For all the mainstream
news coverage of their release, the Central Intelligence Agency's "family jewels" are a numismatic disappointment.
The collection of memos and reports — assembled in 1973 to document CIA activities dating back to 1959 that might be "delicate," "inappropriate" or have "flap potential" — contains no mention of currency.
No partially censored notes about cooperation with the Secret Service in an operation to mop up any 1964-D Peace dollars that might have escaped the Denver Mint.
No orders for CIA staff to create a 1944-dated export license for a 1933 $20 gold piece — wouldn't that be fun!
I admit I did not read
all 693 pages. The closest they appear to get to collecting, though, is concern that a Silver Spring, Md., police shooting of a gun collector could be construed to have connection to the agency because it had supplied some equipment and training to the police. Police intercepted a phone call in which Mr. Ballou spoke of a plan to "kill a cop." If Mr. Ballou had thrown a coin at officers instead of picking up an antique gun, we'd have a real hobby tie. He also likely would not have been paralyzed.
I don't mean to make light of these activities. I'm just looking for hobby aspects. There's a lot of ground to cover in there, about CIA surveillance of Americans (such as politically active college students, John Lennon, and journalists of the time including Brit Hume), about a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro using a member of the mob and, one that seems odd to me, about CIA sharing costs of a White House mailing after public comments about Cambodia resulted in massive public response. And there's plenty more.
Maybe someone in the
Cuban Numismatic Association can tell us if there are any direct connections between the CIA's activities and people involved with Cuba's currency.
If you see any numismatic ties to the CIA "family jewels," do tell.