Langbord-Switt 1933 Double Eagle Case

So, essentially, the government would be liable for weight in kind of 10 double eagles?

 

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That's the theory. I'm still working through how I feel about that idea. It's a tough call, but I see it as an arguable proposition that should not be tossed aside cavalierly.

 

By the way, I've seen both Smithsonian examples as recently as this past May. Conditionwise, they aren't all that impressive. If anything is going to be melted, and I don't think it should, but if they are going to melt these, at least exchange the best two Langbords for the current Smithsonian pieces. We need to be keeping the best that exist.

 

I don't know... I only see two scenarios regarding the Switt coins:

1) They actually were stolen. If the employee swapped in received coins for the 1933s and didn't log them, then the coins were clearly stolen.
2) They were *sorta* stolen. If the employee swapped in coins provided by Switt, then maybe Switt has some claim to the original coins... if he did it with no malice.

In the first case, there's no basis for compensation.

In the second case, Switt should have returned the coins to the Mint once he realized what he had. As a jeweler, he was likely subject to pawn brokering laws, which would mean he'd receive any bulletins provided by the US Mint regarding the status of the coins. Once the Mint began to actively hunt the coins down, if Switt wasn't complicit in some form, he should have come forward.

 

The absolute best I would give them for the exchange would be a tax credit for face value. They can write off the expense of the safe deposit box and lawyer fees.

 

A part of me wonders why the judge didn't order what should be done with the coins.

 

Interesting. I'm not certain the IRS would agree. Depends on whether they're still in an active business that uses the SDB.

 

Yup, might have saved a lot of trouble. But then perhaps not. Judge Rendell's vacated order seemed to have been based on what she felt should have been done with the pieces from the get-go, pending the trial. Why she felt it still needed to be enforced after the fact evades me completely, and apparently 9 of her colleagues as well.

 

Alongside ignorance and stupidity. Their lawyer(s) could also be to blame.

 

Barry Berke? Yeah, maybe, but not likely. One thing for certain - "RWB" did not distinguish himself as a witness. The jury found his testimony lacking in believability. I'm not the least bit surprised, frankly. His theory of the facts reads like a totally made up story custom-made to suit a particular outcome. That's not testimony, it's fiction writing.

 

Kurt, do you have any access to his trial testimony? It's your position, that's why I'm thinking you might. I read only the snippets of the trial record that were referenced in the opinion in the first appeal in the Third Circuit. I'd love in particular to see the cross examination on this "expert" witness. Based on what I read, I don't think I'd trust him to lick a postage stamp for me. Evidently, you're right, neither did the jury trust him.

 

Oh bugger. I have it in my files somewhere; I'll find it eventually. Unfortunately, trial transcripts from our federal courts are behind a paywall on a system called PACER, with which I have an account. I'm up to my armpits right now making sure I have my ducks in a row to leave for Anaheim.

 

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1) Capitalization and punctuation are our friends. We need to treat our friends better.
2) "Knowing". What do we know? So far, all we're doing is speculating.

 

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Okay, they can be friends too. Ever wonder what happens when you hit the SHIFT key along with the emoji? Oh wait, clearly your keyboard lacks the SHIFT key, right?

 

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With regards to the other coins brought up, I have heard apocryphal stories of the 64-D Peace dollars, have never seen an authentic one though. But the Martha Washington trial pieces trade from time to time in published auctions. I am not saying they are legal per say to own, but maybe the Mint figures they would prefer to go after higher profile coinage like the 1933 Saint and the '74-D aluminum cent.

Another questionable coin that exists is the '59 Wheat back cent, one of these was sold ca. 2012 on Goldberg Auctions for approx $40K - the Secret Service authenticated the coin, the mint claims not possible and a well known forger claims to have counterfeited it. Mark Hoffman, the alleged counterfeiter is sitting in prison in Utah, but not for that, but for selling fake Mormon documents from the 19th century.

 

Re: Mark Hoffman

Glad our tax dollars are going to good use.

 

The story made the Washington Post on August 2, 2016:

‘A high-stakes dispute over ten pieces of gold’: Court reclaims priceless Double Eagle coins for U.S. government

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...riceless-double-eagle-coins-for-us-government