Jury concludes 1933 double eagles belong to U.S. government

From the Philadelphia Inquirer

Ten famous $20 gold pieces that are worth millions to collectors were stolen from the Philadelphia Mint in the 1930s and are legally property of the U.S. Treasury, a federal court jury unanimously decided Wednesday.

After about five hours of deliberation after a seven-day trial, the two men and eight women said the government proved that when the rare "Double Eagle" coins ended up in the hands of the late Philadelphia jeweler Israel Switt, they did not get there legitimately.

Jurors accepted the government argument that there was no legal way any of the coins could have been removed from the Mint. All 445,500 coins minted by the government were supposed to have been destroyed by 1937.

The verdict "sends a strong message" that the government will pursue thefts, "no matter how many years pass," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero said.

The coins are now at Fort Knox in Kentucky.

You can read the rest of the article here