Area 51 and the US mint?

Does anyone recall hearing that an employee had been fired for trying to smuggle error coins or anything else? Does the public ever hear of the incidents that happen at the US mint or is the building and workers a secret entity similar to the legendary Area 51?

Excuse my links, I'm having trouble with my computer so you may have to cut and paste to see what they're about. :hail:

http://www.pcgs.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=5334&universeid=313

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_51

http://numismaticnews.net/article/Special_Mint_Set_product_of_1960s/

 

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The links work just fine.

 

Hilarious!

 

Mint employees frequently do wierd things to coins. Some "mules" are made intentionally, Wrong planchets may have been 'planted', there are questions about the 'extra leaf' quarters. there are many examples. The employees know what that stuff sells for.

 

I would love to work at either mint. I honestly hope I could resist the temptation of doing the nonos we often hear of mint employees. I at least would do it for the passion of coin collecting, rather than trying to sell them!

 

I'm glad you brought this up! I've wondered if Mint employees have ever deliberately looked the other way when they should have spotted and removed error coins.

Has a collector ever tried to bribe a Mint employee to facilitate the release of error coins?

I imagine Mint employees must sign all sorts of documents where they promise not to do stuff like that.

 

Umm, here in Germany we had such a case in the mid-1970s. The director of the Karlsruhe mint, somebody from the administration (deputy director, I think), and a worker made about 1,700 "copies" of rare pieces, dated roughly 1950-1970. They had "customers" who were apparently willing to pay high prices for such rarities ...

At some point a coin dealer thought that some pieces were "fishy" (odd combination of dies), the police/DA investigated, the case went to court (1976-78), and the three were sentenced. Was a major story back then. Interestingly the court decided that the unauthorized pieces were not counterfeits but, well, coins.

Christian

 

Thanks Christian!

 

Many years ago all sorts of things happened at the US Mint. Recommended reading on this subject is:
The U.S. Mint and Coinage, Don Taxay
History of the United States Mint and It's Coinage, David W. Lange

Both texts relate stories of unique pieces made "to order" or to trade with collectors to obtain desired pieces for the Mint's collection. In modern times I'm sure confidentiality laws would prevent information from leaking out, especially if mint employees were involved in disclipine issues.

 

5 1913 Liberty Nickels

 

Which were included in special presentation sets requested by the State Department versus an employee doing something illegal.

 

'33 St. Gaudens?

 

Just following orders

I thought those were folks Just following orders.

 

Then there was Carson City

Then there was Carson City. I've heard there were some problems there.:whistle:

Then again, I was born 9 months after that area 51 thingie. Mom didn't want to talk about it.

 

Thanks Pennyguy and ML94539. I'll check out those books, and then go find one of those 1913 Liberty Nickels. I hear their price is quite reasonable.

 

I haven't been collecting long enough to have heard of anyone being fired, but I'm sure it's happened. And then there are errors like the one The Penny Lady posted awhile back that makes you wonder how it ever got out of the mint.

Talk about a MONSTER ERROR: http://www.cointalk.com/t80205/

 

I would love to have a 1964 Peace Dollar! TC

 

All of these were produced legally and legitimately. The debate on the '33 Saints is whether they left the mint legally, which I personally believe they did.

 

I often wonder if any escaped the mealting pot and into collector's hands. By the way, does anyone know if the Smithsonian collection has one of these?

 

If anything like that happened, Iam sure they would cover it up!!