put into circulation.

The silver dollar is a Morgan type dollar.

Silver, 38 mm, 26.73 gm
Morgan silver dollars were minted from 1878 to 1904 and again in 1921.
They are named after their designer, George T. Morgan.

He lets them go and they drive into town and park the car. Miss Jane Pittman then walks toward the heavily guarded drinking fountain.

She goes to the fountain and takes a drink.

Cicely Tyson as Jane Pittman
Richard Dysart as Master Bryant
Odetta as Big Laura
Michael Murphy as Quentin Lerner
Rod Perry as Joe Pittman
Arnold Wilkerson as Jimmy
Teddy Airhart as Sheriff Guidry
Will Hare as Albert Cluveau
Katherine Helmond as Lady at House
Thalmus Rasulala as Ned Douglas
Barbara Chaney as Amma Dean
Director: John Korty
Writers: Tracy Keenan Wynn
Based on the 1971 novel The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines