The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 11, March 18, 2007, Article 9

SWITT FAMILY REBUFFED IN CLAIM TO 1933 DOUBLE EAGLES

An Associated Press story published March 13 brings the latest news 
in the case of the ten confiscated 1933 double eagles:

"A family that asked the U.S. Mint to authenticate 10 extremely rare 
coins cannot prove they were obtained legally and has no right to 
them, government lawyers argue in court papers.

"Plaintiffs Joan S. Langbord and her two sons say they discovered the 
cache in 2003 in a safety deposit box belonging to her late father, 
Philadelphia jeweler Israel Switt.

"They approached the Mint the next year and agreed to turn them over 
to be authenticated, the Langbords say. But the Mint - after vouching 
for them - refuses to return them on grounds they were stolen U.S. 
property.

"Plaintiffs fail ... to plead any fact to support their implication 
that Switt legally obtained the 1933 Double Eagles," Assistant U.S. 
Attorney Joel M. Sweet wrote in the brief filed Friday. "(That) supports 
a reasonable inference that Switt obtained the 1933 Double Eagles knowing 
that they were stolen property."

"Prosecutors argue there was no forfeiture involved because the 
Langbords never had rightful ownership in the first place.

"'A thief cannot convey good title to stolen property,' Sweet wrote.

"Switt was not prosecuted because the statute of limitations had run 
out. However, he was convicted of violating the Gold Reserve Act of 1934 
in a separate case, and had his license to deal scrap gold - which 
involved him with the Mint on occasion - revoked.

"Prosecutors also argue in their brief that someone other than Switt 
stashed the coins in the bank deposit box. The Wachovia Bank box was 
rented in 1996, six years after Switt died, they said.

"And the family did not list the coins or pay taxes on them when his 
will was executed, they said."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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