The 2011 film "Cowboys & Aliens" is based on a graphic novel and is set in the American West in the 1870's. The residents of a New Mexico town are attacked by aliens (extraterrestrials) and they team up with Apache Indians to fight the invaders.
One of the main characters is an outlaw who has just acquired a hoard of United States $20 gold coins. The coins are portrayed by prop or imitation coins of the Liberty Head style and are all dated 1866.

In 1870's New Mexico, Jake Lonergan wakes up with a metal bracelet on his arm and can't remember how he got it. He does remember being with his girlfriend Alice in a cabin.

Jake then remembers a hoard of gold coins.

The coins are United States $20 gold coins all dated 1866. These are prop or imitation coins not real coins. Jake goes into the town of Absolution and is recognized as a wanted outlaw by the sheriff who arrests him. A woman named Ella Swenson tries to help him. Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde is a wealthy rancher who, with some men, has been trailing Jake who supposedly stole some money from him. Colonel Dolarhyde asks the sheriff to turn Jake over to him. Then the aliens attack with small flying ships and ray guns.

Jake's bracelet begins flashing lights and fires a ray at an alien ship bring it down. Jake leaves town and passes a cabin. He remembers that he was there before with Alice.

Jake puts some coins on the table to show Alice.

The coins sit there and begin to glow and then catch fire.

An alien ship above the house lowers a metal rope and pulls Jake and Alice into the spaceship. Jake remembers that the aliens killed Alice and that he stole the bracelet from an alien and escaped. Jake joins Colonel Dolarhyde's posse which is following an alien. With the posse is Emmett Taggart, a grandson of the sheriff. The Colonel gives Emmett a large knife. Jake has become friends with Emma who is with the posse.

The posse encounters some of Jake's outlaw friends, then another alien ship attacks the group, and attempts to kidnap Emma. Jake jumps on the ship and brings it down. The alien from the ship then climbs out and kills Emma. Apache Indians arrive and take everyone prisoner.

At the Apache camp the Indians do a dance and one throws Emma's body into a fire. Emma comes back to life and reveals that she is also an alien but from a different planet than the ones attacking the town.

She tells the assembled group that the aliens are after gold which is just as valuable on their planet. She also says that the aliens will eventually murder the residents and the only way to stop them is to destroy their ship. The Indians give Jake a drink which restores his memory and he tells them where the ship is located. The various human groups merge to fight the aliens. One alien comes after Emmett who kills it.

Jake and Ella enter the alien ship and free the humans captured by the aliens. Emma tells Jake that she will destroy the ship and for the others to leave it. Both understand that this is a suicide mission.

Jake is leaving the ship when he finds some unusual items.

The stolen goods are watches and glasses.

The alien ship takes off while Jake and the Colonel watch.

Ella is successful.

The surviving townspeople celebrate and the sheriff tells Jake that he will report that he was killed during the battle.

Harrison Ford as Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde
Daniel Craig as Jake Lonergan
Olivia Wilde as Ella Swenson
Abigail Spencer as Alice
Noah Ringer as Emmett Taggart
Paul Dano as Percy Dolarhyde
Sam Rockwell as Doc
Clancy Brown as Meacham (the preacher)
Keith Carradine as Sheriff John Taggart
Director: Jon Favreau
Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk
Based on the graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg