United States Mint to Display Ten 1933 Double Eagles at World’s Fair of Money

United States Mint to Display Ten 1933 Double Eagles at World’s Fair of Money

For First Time, Public Will See Recently Recovered Fabled Gold Pieces in Denver August 16

Coin collectors, history buffs and those who are simply curious will get a golden opportunity to see the 10 recently recovered 1933 Double Eagles at the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money® in Denver August 16-19.


The United States Mint has secured these national treasures at Fort Knox until now. This will mark the first time the United States Mint will put the historic artifacts on display for their owners: the American people. The four-day event is open to the public and admission is free.


The 10 gold pieces were illegally removed from the United States Mint at Philadelphia more than 70 years ago. After United States Mint officials enlisted the assistance of the Secret Service and the Department of Justice, the Secret Service recovered the 10 Double Eagles in Philadelphia for the United States Mint in late 2004. The gold pieces were authenticated last year as genuine 1933 Double Eagles.


One 1933 Double Eagle surfaced in 1996 and was recovered by the Secret Service. Following a legal settlement, that gold piece was returned to the United States Mint and was subsequently issued and auctioned in New York City to an anonymous buyer for $7.5 million on July 30, 2002. The United States Department of the Treasury has said that it does not intend to monetize, issue or auction the 10 recently recovered 1933 Double Eagles.


United States Mint Acting Director David Lebryk will unveil the 10 fabled 1933 Double Eagles at the Opening Ceremony of the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money on Wednesday, August 16 in Denver. They will be a marquis exhibit of the Nation’s largest coin show which runs through Saturday, August 19.


What: Unveiling by the United States Mint of Ten 1933 Double Eagles at the Opening Ceremony of the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money

 

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well there is a load of propaganda for ya!


That is the mint's story and their stickin to it, but the legal battle over the ownership of those coins has not concluded...

 

Maybe they will display them next to the 1964 Peace dollars.

 

Anyone taking bets that a judge is asked to issue a restraining order to stop their display by the "previous" owners?

 

thieves. Honestly they are now exhibiting the coins they STOLE. I am going to be there and if they've got someone there I do beleive I'll let them know it.

 

I was in Washington DC this weekend and saw a collection of rare coins at the Smithsonian. The collection included a vaiety of double eagle pattern coins, a 1974 aluminum cent, an 1804 dollar that was reproduced in the 1850's, and a bunch of other stuff. The total value of the collection is supposed to be $103 million. It was a very interesting collection.

 

I agree...thieves...propaganda. They think if they repeat the story often enough it will be true. They felt that way for years but had to back down on the one that was legalized. A court case here could well blow the whol emess wide open, and maybe all 1933s would be legal. They cut a deal with the earlier one to avoid a court case, and i hope the owner of these 10 pushes the issue in court.

There was in fact a short window where these could be legally purchased in 1933 by Mint employees. The Mint can't deny that. I will be very interested in how this case proceeds over the 10 new coins.

 

I have a question. Most numismatists are of the opinion that the coins are being, if I'm nice about it, unfairly held by the Federal government. To be truthful, I would argue the Federal Government is not only holding stolen property, but is the actual thief. Anyway, how do you think will this exhibit be received? Do you think the Mint employees there will get an earful from other collectors who think as we do? Or, the great temptation to see 10 1933 Double Eagles notwithstanding, will they boycott the exhibit entirely? Or will something else, or nothing, happen?

 

That is a very good question. Any newbies or non-collector's will be struck by the exhibit itself but the others will overwhelmingly be against the pretext of "recovered" illegal coins. This is a VERY unwise move by the mint to diplay these, as it will onkly geerate publicity and sympathy for the rightly owners (no, not the Feds). I pity the poor security guard who does that detail - he will got an earful.

 

hehe I won't be going...hows a 12 year old going to get from MA to CO w/o a car and no money? lol

Plus I'm in a play

 

So were these 10 legally purchased by mint employees? I guess I wasn't very familiar with the story, but I thought (assumed) these were more or less stolen by mint employees and sold to private collectors. Or is the real story more or less unknown (and therefore disputed by both sides)?

 

The Secret Service only did half of the job, as usual, and had they been nice to GDJMSP I'm sure he would have let them have his to show along with the other ten coins. Or so I have been told.:kewl:

 

No one knows how many were legally bought, but the point is, there was a way to get them legally. The Feds have always said that they were never issued and therefore none were legal. But, if some were issued (sold) legally - which did in fact happen - then the Feds have to prove that a specific coin was stolen (this is just my opinion).

The Feds can't argue that some may have been stolen and therefore all are illegal to own. Innocent until proven guily, not the other way around.

 

Amazing how USA government so in debt to the rest of the world, but can seize coins and not pawn them off of yet, but perhaps after exhibits and new interest they will sell them.

 

We ARE talking about the 10 coins confiscated from the heirs of the late Israel Switt, aren't we? No one is sure how he ended up with them. He was questioned in 1944, and acknowledged that he had sold nine '33 double eagles, and claimed to have no recollection of where he got them. Several years after his death his family found 10, while going through his antique shop. And the mint took them!!! Just thought I'd fill in those who didn't know. And I absolutely agree - What the mint did/is doing, is not right.

 

Those are the ones.

I will never understand why the family came forward with 10 of them. Why not bring out one and see what happens and fight the court case on that one?

I hope they fight and win, and bust this scam wide open. There is a more compelling arguement for these being legal than there is for the five 1913 Liberty nickels.

 

I can't argue with your reasoning, but I guess I would have just done it differently. I'd still rather have a few to myself even if the others wwre confisacted. Who knows what the policy will be in future years, regardless of what happens now.

For example, 10 years ago no one would have dreamed that we'd have any legal 1933 DEs or 1974 aluminum cents, but now we have one of each.

Anyway, the govt now has two issues to worry about. 1) They have always maintained that these 1933s are illegal and therefore they would need to continue that arguement to remain consistent. 2) They promised the world that the one 1933 they legalized a few years back would be the only legal one ever. If they are forced by court order to legalize 10 more, the guy who bought the first one might sue. Anyway, it will be messy, and the govt has sure painted itelf into a corner. It has no choice but to fight at this point.