Aluminum cent at show

Less than a year after the fate of 10 1933 $20 gold pieces seized by the government went against the Langbord family, which wanted them back, would you walk around an American bourse floor with another coin the government says is illegal to own?

I sure wouldn’t, but if an email in my morning inbox is accurate, somebody did.

“Last weekend at the Northwest Coin show here in Minneapolis a gentlemen was showing some of the dealers a 1974 aluminum cent and had the paper stating that these were only coins given to Congress for the proposal of the new metal and that these were not released by the Mint and subject to confiscation.

“I told the gentleman who wanted it authenticated to take it out of the country and have it graded by PCGS in Hong Kong and not the U.S. I also suggested him to put it in his safety deposit box at the bank and say nothing else to anybody about owning it.”

This email is certainly an interesting way to start the day.

All I can say is that anyone who wants to make an appointment to see the rarity might also find the Secret Service present at the meeting.