Sticky fingers government douchebags at it again.
More government help?
They could at least offer them $20 each for them.
Bastards!
I'll take those. Thank you very much. Our government at work.
But Berke said Mint officials couldn't prove the coins had been stolen, or were subject to forfeiture.
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Well, the first problem was the gentlemen took the coins to the mint. Mistake one.
The second was trusting them -- and you see what happened. This guy has been robbed by persons seeking now to posess very high value marketable collectibles, and the government is going to try and get away with ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY in robbing this man who had possession of these coins. I am a collector and there have been many instances of government employees deliberately committing fraud and theft of rare and special specimens for monetary gain.
I hope this man fights these crooks and gets HIS coins back.
"Mint officials asked to authenticate the coins, then confiscated them after doing so, Berke said."
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There are highly-reputable professional coin grading services that could have graded and authenticated the coins and the coins would have been returned to the owner. The big mistake was in allowing a government agency to this.
The value of gold is a myth.
Doesn't matter the Supreme Court rule the gov't can seize anything, whenever it wants, for any reason.
The Mint should give him at least a $1 million dollar settlement. Fricking bureaucrats....as if they needed the coins anyway. Produce some replicas if they're that valuable. Sheesh.
Shucks, guess that means I'll have to keepem locked up and just enjoy them in private now.......;>)
We weren't on the gold standard prior to 33, we were on a gold exchange standard.
And we didn't go off the standard, FDR criminalized gold possession.
Public domain bump?
'After a legal battle, the dealer was permitted to sell the coin at auction on the condition he split the proceeds with the Mint.'
Hehe... I'm suprised no one pointed that out.
Government: He stole from us!
Seller: No I didn't. These coins are mine.
Gov't: Ok then, sell the coins and give us a cut.
The Mint is acting like a mob racket. Harass and shake down money.
How stupid.
They confiscate the coins and melt them down to bullion or put them under glass for people to oogle over.
But is the family sells them for$15 million and pays MILLIONS in income tax.
Looks like the majority of responses so far are from FReepers unclear on the concept of "property."
F the G.
Unbelievable.
More proof that we are here to serve the government. Our rights are bestowed upon us by the government. They can be taken away at a bureaucrats whims.
We should all bow down and thank the Almighty Federal Government for what it allows us to have ... cheap crap from China, mostly.