[ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby on the outskirts of chicago on my way to meet a guy whose strange inheritance takes us back to a time when american cars rule the road, america herself leads the free world, and a workingclass kid from the midwest just dreams of making it home. My name is Matt Litavsky. My father meant the world to me, and he left me a very special car that meant the world to him. He chose me to preserve it, but there came a time when i had to let it go. Hi, matt. Im jamie. Hi, jamie. Its nice to meet you. I know i came here to see your inheritance, this magnificent car, but when were done, you got to take me for a ride in this. All right. Well see about that. Im on my best behavior. Okay. To appreciate the car, says matt, you first need to know about his dad and why his 1967 corvette meant so much to him. Keith litavsky is born in lisle, illinois, in 1944. World war ii is drawing to a close. The cold war is about to begin. America is leading the charge, and nowhere is the countrys muscle bolder than on american roadways, which gm, ford and chrysler are pumping with some of the coolest cars on earth. Now it wasnt all about just having a fourdoor family car like it had been in the past. Auto analyst john kraman. The manufacturers jumped on board with a variety of highperformance cars, wild colors, the styling really affected by the aviation theme with the big fins and and the wild, futuristic styling. No wonder keith loves cars from boyhood. Long before he gets his license, he settles on his dream ride, the american beauty that first rolls off the Assembly Line in 1953 when hes 9 years old, the chevy corvette. The corvette just reset the bar totally with innovative styling and a fiberglass body, which at the time was unheard of. A decade later, in 1963, when keith is saving up for his first new car, chevy reintroduces the corvette with a new body style and renames it the stingray. Keith wants one more than ever, but the vettes 4k list price is way out of reach, so he settles for a little less. The plymouth belvedere was his first car he bought new. Has a 426 wedge in it, was what he could afford at the time. He doesnt have it long. In 1965, the war in vietnam is heating up, and uncle sam calls keiths number. He gets drafted, and he sells the plymouth belvedere to his brother. Soon, hes in the line of fire with no guarantee hell return. He was in reconnaissance, so he went through a lot of difficult situations there. He made a lot of good friends and lost a lot of good friends. If keith does get back home, hes making sure a big reward awaits him. In each letter to his family, he encloses his combat pay with a specific goal in mind, a brandnew corvette. Do you think that was a dream that he hung onto that helped him get through very difficult times at war . Absolutely. A lot of guys would flip through the flyers from the car dealers and pick out a car, and i think, psychologically, it helped them get through to know that theyll have that car there, so it was something to look forward to. Here is a strange inheritance quiz question. The answer after the break. at chevy, were all about bringing families together. This time of year, thats really important. So were making it easier than ever to become part of our family. Thats why our chevy employee discount is now available to everyone. The chevy price you pay is what we pay. Not a cent more. Family is important to us. And we want you to be part of ours. So happy holidays. And welcome to the family. All the chevy family get the chevy employee discount for everyone today. Everything your trip needs, for everyone you love. Expedia. For everyone you love. I am totally blind. And non24 can make me show up too early. Or too late. Or make me feel like im not really there. Talk to your doctor, and call 8442342424. And when you open a new brokerage account, your cash is automatically invested at a great rate. Thats why fidelity leads the industry in value while our competition continues to talk. Talk, talk while our competition continues to talk. Its been reported that theres a cyberattack on business every 39 seconds. Ouch. I dont even want to think about it. Comcast business has a solution. We go beyond fast with a cloudbased Security System that automatically updates, so you always have the latest protection. Phishing. Malware. Risky sites. It can help block all of that. Its one less thing for us to worry about. Comcast business securityedge automatically protects all the devices on your network. Call 18005016000 today. Vietnam, april, 1966, Keith Litavsky is praying hell making it home to illinois and the dream car hes saving for, a chevy corvette. One day, as keiths unit is searching for the enemy, shots ring out in the jungle. A firefight erupts, bodies dropping everywhere. He carried his wounded Commanding Officer out. Literally carried . Literally carried him out of this firefight. Corporal litavsky makes it home in the winter of 1967. Still had shrapnel in his leg. Amazing. But came home with two purple hearts and a lot of interesting stories. And that car of his dreams is waiting for him this 67 chevrolet corvette, fresh off the Assembly Line. We actually had ordered the car while he was in vietnam, then came home and picked up the car. Marina blue finish, bright blue interior, sweet, plus red pinstripe tires and a black stinger, poetry on wheels. Keith even keeps the sales sticker from the dealer. How much did it cost . It was around 5,500. So he had to save for a while. Mmhmm. Its a lot of money back then. What the heck . Hes 23, just out of the army, single, handsome, buff. This ride perfectly fits his life but just for a fleeting moment. Keith enrolls in college on the g. I. Bill and marries crystal kierien. Shes divorced with five kids. Life had thrown crystal a curveball and keith was right there to catch it. Young guy, marries a woman with five children. Yeah. Five of you. Five of us how old were you when they got married . I think i was about five. What kind of a father was he . If i could be half the man he was id be a success. He was the best. And so were his wheels. One of my first memories takes place in the corvette. Me