[ltc8k6]

Correct. These coins were stolen from the Mint. They were never issued to anyone. They are stolen property, and thus always belong to whoever they were stolen from. In this case, the government.

The statute of limitations would only apply to prosecuting the thief.

The property still belongs to it’s rightful owner. Just as stolen WW2 property still belongs to it’s owner, even though it was stolen so long ago.

If you find an old Ferrari in your grandfather’s barn, and it’s listed as stolen, it doesn’t belong to you simply because you have possession of it and you are not the person who stole it.

It belongs to the person it was stolen from, or the insurance company, if they paid the claim on it.

[Truthsearcher]

You’re correct, but the government should’ve had the good graces to at least give these a people a finder’s fee for finding stolen property and turning it in. Had they done that there would have been no lawsuit.

[Axenolith]

Really? If that is so, and the mint, as the boviating bench warmer cited, kept such meticulous records, why did they not list a loss of 10 ounces, or 10 coins?

Because the books balanced, someone either traded in $20 certs, or pre 1933 $20 coins for those... Ergo, they weren’t “stolen”...

[muawiyah]

or, simply to the individual it was stolen from even if the insurance company paid a claim! Frequently insurance companies don't go through the process of actually acquiring ownership in case the property shows up later ~ that way no matter what happens to that property they will bear no liability for it.

We had a story here a few months back where a guy found his stolen car 20+ years later being sold on Craig's List ~ he went and picked it up. The insurance company made no claim to it ~ 'cause they'd never claimed it ~ simply paid the claim when it was made at the time of the theft.

[ontap]

Not only that but the guy that stole them was part of the gestapo government that at the time was persecuting the American people with their socialistic horseshit. These people have profited off the government enough. These coins belong to the American people and should be either sold and the money used to pay down the debt or donated to The Smithsonian!