Under Mexicali Stars (1950)

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Coins in Movies

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Rex Allen hunts smugglers of Mexican gold Centenario 50 peso coins

The 1950 film "Under Mexicali Stars" shows a Mexican centenario gold coin.

The "Arizona Cowboy" Rex Allen plays a cowboy working for US Treasury agents to locate gold mine thieves and counterfeiters.

This film is set the California-Mexico border area, and is a modern period film with automobiles and other 1950's items appearing, including a new type of flying machine.

At one point a Mexican police official shows Rex a Mexican centenario 50 peso coin, which appears to be a real coin, not a film prop copy.

Actor Buddy Ebsen, who has a role in this film, later became a noted coin collector.

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1. Title

A sign appears which reads:

El Norte Fiesta Week May 2-8 Rodeo Annual Chuckwagon Race

Rex Allen arrives in town and meets Madeline Wellington, a local girl, and Homer Oglethorpe, a government agent posing as a salesman.

Homer hands Rex a flyer with a message instructing him to enter and win a chuckwagon race. Madeline's father Nap is also an entrant in the race.

2. Madeline and Homer watch the race

Rex is at the reins of the horses.

3. Rex Allen at the reins

Rex wins the race and then Homer tells him that the Wellingtons are suspected counterfeiters.

Rex then reports to a massage parlor where his partner Homer is in a steambath.

The manager is a US Treasury agent who asks Rex to impersonate a counterfeiter named Jordan, get a job at a ranch, and to find out who is stealing refined gold from local gold mines.

4. Rex meets Homer

A Mexican Secret Service agent, Inspector Gomez, shows a coin to Rex.

5. Inspector Gomez shows a coin to Rex and explains what it is

Some time ago my country minted a series of gold coins of various denominations called centennials. This is one of them, worth around sixty dollars in your money. My government discovered that those coins are being counterfeited by experts. Coin collectors purchase some of them but most of them go to the black markets all over the world.

6. Mexican coin obverse

The figure on the coin is the Mexico City "Angel of Independence" statue.

7. Mexican coin reverse

The figure on the coin is the national emblem of Mexico, the Eagle, Snake, and Cactus.

The coin is a Mexican centenario 50 peso gold coin.

8. Mexico centenario 1944 gold coin

Mexican centenario coins were originally minted in 1921 to commemorate the centennial of Mexican independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico kept making them until 1947, then continued with the 1947 date until 1972.

They are normally classed as "bullion coins" and are made for gold investors. They have a denomination of 50 pesos to make them legally "coins." They contain 37.5 grams or 1.2 troy ounces of gold.

Back to the film:

Rex has invested $1500 and gone to work for a ranch and mine run by Madeline Wellington and her father. He is assigned to take a shipment of gold to town, he and the shipment are hijacked by outlaws.

9. Rex sings to Madeline

Despite the excitement, Rex has time to sing a song to Madeline.

Meanwhile, the outlaws are busy.

10. Outlaws pursue mine wagon

The outlaws leave Rex and ride off with the gold to a box canyon. Madeline and her father pick up Rex, then the father and Rex and head into town.

11. Town with modern cars

An old car and a modern 1950's station wagon appear.

Rex reports the latest theft to the sheriff and a group heads out to the box canyon. They find the wagon and footprints which suddenly stop.

Rex and Madeline decide to visit the mine and look around. Three outlaws show up and capture them.

12. Outlaws capture Rex at mine

Rex gets away from the outlaws, is arrested by the sheriff, escapes from jail, and finds Madeline.

The pair ride out at night to look around.

13. Rex and Madeline watch the skies

Suddenly a strange device appears in the sky.

14. A UFO?

They find out how the thieves are transporting the gold to Mexico.

15. Its a helicopter!

This is probably the first appearance of a helicopter in a Western film.

One outlaw forces Madeline into the helicopter and flies away to Mexico.

Rex manages to grab the helicopter undercarriage and drops off at the Mexican hideout. There, other outlaws are manufacturing the coins.

Rex enters, identifies himself as the counterfeiter Jordan, and offers to distribute the coins. The outlaws at first believe his story.

16. Outlaws hold Madeline

The outlaw discuss eliminating Madeline as a witness.

17. Rex sings to Madeline

Madeline tries to avoid Rex, then one of the outlaws tricks Rex into revealing his true identity. A gunfight ensues with Rex and Madeline riding off on horses.

Two outlaws use a novel method of pursuing the pair.