Numismatic Terrorists

"Attempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country are simply a unique form of domestic terrorism," U.S. Attorney Tompkins said in announcing the verdict.

Um, yes, it's been discussed before on the forum, a great many times. Just do a forum search for "norfed" or "nothaus" or "liberty dollar" (exact phrase) and you'll find dozens of threads.


But some people could - and some people did. Von NotHaus did his cause no end of harm when he appeared on a Discovery Channel documentary on money, and went up to some poor unsuspecting hot dog vendor and bought a hot dog with one of his coins - without telling her it was actually a coin he made himself in his basement. (Yes, yes, I know, they were actually made by Sunshine Mint, not in his basement. But they might as well have been, as far as their being "real money you could take to the bank" was concerned).

I love the coins, and the idea behind them. The fact that the government felt threatened enough to shut it down is telling.

Here is one I won in a trivia contest at a local coin club.

I'm with you Windchild. It's an informal bartering token, "worth what someone will pay for it" to paraphrase the makers. Beautiful coins, and much nicer than any post-Peace Dollar US Dollar.

This was a threat to the Federal Reserve system and less so The United States. Civil War tokens circulated along sing U.S. coins during the Civil War without any objection. Many other tokens by Saloons, Mines, and merchants have also circulated without objection. This one was an attempt to hit the bankers that really rule this country and they couldn't have that.

doesn't have to be taken as US Mint currency to have the same effect. If people started using it and taking it as their own currency it would have the same affect of devaluing the US money