I remember this when I was a kid. Now I think that this is funny. materials ism stinks. THis lady sounds like a witch!

Concept similar to “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by G. B. Shaw. Wealthy philanthropic woman with an obsession for gold commissions an artist to create a portrait to be stamped on a series of gold coins she is having made of her accumulated gold items. Two flashbacks demonstrate the extent to which she will go to acquire gold, even at the expense of her closest friends. While the original portrait is a flattering reflection of her outer image, the image on the coins are a reflection of her ‘true self’. She dies of shock at the end.

Miriam meets many of the criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Frances Sternhagen does a brilliant portrayal of a sociopath, or a psychopath. It's not overdone, so that's why I rate this episode as very good. She is very convincing playing a terrible person who is manipulative with no remorse.

Totally agree! The sociopathic personality is often SO overdone in fiction/drama -- ironically, examples of overdone sociopathy can be found in a few other episodes of this very series! -- but the much more realistic portrayal here is a testament to an excellent script and her excellent reading of it. It makes me wonder if the writer (Bob Juhren) and Ms Sternhagen had each known such people in their real lives, at least enough to create such an informed portrayal.

This is one of my favorites! Good characters, plot, pacing, A very effective ending. I knew the final coin would not look as flattering as her portrait, but what it DID look like came as a surprise.

CBSRMT audiences were truly blessed with the Fantastic Frances Sternhagen on more than one occasion, highlighted with this superb performance. She’s a multi award winning actress who made her mark on stage, screen, and here on radio. Picture Sex and the City’s Bunny while listening and get ready for one of the best CBSRMT episodes of the series- FIVE STARS !⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️