Family Sues Mint over return of 1933 Double Gold Eagles

[Gypsy Heart]

From the Front page of Coin World 12/25/26

The family of Philadelphia jeweler Isreal " Izzy" Switt is suing the U.S. Mint, saying it illegally seized 10 gold 1933 Saint -Gaudens Gold $ 20.00 double eagles coins that are among the rarest and most valuable in the world that the family found among a dead relative's possessions.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, accuses the Mint of violating the Constitution and breaking federal forfeiture laws by refusing to return the 1933 "double eagle" coins to the family after it handed the coins over to have their authenticity confirmed.

Plaintiffs Joan S. Langbord 76,and her sons, Roy 54, and David 51, are seeking the immediate return of the coins, said their attorney, Barry H. Berke.

Defendants named in the suit include the Mint, the Treasury Department, and officials in those agencies.

A Mint spokesman declined to comment, saying that the Mint had not yet been officially served.

Double eagles were first struck in 1850. They are so named because they had a face value of $20, twice the amount of gold coins known as eagles.


The coins, which Mint officials have said are so rare that their value could not be calculated, feature a flying eagle on one side and a figure representing liberty on the other. There were 445,500 minted in 1933, but they were melted down before being released into circulation when President Franklin D. Roosevelt took the country off the gold standard.

A handful escaped, however. Two were deliberately set aside and are at the Smithsonian Institution. The Mint has said any others in existence were obtained illegally, but agreed after a lengthy court battle to allow one of the coins to be sold at auction in 2002 for $7.59 million - the highest price ever paid for a coin - after its owner agreed to split the proceeds with the Mint.

Langbord, who discovered the coins in 2003 in a safe deposit box belonging to her deceased father, longtime Philadelphia jeweler Israel Switt, was aware of that case and contacted the Mint to disclose the coins' existence and "attempt to reach an amicable resolution of any issues that might be raised," the lawsuit states.

She handed the coins over to the Mint to be authenticated, but the Mint refused to give them back, saying they must have been stolen from the Philadelphia Mint in the early 1930s because they had never been in circulation, according to the lawsuit.

Switt, who died in 1990, told Secret Service agents in 1944 that he had possessed and sold nine 1933 double eagles, according to the Mint. All were tracked down by the government and destroyed between 1944 and 1952.

"The Mint's lawless position is that by merely claiming the coins were somehow removed from the Mint unlawfully in the 1930s, they can take the Langbords' property without proving it in a court of law," Berke said.

The coins at the center of the lawsuit were briefly displayed this summer for an American Numismatic Association's convention in Denver. They have been secured at the U.S. Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Ky.

 

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[Dave N Japan]

WOW...What a story! They should get something,but I can understand the mint too if they were stolen. Hard to say what should happen!
Thanks for the story!

 

[Light Foot]

*()$#%^ ^(*#$(%^& gubbrmuts shud a never stuck their noses into ^&%* that does not concern them. To take away anybodies PERSONAL PROPERT
sorry, just another deal. Makes my blood boil.

 

[jeff of pa]

The problem I have with this whole thing is the
Statute of Limitations

I'm not a lawyer, or even know what it is on Theft.

But is there special rules where there is no Statute when it comes to
the Government ?

are the rest of us held at a lower standard where our posessions arn't
as important ?

if someone stole a Horsless carrage from Sears in 1933
and someone posted they have it for sale on EBay.
Can it be Confiscated by Sears ?

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

I think the mint is using supposition to establish an idea that they must have been stolen. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if they were in circulation at one point, it is a matter of fact that anyone could've retained them before they were all turned in or melted, etc. If the mint cannot prove that they were in fact stolen, which I'm almost sure would be impossible to prove as coins don't even have serial numbers, then they should be returned. The point of statue of limiations is also a good one. Almost every crime has one in every state with the exceptions of murder and kidnapping among a few that don't have one.

 

[blurr]

No 1933 double eagles were ever introduced into circulation. Had they been, then there wouldn't have been anything the government could do about it. Soon after minting, FDR had the bank holiday, and banned gold coinage from being used. I think the Gov. was afraid all the gold would leave the country. Anyways, a few double eagles were evidently swiped by someone at the mint. This is what I remember hearing anyways.

John

 

[Mainedigger]

Major gray area..and anything involving the government does have its own rules, subject to change at any time. I am not a lawyer either, but where they allowed one to be sold, isn;t that setting precedent? The Mint had no problem pocketing half of the sale price of 7 million plus. Now they say pocessing them is illegal? Well which is it If it is illegal to have them then the mint is guilty of a crime as well, for recieving money from the sale of the first one. But thena gain, they were the original "owners"...but doesn;t the government and mint work for and represent us...WE the people
Gold does funny things to people....there is also the 1913 Liberty nickel which only 5 are supposed to exist..this coin was never put into circulation either, but I don;t see them taking them back, I am not positive on the price but I think one was recently sold for around 8 million.
FDR ordered the 1933 gold coins destroyed, but his act was unconstitional as well....illegal for Americans to own gold? but o.k. for the government? double standards there...what about the bills that say payable to bearer in gold....that mean the U.S. isn;t good for its word or currency??
Damn mess is what it is and likely to get get messier with gold, big money and the government involved.
I know one thing...I would be VERY pissed off if I was the guy that bought that other one for 7 million plus, thinking it was one of only a couple and now these 10 suddenly appear...how many more are around out there hidden away

 

[papa]

What a crock ! The government will keep this in court till the family has pasted away,then say,finders keepers. I would rather split the returns with a lawyer,than give it to the government. Another fine case of "Do as I say,not as I do"
Where will it all end?

 

[Mainedigger]

What a crock ! The government will keep this in court till the family has pasted away,then say,finders keepers. I would rather split the returns with a lawyer,than give it to the government. Another fine case of "Do as I say,not as I do"
Where will it all end?

Papa...I really hope the family has one of the very few good decent lawyers that will do this case jsut to have his name on the precedent and his name listed there in big letters. I hope this because why should the family have to split any returns with anyone?? Shows what the government thinks of good honest citizens who have faith in their government...they take their belongings and make the family think twice about their faith....and I agree..the whole thing a a total crock of sh_t. Give em back the coins or give them market value for each. The only theft I see out of this whole picture is from the mint...they stole the coins from the family.
Granted, I can see the point that they may have been removed from the mint in a not so legal way....but they also could ahve been gifts from a senior mint employee or something of the sorts...point is...no one will ever know and there is no way of proving anything.

 

[papa]

MD, You are right.These people tyred to do the right thing,just look at what the government has done to them.Nine times out of ten these people had worked their butts off all their lives and could really use the money.Just makes me sick.Want to bet the IRS and the rest of the alphabet clubs are looking at these people,hard.