Pattern Coins/ Essay Pieces Legality?

Generally with the RCM on errors, if the coin left the mint via it's normal distribution route they seem not to have a big problem, except for coins struck on gold planchets they are not too happy. I have one of three 1996 Macintosh apple dollar struck with antique finish, one of the RCM's VP gave them out as gifts, so all kinds weird stuff happens at the RCM and recently a set of 1936 dot coins was donated to the BOC Museum that nobody knew about by the former mint master.

Thank you for your replies!



Herein lies the issue. the "coin" was owned by the "director of (blank)" so I don't know where this would fall.




I have to hold off on that as stated in original post.

this coin is Unifaced, of the correct size but completely blank on obverse.

very similar to the gold brass maple leaf trials but in silver (or silver like metal)

@sel_69l

Thanks for your thought provoking and informative response.

As I see it, you mention two specific classes of coins... the 1933 US gold double eagles and ancients.

For the first, the US Mint did not release these coins and claim that all but 2 donated to museums were stolen. So arguably any in possession outside of the museums or the mint are stolen property.

The second class is much more interesting and thank you for triggering some research as I was unaware that essentially all ancient coins are classed as cultural heritage, not just those from Greece.

https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/...cient-coins/

My interpretation of the legal status of the various coins released is:
1) If released by a modern mint... Fair to own regardless of condition, error or whatever impairment.
2) If modern and not released by a mint... could be subject to a claim of theft (1933 Gold double eagles) in which case the coin could be classed as stolen property.
3) If ancient... tread carefully as it may be classed as cultural property and seized if crossing a border or found by authorities as part of any other search.

The other question is whether coins classed under 2 or 3 above are actually insurable? I am confused though as I believe that auction houses, Heritage for one, do a roaring trade in ancients. Given how public they are, how do they avoid scrutiny for their sales of ancients?

One of my other collecting hobbies is guitars and with the recent addition of Rosewood to the CITES list (Convention on Transport of Endangered Species), it has become increasingly difficult to travel with a guitar given that many have rosewood fingerboards or incorporate certain materials in embellishments. It is not impossible but it is getting to the point where a guitar needs a passport. If this level of scrutiny is applied to coins, it could kill trade in ancients. I know it has caused issues sending guitars to the factory for warranty repair.

Mint employees have been known to clandestinely make error? pattern? coins. A good example of this is the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel.

Another example:
The British Government in the early 1960's decided to close the Tower Hill Mint in London, and open an entirely new minting facility in Llanstrisant, Wales. That is where the British decimal coinage has been made.
Many mint employees did not wish to move to Wales, and preferred to live in London.
They protested by deliberately making error coins, and made sure they got into public hands, by throwing the deliberately made errors over the perimeter wall of the Mint in London.
I have such an error coin from this clandestine activity:
A Penny, dated 1965, perfectly struck, but on a very thin in planchet, with only 60% of the weight of a normal 1965 penny.

The legal status of this British 1965 Penny error? - I have no idea. There has never been any effort by the British Government to recover such errors.
Not reported in any numismatic literature that I have read.
Market value? - again, I have no idea.