Who's Right & Wrong In Rare Coin Find?

[Blueangel]

The US Mint has seized 10 Double Eagle gold coins - some of the rarest and most valuable in the world - from a woman checking their authenticity.
The Mint says the coins, which never entered circulation, are public property and is holding them at a fort.

Joan Langbord, who says she inherited the coins from her father, a jeweller, has vowed to fight to get them back.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4190298.stm

I'd never heard of this coin before reading this article, and I'm wondering how many of you will go rummaging through your family heirlooms after reading this ;) , but my money's on Joan Langbord to win.

[green lantern]

she will lose. if she is lucky, the mint will sell them and give her a percentage of that sale

[Oliphaunt]

Thats lovely.. cheat an old woman out of a priceless family heirloom :rolleyes:

[Dangerrmouse]

This is Bush's America...Well somebody had to sayit! :p

[patrickt]

Assuming the information is correct then I believe under the law the mint has a right to recover their property. As a matter of fairness, I think they should award her a recovery fee of a percentage of the value of the coins.

[The_Penguin]

Thats lovely.. cheat an old woman out of a priceless family heirloom :rolleyes:
If your parents stole something and handed it down to you as an heirloom, would that make the stolen item ok? Let's put it in another way, what if it was one of your items and then you found out that the kids of the thieves had it? Wouldn't you want the thing that rightfully belongs to you back?

The coins are stolen and it's the legal property of the federal government, I'm siding with the government on this one.

[HAVOC451]

Stolen? Just not surrendered. It was confiscation of private property by executive order by Roosevelt in '33. Collectors have paid millions for a Double Eagle.

[patrickt]

According to the article, the coins were never put in circulation so they weren't "confiscated" by anyone.

[ZXL]

Well then the government could just open up your wallet and take out all the bills and coins you have in there since it's theirs right?

[patrickt]

It's April 15th, income tax deadline, when they open your wallet and empty it. They leave the coins, though.