

Gold Coins: The Mystery of the Double Eagle - winanga
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/gold-coins-the-mystery-of-the-double-eagle-08252011.html

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delinka
I still don't understand why the U.S. government should care. If they were
being circulated as currency, it would make sense. But the metal in the coins
is worth many many times their face value. It'd be ludicrous for a holder of a
double eagle coin to spend it as $20.

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bena
Basically, all Double Eagles not in the government's possession are stolen
property.

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rudiger
Not all of them. A 1933 Double Eagle coin was legally auctioned, and an
additional $20 was needed to “monetize” the face value of the coin so it would
become legal currency.

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larrik
I believe the government's position is that one coin was also stolen property,
which they then dealt with in a special way, given the circumstances.

More importantly, the government believes the 10 coins the article is really
about were stolen _by the family who currently is trying to get them back_. A
huge difference to the original case of the single coin.

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ck2
How much taxpayer money has been wasted over the past 50+ years over this
nonsense. Flights, security, agent hours, overtime, pensions, etc. just to
pursue this nonsense.

Anyone could think of a dozen ways the money could have been better spent, but
I guess every level of cops need their own little agenda to abuse to feel
important.

I say if anyone happens to have one, let them sell it and instead charge a 40%
tax rate on the selling price.

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kwantam
Don't you understand, if the government doesn't spend huge sums recovering
these coins our currency will be devalued.

I mean, devalued more. Because, you know, quantitative easing, and all that.

More seriously: I want to know how the hell you find a jury who will actually
support the government stealing heirlooms from an 82-year-old woman's safety
deposit box.

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qxb
Here's a single page version:
[http://www.businessweek.com/printer/magazine/gold-coins-
the-...](http://www.businessweek.com/printer/magazine/gold-coins-the-mystery-
of-the-double-eagle-08252011.html)

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woodall
Here is the Wikipedia article, I like the pictures, if anyone is interested;
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1933_Double_Eagle>

and more on the trial, which ended this year, here;
[http://www.coinworld.com/articles/1933-double-eagle-trial-
at...](http://www.coinworld.com/articles/1933-double-eagle-trial-at-long-last-
a-conclu/)

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rudiger
Is there any qualitative difference (eg. a unique design beyond the "1933"
year) between the 1933 Double Eagle coin and the coins from previous years?
Obviously, an interesting story makes these worth so much more.

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pmiller2
No. They are exactly the same design as coins minted 1908-1932 (1907 was a
special case, having two different designs, only one of which continued on).

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CurtHagenlocher
I kept waiting for them to say something about Isaac Newton...

