"My Three Sons" was a comedy series which ran on the ABC and CBS Television networks from 1960 to 1972. Steve Douglas, an aeronautical engineer, lives with his three sons and his uncle Charlie. The sons are the youngest Ernie (age around 13), middle Chip (age around 16), and oldest Robbie (age around 20). This episode is titled "The State vs. Chip Douglas" and was first broadcast on March 31, 1966. Ernie has a coin collection of pennies which he has mostly pulled from circulation. His father has given him a rare 1914-D (Denver) cent which is worth $37.50. Ernie discovers that his 1914-D cent is missing and accuses Chip of taking it. The argument results in a trial of Chip by a court composed of children. An Indian Head cent is used as a substitute for the 1914-D Lincoln cent.

Ernie has his coin collection of cents on a table.

He is looking at them with a magnifying glass. Common 1960's coin collecting supplies shown include a blue Whitman coin album and square white 2x2 coin holders along with a roll of pennies.

He looks at his star coin, the 1914-D cent. A mailman arrives with a package for Chip and requests four cents for postage. Chip grabs four of Ernie's pennies and gives them to the mailman. Ernie returns and Chip tells him about the four cents.

Ernie can't find the 1914-D cent and launches a search around the house for it. He then accuses Chip of taking it to pay the postman. Chip claims to have looked at the four coins he gave to the postman and states that they were all ordinary cents. Steve Douglas is a juror on a trial, comes home, and helps with the search, along with Uncle Charlie. Ernie asks Chip for the value of the coin, $37.50.

Steve talks about jury trials, circumstantial evidence, and asks family members to trust each other. It is suggested that the two boys hold a "trial" like the ones they have seen on television. The trial is set up with local kids acting as the judge and jurors and Chip as the accused.

Ernie and Chip are witnesses, then a local boy is a character witness for Chip, followed by a surprise witness.

Chip claims that the dog would not associate with a crook. Ernie goes upstairs to await the verdict and changes his clothes. Something falls out of a pocket and lands on the rug.

Ernie looks down and realizes what it is.

The coin is supposed to be the missing 1914-D cent. However, the coin on the rug is an Indian Head cent and these were minted from 1859 to 1909. Ernie talks to his father and then asks to wait for the "verdict" before telling Chip. Chip is found "not guilty" and Ernie congratulates Chip.

Fred MacMurray as Steve Douglas
William Demarest as Uncle Charley O'Casey
Don Grady as Robbie Douglas
Stanley Livingston as Chip Douglas
Barry Livingston as Ernie Thompson Douglas
Director: James V. Kern
Writers: Leo Townsend, Pauline Townsend