74 D Aluminum Cent May Be Confiscated

Hahaha

THE 1974p's were legally authorized and distributed (loaned) to select members of congress for approval. I have read that VP Joe Biden has a couple in his retirement account waiting for auction after he retires. The Mint requested them back and then proceeded to set a precedent by not actively pursuing their return and allowing them to be displayed and sold.

The 1974d was never authorized or legally distributed and therefore considered (like the 1933 Gold Eagles) stolen gov't/mint property.

I can picture this now. Your house is surrounded by government agents from the CIA, NSA, FBI and IRS. Along side them are police from local, state and a few Chinesse spies to see how we handle tuff situations. All are carrying machine guns and rocket launchers. Circling overhead is several Choppers with rockets. Inside is this guy holding a Butane Torch in one hand and that 74 Aluminum Cent in a channel lock pliers in the other hand. He stands at the window with this and we now have a real standoff. Will those agents take the chance that he would melt that coin? Will he melt the coin just to show them? Stay tuned to this station until the final is closed out.

They(errors) are officially released "legal tender" however. That's why errors are legal to own unless they are backdoor jobs that were not legally released but smuggled out. I remember reading about it when that security guard stole all the missing edge lettering dollars and they interviewed a mint official about it.

I just don't understand............Why is a gvt department even concerned about such a coin? Aren't there more important things to deal with...like the economy?

From a business policy standpoint it actually makes no sense at all. If a CEO went to his board and said he wants to spend millions of dollars reclaiming something that is not only worthless to the company but will provide millions in revenue in the future (in this case the tax through future sales) they would be fired on the spot and laughed out of the room. If they werent their stock price would plummet if they were a private business.

The mint doesn't even acknowledge that these were ever made. This isn't spy tech or military hardware where denying the existence has good reasons behind it. If they wont even admit that they made it they really cant claim it was stolen.

Given that they wont even admit to making it its really the same as a planchet error. Pennies arent authorized to be struck on dime planchets but it happens and theyre allowed to exit. Just claim it was a planchet error and let them have to make the case that all error coins are illegal and see how well that goes over.

To make it even worse a 74 P aluminum was graded by PCGS in 05 and that one was deemed perfectly legal. I'm not a conspiracy theory person but the massive inconsistencies even with the aluminum cents themselves and I cant help but think that someone is using the government to get something they want. Nothing about this makes any sense in any way from the government or the mints perspective.

To really make matters worse one of the owners had already pledged to give 100k or more of his profits to charity from the sale. So basically not only is the government wasting resources and money while costing themselves money at the same time, but theyre also hurting people who could have been helped by that substantial contribution to charities for the homeless.

I stand by my initial statement that whoever made the decision to go after it should lose their job, theyre the type of government worker that gives government workers a bad name.

I get what youre saying, I'm just saying some common sense needs to be used. If your company caught you stealing something they would fire you I assume and that would be the end of it. Not wait 40 years long after youre dead then go to your children/grandchildren and tell them they need the office supplies back that you stole 40 years ago while denying they ever purchased them in the first place and that if they dont comply theyre prepared to spend millions on legal fees to get them back.

Since they deny ever making it, they should have to prove its not just an off planchet strike or planchet error before they can even attempt to justify a claim to it.

If theyre worried about deterrence theyve already assured that theres absolutely no deterrent factor from any of this. Their inconsistent stance on the issue destroys any deterrent value since its basically a coin flip of whether or not theyll want it back, plus the fact that you can easily just enjoy it until you die and they make no effort to stop you when it happens 9 times out of 10.

Technology alone could solve the issue in the future anyway for a fraction of the cost assuming they dont already have video systems in place which they likely do.

If the guy who may have taken it was still alive theres an argument to be made, but hes not which basically just means theyre doing it to do it. The fact that the Ps are fine because senators and congressmen refused to give them back when asked while ducking federal investigations looking for them just makes it even more disgusting for the double standard being used here between the haves and have nots.

They should leave this one alone like the Ps, but if they insist on getting this one the Ps better be getting confiscated as well which of course they arent.

They have never tried to sell it. if they were to put it up for auction my bet is it would be confiscated.



They have also said on several occasions that all of the 1933 double eagles were accounted for. That was 21 1933 double eagles ago.



No they have never said it was legal and their position on it is still that it is government property. The only thing they have said is that the people who kept them originally were not intending to steal them.



This I agree with. There are other off-metal coins on planchets that the Mint didn't use (planchets that most likely got mixed in with others from those supplied by outside contractors.) and they are considered legal.