CoinClinic: Unauthorized Coin Strikes
From the mysterious 1913 Liberty Head nickel to the 1933 double eagle, unauthorized Mint strikes raise complicated questions about when a piece of metal becomes a coin.
Since the 1913 Liberty Head nickel was not issued by the U.S. Mint, shouldn’t it be considered just a piece of stamped metal rather than a coin?
The 1913 Liberty nickel is in a similar situation as are the clandestinely produced coins made by mint night watchman Theodore Eckfeldt around 1858 or 1859. In each case, the so-called coins were made using official dies; however, their production was unauthorized. There has never been a court case to resolve the status of any of these questionable issues. The Secret Service has not attempted to confiscate them. Without either a court case or a government seizure of any of these spurious pieces, they remain treated as having legal tender status.
What coins were Eckfeldt accused of making on his own?
Both the 1804 Plain Edge, Draped Bust silver dollar and 1827/3 Capped Bust proof quarter restrikes have been attributed to the midnight antics of Theodore Eckfeldt. An old and rusted 1819 quarter reverse was used to produce the quarters and should not be confused with similar mint-authorized coins that employed a reverse free of rust. It is challenging to determine if the night watchman struck additional coins or not. Members of the Eckfeldt family worked at the U.S. Mint for 130 years. The Eckfeldt Collection, advertised as being from “the first family of the mint,” was auctioned by Ira and Larry Goldberg’s Coins and Collectibles in 2017.
Were all 1804 silver dollars unauthorized strikes?
The so-called Class I 1804 “original” silver dollars were struck about 1834 or 1835 under the authorization of the Department of State. These were produced to be used as diplomatic gifts to the Sultan of Muscat and the King of Siam. The Class II re-strikes were minted by Theodore Eckfeldt and possibly others. These were sold privately to collectors. The Class III re-strikes are likewise unauthorized. Struck sometime during the late 1850s or early 1860s, these were also sold privately to collectors. The Class II coins have a smooth edge. Not all known Class III coins have a lettered edge.
What is the status of the 1933 $20 double eagle coins?
Considering that the legality of the 1913 Liberty nickel has never been challenged in the courts or seized by the Secret Service, the same standards should be applied to the 1933 $20 double eagle coins. In fact, both have been applied. It has been ruled by the courts that the King Farouk (Egypt) example was legally exported in 1944. That coin has since been sold at a public auction in 2002. In 2016, a court ruled that 10 additional examples held by the Israel Switt family in Philadelphia are government property. There have been additional lawsuits that have agreed with the conclusions drawn in the Israel Switt case.
Are there any additional 1933 $20 double eagles in private hands outside the United States?
There are two specimens permanently housed in the Smithsonian Institution. There are 10 more examples that were seized from the Israel Switt family that are in government hands. The King Farouk specimen is in private hands. There have been rumors of additional coins being cloistered away somewhere in Europe, but nothing confirms those rumors. It is difficult to determine if the example seen by the late John J. Pittman in Europe was the King Farouk specimen or not. Years ago, John told me the coin he viewed was offered to him at that time. Being careful, John saw the coin but emphasized he did not touch it.
Has anyone else ever made their own unauthorized coins using mint equipment?
It’s difficult to put a name to some deliberately made error coins, but nonetheless some of these were obviously made on purpose. Almost any coinage struck on a larger planchet than on a planchet of the diameter for which that coin image was meant to appear is a “back door job.” The legitimacy of the off-metal 1943 Lincoln cents has been questioned; however, the 1974 aluminum cents appear to be legitimate patterns that got out of the mint under questionable circumstances. The 2007 two-headed nickel is impossible to have been struck legitimately since the reverse die mounts differently than the obverse does in a coining machine. Creating unauthorized coins using mint equipment is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
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