For those of you who are interested. From Coin World. https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/master-die-exists-at-philadelphia-mint-for-1964-peace-dollar
Thread from a few days ago https://www.cointalk.com/threads/finally-1964-d-peace-dollar-or-at-least-the-master-die.358076/
I understand that mint employees walked off with a few, as no one bothered to check that they had returned 1964-D dollars instead of earlier common dates to the melting pot.
While that is possible, and the melting was done by weight, so switches could have been made, none, zero have ever been seen by anyone or surfaced in almost 60 years. People have a hard time keeping secrets and things always turn up. This hasn't. As for a couple being given away, this is a rumor and it was unauthorized, the US Gov't has the position that if a 1964-D turns up, it is illegal to own and subject to confiscation. And now back to our original programming post.
The Treasury Dept isn't spending any time, money or resources looking for this. If someone owned it, it could have been sold secretly to a collector, or smuggled out of the country and sold abroad. Either legitimately or on the black market. Either way, there are no photos, no rumors, no legit. witnesses have ever come forward and proven they have seen this coin. If such a coin existed, someone, somewhere would have evidence of it. Even things that are hushed up, there are still whisperings through the grapevine. If a coin exists, I can only assume they are waiting for long enough time to pass (100 years?) before trying to sell it without confiscation. By passing it down through the family with instructions to wait as long as possible.
Repost https://www.cointalk.com/threads/finally-1964-d-peace-dollar-or-at-least-the-master-die.358076/
You're right, I had to read the article. It's a shame not one has ever surfaced though especially since many people think someone has one or two.
After what happened with the Langbord's and the 1933's, anybody even remotely aware of what they have and what it might be worth would be NUTS to publicly disclose it.
I honestly think nobody pocketed any at all, otherwise we would have seen a few already. We're talking about the 1960's here and about the US Mint, I think it's safe enough to think that nobody walked away with even one 1964 Peace $. Even if someone did, why would they now admit to it now? It's not the same as what happened in the 1933 Saint Gaudens coin. If a person had a 1964 Peace Dollar, they certainly wouldn't admit to it, that's what I think. They would have to admit to committing a felony!
Nonsense. If they were released and then recalled in 1965, which I believe happened because a former Denver Mint employee told me that it happened though I cannot prove it, then failing to return one would not have been a crime at all. If one were actually stolen from the Mint in 1965, i.e., literally smuggled out of the Denver Mint, then it would have been a misdemeanor since it was only worth $1 at the time.
I'm not an expert on this coin by any stretch (as a Saint collector, the 1933 story is more to my liking)...but as I understand it the coins were GIVEN to Denver Mint employees. If the coins were given, you can't reasonably say after-the-fact to give them back retroactively. Well, you CAN but I'm not sure it will hold up legally. Mint employees and higher-up are ALWAYS helping themselves to stuff (I believe that Charles Barber had 8 1907 UHR Saints at one time)....what if years or decades later we said "Give it back" ?