Coins in Movies - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - Moidores

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" was the second of the "Indiana Jones" films starring Harrison Ford as a 1930's archaeologist and adventurer.

Early in the film, some coins appear on a table, they are based on Portuguese gold Moidores. Moidores circulated in the American colonies and were favorites of pirates.


01. Title

This film is set before "Raiders of the Lost Ark" which introduced Indiana Jones, a 1930's American archaeolgist who finds historic items.

Indiana is in a Shanghai China nightclub to sell a statue to Lao Che, a Chinese businessman and gangster. Mr. Lao's girlfriend Willie Scott is a nightclub singer.

The deal goes bad and Indiana and Willie, joined by a Chinese boy, escape on an airplane which takes them to India.

In India they are asked to look into a cult which has been stealing sacred stones and children. After some more adventures, they manage to shut down the cult.


02. Shanghai 1935


03. Indiana Jones

He is here to sell a small statue of "Nurhachi" to Lao Che, a Chinese businessman/gangster. The payment is supposed to be a large diamond.


04. Willie and gangsters

Willie Scott is a nightclub singer and the girlfriend of Lao Che.


05. Hostage

Lao Che's man pulls a gun and tries to steal the goods. Indiana takes Willie as a hostage.


06. Pays

Lao Che tries to pay for the statue with a bag of gold coins.


07. Willie handles bag


08. Rejection

Indiana rejects the coins, he wants the diamond. "The diamond, Lao, the deal was for the diamond". He has Willie hand them back. LaoChe then reluctantly hands over the diamond and receives the statue.


09. Lao Che and the Nurhachi

Lao Che has the Nurhachi and then tells Indiana that he has been poisoned. He asks Indiana to return the diamond, which he does.


10. Returned diamond and coins

This scene provides a closeup of the gold coins in the film. The coins in the film were copied from gold Portuguese Moidores but enlarged for film purposes. The Moidore was a Portuguese gold coin struck in the 1600's and 1700's.


11. A replica set of coins

Here is a real Portuguese Moidore:


12. Portugal Moidore 4000 Reis 1704

The name "Moidore" is an abbreviation for "Moeda de Ouro", or "Money of Gold". Moidores were used in many places in the world, and are mentioned in stories of pirate treasure. They appeared in Robert Louis Stevenson's book Treasure Island.

The legend "IN HOC SIGNO VINCES" is "In This Sign You will Conquer", a slogan used by the Roman Emperor Constantine AD 312 to describe a vision he had of a Christian Cross just before a battle.

The legend "PEDRO II DG PORT ET ALG REX" is an abbreviation for "Pedro II by the Grace of God Portugal and Algavre King". Pedro II (Peter II) was King of Portugal from 1683 to 1706.

A real moidore would have a diameter of 29mm and weigh around 10.7 grams. The closest United States gold coin was the $5 coin, weighing 8.4 grams or around 1/4 troy ounce. A moidore would be worth around six American dollars or 27 British shillings.

Back to the film:


13. Fight club

A fight breaks out at the nightclub with Indiana looking for an antidote to the poison and Willie looking for the diamond.


14. Car found

Indiana and Willie meet Short Round, a Chinese boy, he gets a car and drives them to the airport.


15. Airplane

The airplane is ready to take off with extra passengers.


16. Airplane inside

The airplane is carrying cargo.


17. Pilot

The pilot checks on the passengers.


18. Mountains

The airplane heads southwest towards mountains and then India. In India, Indiana, Willie, and Short Round meet some villagers who tell them that a strange cult is operating in the area. The cultists have taken some sacred stones and the children.


19. India altar

The sacred stones were kept here.


20. Elephants

Transportation is basic.


21. Palace

The three enter a palace connected with the cult.


22. Temple

They locate the cult headquarters at the "Temple of Doom", a Kali-worshipping group.


23. Watching

The three watching the ceremonies.


24. Mola Ram

Mola Ram is the leader of the cult.


25. Indiana ready

After watching a human sacrifice and finding the missing children being used as slave laborers in a mine, Indiana is disgusted and prepares to close the group down.


26. Ready for mine car

After a fight, the three get ready to leave in a mine car. The children, having freed themselves, escape separately.


27. Indiana and Mola on a ladder

Outside, Indiana and Mola Ram enter a personal battle over a crocodile-filled river. Mola loses and feeds the wildlife.


28. Village return

The three return to the village with the sacred stones.


29. Together

Notes:

Cast:
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones
Kate Capshaw as Willie Scott
Ke Huy Quan as Short Round
Amrish Puri as Mola Ram
Roy Chiao as Lao Che.

Produced by Paramount Pictures
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz

 

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Great way of telling a story ... and the (coin) story within the story so to say. Thanks! :thumb:

Christian

 

Thanks => not quite as cool as your Bogart movie-thread, but still "full-points" for the effort and entertainment!!

... please tell us another!!

:thumb:

 

Wow, that brings back some memories, good job...:thumb:

 

Love Indiana Jones!

Great write up on the coins!

I would also point out the massive stack of currency in image 10. Wonder if any of the world currency people could Id the top note.

Also, trivia tidbit, the Shanghai club is called club Obi Wan. You can see it when they jump down. One of the many Star Wars easter eggs in the Indiana Jones series.

 

The currency on the table appears to be copies of Republic of China notes, which would be correct for Shanghai in 1935.