The 1960 film "High School Caesar" is about Matt Stevens, a rich young high school student who leads a gang of criminals who extort money from students, sell copies of tests, and fix high school elections. Matt also kills another student and assaults a young girl. Matt carries a large gold coin which he sometimes rolls in his fingers, possibly emulating the actor George Raft. The coin reverse is shown a few times and is a United States Liberty Head $20 gold piece.

Matt Stevens lives in a large house with a butler and a maid as his wealthy parents are always travelling. He owns two cars, a large Cadillac with fins and a smaller "hot rod" car. Matt leads a small gang which engage in criminal acts.

Matt has just collected "protection" money from a boy. His main assistant is Crickett Davis.

Matt reads a book while Crickett reads a "Dennis the Menace" comic book. Matt's girlfriend Lita Owens is seated behind him and a new arrival at the school, Wanda Anderson, is near the door. She has been noticed by the boys.

Matt likes to roll his coin like actor George Raft does in the 1932 film "Scarface". Matt has engineered his election as student president and Cricket as student treasurer. Cricket has started stealing cash and giving it to Matt.

At home, Matt keeps his coin in a case. It was a gift from his father whom Matt misses. Matt takes the coin out of the case and it appears.

Only the reverse of the coin is shown. It is a United States Liberty Head $20 gold piece. These coins were minted from 1849 to 1907. The reverse spells out "TWENTY DOLLARS" and this version was minted starting in 1877.

A United States Liberty Head $20 gold piece:

Gold, 34.0 mm, 33.40 gm

These coins contained almost one troy ounce of gold.

Matt has sent Rita to "order" Wanda to date Crickett but Wanda tells her she will date who she likes and begins seeing another student, Bob Williams, who has a friend named Kelly Roberts. Matt arranges a "drag race" or automobile race with Kelly.

Matt puts up his gold coin as a prize, and gives it to Wanda to hold for the winner.

The race starts.

The race starts with Matt in the white car and Kelly in the dark car. The race is short and Kelly wins the race and the coin.

Matt is really angry about losing the race and especially the coin. He picks up Cricket and follows Kelly, attempting to force him off the road.

Kelly crashes into a ditch and is killed in the wreck. Matt and Cricket examine the body and Matt recovers the coin. Back at school Matt is becoming unstable and shows off the coin

A group of students led by Bob suspect that Matt killed Kelly and plan to expose him. Matt and Cricket kidnap Wanda and Matt forces his attentions on her.

Wanda sees the gold coin on the car's floor, quietly picks it up, and escapes from the car.

Bob's group is holding a meeting and Wanda appears.

She gives the coin to Bob.

Matt has planned a birthday party for himself at a teenage hangout but when he arrives only the manager is there. Matt leaves and the manager calls the police. Matt finds the group gathered near his Cadillac.

Matt claims that Kelly's death was an accident.

Bob throws the coin on the ground and Matt scrambles to find it.

Matt finds the film as the others leave and then starts screaming.

John Ashley as Matt Stevens
Gary Vinson as Bob Williams
Steve Stevens as Crickett Davis
Lowell Brown as Kelly Roberts
Judy Nugent as Wanda Anderson
Daria Massey as Lita Owens
Director: O'Dale Ireland
Writers: O'Dale Ireland, Ethelmae Wilson Page, Robert Slaven