Will the Langbord family ever get back their 10 1933 $20 gold pieces?

From the Oct. 16 Numismatic News E-Newsletter:

Will the Langbord family ever get back their 10 1933 $20 gold pieces?

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers to Editor Dave Harper.

The Langbord family found 10 1933 double eagles that were seized by the government.

With the huge list of problems this country has, why is the federal government concerned about the Langbords’ gold coins? Whoever got those coins is dead and will not profit from them. The Langbords should be allowed to keep the coins. The federal government should re-examine its priorities. This is a case of the government being too big for its britches and having lousy priorities.

Bob Graul
Scotch Plains, N.J.

The Langbords will get their coins back, or reach an amicable settlement with the U.S. prior.

Julian Leidman
Silver Spring, Md.

There is no evidence that the 10 double eagles were ever stolen. If they were stolen, data should be on hand before the government confiscated the 10 1933 gold coins. The past owner may have purchased the 10 coins from someone who worked at the Mint but no records were ever kept. The coins need to be returned to the owners who asked the government to examine them to see if they were not counterfeit. This is my opinion.

Weimar White
New York State

Who knows? It’s up to the courts. I lean towards “no,” but nothing surprises me anymore, so I lean just as much (maybe a bit less) to “yes.” If they do get them back, though, the anonymous lifeform who paid what, $7 million for the only legal 1933 Saint is gonna be, well, upset. Then again, if that lifeform is a multi-billionaire, $7 million is chump change.

Harv Laser
California

I see the government making this a long drawn out affair in the intent of keeping them from the family in the hope that the family gives up due to expense and time. This is the usual method by which the bureaucrats win.

James O’Connell III
Address withheld

Yes, the family should get the coins back. This is government overreach and they should never have been taken without a court order.

William Johnston
San Antonio, Texas

This article was originally printed in Numismatic News.
>> Subscribe today or get your >> Digital Subscription

More Collecting Resources
• Start becoming a coin collector today with this popular course, Coin Collecting 101.
• If you enjoy reading about what inspires coin designs, you'll want to check out Fascinating Facts, Mysteries & Myths about U.S. Coins.

NMNAuthor