The 1950 film "Rio Grande" shows some United States silver coins including some modern ones. The film stars John Wayne as Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke, a US Army Cavalry officer commanding a post in Texas near the Rio Grande river and the Mexican border in 1879. Maureen O'Hara is Kathleen Yorke, the Colonel's estranged wife who visits his post as their son has enlisted in the Army after failing mathematics at the US Military Academy (West Point). The marriage broke up in 1864 when Yorkes's troops burned Confederate Maureen's family plantation during Union General Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign. At one point Colonel Yorke hands Kathleen a Confederate ten dollar currency note and she throws some silver coins on a table.

Merian Cooper previously produced the 1933 film "King Kong." Lt. Colonel Kirby Yorke appears.

Colonel Yorke is the commander of a US Army Cavalry regiment stationed in Apache Indian territory in Texas along the Rio Grande river border with Mexico. General Sheridan is now the US Army commander of the soldiers fighting the Indians. He visits the post and informs Col. Yorke that his 16-year old son Jefferson Yorke, a cadet at the US Military Academy at West Point, has failed mathematics and has been dismissed. Eighteen new recruits arrive at the post and Col. Yorke finds his son Jefferson among them.

Jefferson Yorke (on the right) is one of the recruits.

Sergeant Quincannon is a veteran non-commissioned officer who is in charge of instructing the new recruits in army horsemanship. A supply wagon brings a lady to the post, she is Kathleen Yorke, the estranged wife of the Colonel.

Mrs. Yorke has come to get their son out of the Army. At the time a soldier could purchase a discharge for $100 but only if his commanding officer agreed. The Colonel tells his wife that he believes the son's enlistment oath is sacred and will not go along with the scheme. Mrs. Yorke visits her son who has been in a fight with another soldier.

The son tells her that even if his father signed the discharge request that he would not. The regiment has a group of musicians and singers who perform at events.

The "Sons of the Pioneers" were one of the top Western singing groups of the period, and recorded such songs as "Cool Water", "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", and "Ghost Riders in the Sky." Mrs. Yorke and the Colonel see each other often.

Mrs. Yorke implies that if her husband releases their son, she will resume the marriage. The officers hold a dinner to honor General Sheridan who is visiting the post.

Captain St. Jacques is French and wears the medal of the French Army Legion of Honor. How he got into the US Army is not explained.

Colonel Yorke is wearing a US Army Medal of Honor, probably awarded for his service during the US Civil War. Mrs. Yorke joins the other women of the post in doing the laundry. Col. Yorke arrives to pick up his laundry.

Col. Yorke pulls out a note to pay her.

Col. Yorke hands Mrs. Yorke an unusual note, a Confederate ten dollar note.

The note reads "Confederate States of America, Ten Dollars, Richmond."

The back of the note is fairly plain with the word "TEN" and the number "10." Mrs. Yorke throws some silver coin change on the table.

The coins are real United States silver coins, including Peace silver dollars and Walking Liberty half dollars. However, they are 20th century American coins and are out of place in a film set in 1879.

Examples of United States Peace silver dollar and Walking Liberty half dollar coins:

Silver, 38 mm, 26.73 gm

The peace dollar was minted from 1921 to 1935.

Silver, 30.6 mm, 12.50 gm
The Walking Liberty half dollar was minted from 1916 to 1947.

The money is good here.

The command decides to evacuate the women and children of the post to Fort Bliss. They leave in a wagon caravan guarded by some soldiers.

The Indians attack the wagon caravan.

The Indians capture one wagon with children and take them to their village. The rest of the Cavalry then rides to the Indian village to rescue the children.

The soldiers successfully rescue the children and return to the post with the women and children.

Mrs. Yorke waits for her husband who has been wounded in the fighting and is being carried on a litter. A regimental parade honors some soldiers being awarded medals for bravery, including Col. Yorke's son.

John Wayne as Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke
Maureen O'Hara as Mrs. Kathleen Yorke
Claude Jarman Jr. as Trooper Jefferson Yorke
Victor McLaglen as Sgt. Maj. Timothy Quincannon
J. Carrol Naish as Lt. Gen. Philip Sheridan
Peter Ortiz as Capt. St. Jacques
The Sons of the Pioneers as the Regimental Musicians
Director: John Ford
Writers: James Kevin Mc Guinness, James Warner Bellah (Saturday Evening Post story)