Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed, and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle

Review by Paul Tognetti for Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed, and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle
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If you are a fan of novels like “Topaz” and “The Maltese Falcon” then you are bound to enjoy David Tripp’s “Illegal Tender”. But this is not fiction. Rather it is a true story spanning more than 70 years and starring of all things a $20 gold coin!!!

You see when Franklin Roosevelt took the country off the gold standard immediately after his inauguration in 1933, he ordered that all gold coins in circulation be returned to the government. It was a monumental task of course but most patriotic Americans voluntarily complied. Likewise, any gold coins that had been minted and not yet circulated were also ordered to be destroyed. In early 1933, more than 445,000 double eagle coins had been struck by the U.S. Mint. Somehow, a tiny quantity of these coins managed to see the light of day. And this is what “Illegal Tender” is all about.

You’ll learn how these coins managed to escape the clutches of the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and all about the individual who was responsible. It is equally fascinating to read about those collectors who were able to obtain a rare 1933 “double eagle”. For most of these folks the “double eagle” turned out to be an albatross. Be careful what you wish for!!! And as it became known that a quantity of these “illegal” coins had somehow fallen into the hands of collectors, David Tripp chronicles the Herculean efforts of the Secret Service to retreive them. Pretty compelling stuff!!!! Along the way you’ll also be introduced to a number of coin dealers, lawyers and other assorted charactors who also play a role in this intriguing tale. Just what was it about these coins that was causing such a commotion?

“Illegal Tender” gets off to a fast start and I found myself hooked right away. However, I thought the story lost a bit of momentum over the final few chapters. Nevertheless this is a well written book that certainly deserves your attention. Recommended.

Review by Anthony B. Muller for Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed, and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle
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Rare coins, government fowlups, kings and presidents, big money, criminals, artists and a beautiful girl (on the coin)…all elements in this fascinating book. I am an avid reader of non-fiction and I have the collector gene, but I never expected this to be a one-night-read. Just great!

Review by Michael J. Raymond for Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed, and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle
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Although hard core coin collectors will enjoy this book, those of us who enjoy reading non-fiction crime stories will be a little disappointed. The author does a good job in describing the history of the coin at stake but loses something in the translation. The sad fact is that this coin’s history is checkered and unknown. Therefore, the reader is always left guessing and speculating about how it ended up at auction. There is very little that is “known” when it comes to how this coin escaped the melt-down. Perhaps this is not the author’s fault as he is limited by his subject. The book is readable and grabs the reader at times with the description of the auction as well as the FBI investigation in the 1930′s as they tried to track down where the coins came from and who had them. All in all, the author did a competent job but the subject, which could have been fascinating, is somewhat dull.

Review by Nathan Young for Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed, and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle
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One of those stories where truth is stranger than fiction.

Meticulous research, great writing and intrigue kept me up well past my bedtime.

Review by S. Richter for Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed, and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle
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This book has it all: kings, cops, crooks, and millionaire collectors all in pursuit of a fabulous gold coin that can’t be legally owned or sold. Tripp’s taut tale is exciting non-fiction, and the story and vivid personalities will keep you hooked. If you’ve ever looked at your spare change and wondered if one of your coins might be worth a fortune, this book is for you!