and my two brothers climbed in the back, and he gave us a ride. Meanwhile, chevy is working up big changes for the corvette, changes that will have profound consequences for this strange inheritance story. In 1968, the stingray body style takes on a kind of pre70s vibe. Some folks love the new vettes. Some hate them. Either way, those earlier corvettes quickly become collectibles, and the 67, the last of the old body styles, would become the ultimate. Those cars are regarded today as some of the most desirable and valuable corvettes of all time. Keith litavsky saw it coming. He knew he had a car that might be worth some money some day and decided to not drive it as much. Every time he drove it, he would write stuff down and log it in a logbook. Like what . Well, if he started it up, hed say, july 5th, 80 degrees outside, started the car, revved it up to 3,500 rpms three times and shut it down, or changed oil. According to keiths log, the odometer shows just 2,600 miles when he marries. He wont put very many miles on it after that. Even if he wanted to, he wont get the chance. When hes just 30 years old, hes diagnosed with testicular cancer. He was sick, in and out of the hospital a lot. The disease makes a long, slow march through his body. In 1992, at age 48, keiths prognosis becomes dire. Matt, now 28 and living on his own, moves back to his childhood home in suburban chicago to help his mom take care of his dad. You could just see that, from such a strong guy, that the cancer was just eating him alive, literally. On nights when keith is in too much pain to sleep, matt stays up with him, and they talk all night. He kind of opened up a lot about his time in vietnam, and it was difficult for him. And he entrusts matt to drive his prized car for the first time. He knew the car had to be driven. He could no longer shift the car, so it just about killed him to say, go ahead. Keith knows the car he dreamed of in the vietnam jungle, bought for 5,000 in combat pay and meticulously maintained ever since is now worth a lot more than that, six figures, easy, so as death nears, he must decide what to do with it. He was nervous that my brother might sell the car. He wanted to keep the car around as long as he could. When keith finally succumbs to cancer in 1993 at age 49, he leaves the corvette to matt alone. I think that was kind of his way of saying thank you. But matt senses the rest of his family feels left on the side of the road. It left a little animosity with my brothers and sisters because my dad loved all of us the same, but because i inherited the car, there was always some tension there. That tension worries him. One day, hell have to pass on this strange inheritance. Whatll he do when he hits that fork in the road . Were really going to go for a ride . Were going for a ride. Im ready. Here is another quiz question for you. The answer when we return. vo the flock blindly falls into formation. Flying south for the winter. They never stray from their predetermined path. But this season, a more thrilling journey is calling. Defy the laws of human nature. At the season of audi sales event. shaq chime magenta . I hate cartridges not magenta not magenta. Im not going back to the store. Magenta cartridges are so. buzzer vo the epson ecotank. No more cartridges. It comes with an incredible amount of ink that can save you a lot of frustration. The epson ecotank. Just fill and chill. Available at. Here, it all starts withello hi . How can i help . A data plan for everyone. Everyone . Everyone. Lets send to everyone wifi up there . Uhh. Sure, why not . Howd he get out . a camera might figure it out. That was easy glad i could help. At xfinity, were here to make life simple. Easy. Awesome. So come ask, shop, discover at your local xfinity store today. Its arctic white, which made up 18 of new vettes sold, but if you guessed red, youre close. If you combine torch red and long beach red, the two shades add up to 20 . This 1967 corvette is the gift that vietnam soldier Keith Litavsky gives to himself for returning home alive. He buys it with his combat pay, maintains it meticulously, and drives it a mere 8,500 miles until his death in 1993. He added a lot to the documentation of the car and the validity of it. For me, it was more sentimental just going through it and seeing in dads handwriting how cool it was and how special. Absolutely. His son matt knows hes inherited much more than a 26yearold sports car but isnt sure what to do with it. It was years of prayers and, you know, saying, hey, god, what do you want me to do with this car . So he just maintains the classic even more fastidiously than his father had. The car has never been to a car show, you know. My neighbors didnt even know i had the car. Oh, my. Why would they . In the 2plus decades after his dad dies, matt marries, starts his own family but racks up just 30 more miles on the corvette. He takes it out rarely for a quick drive around the block just to keep all the parts working. Ah, sounds good, matt. Oh. Ah, that smell, too. I just love that. Its a beautiful thing. Smells like america. I love the way it looks. It looks like the day it came out of the showroom. Ive done my best. But while matts neighbors dont know about his strange inheritance, rumors abound in corvette world. I think youre right about that. It was sort of an urban legend for a long time, that there was this impeccably original, pristinely kept 1967 corvette. Corvette enthusiasts, in particular, go crazy over mintcondition, unrestored, original cars. Really bigmoney enthusiasts like former racecar owner gary runyon and his wife, jackie, of carmel, indiana. So what is it about the corvette that you think has captured america . You know, you have lamborghinis, and you got ferraris and all types of european cars, but the American Sports car has always been noted as the corvette. Like the runyons superrare 1957 airbox, only 43 of them were made, and their serial number 001, the first off the Assembly Line in 1965. Couple are always ready to add to their collection. What is your criteria . A real, unrestored, original engine, transmission, original interior and a story behind it. Well, theres certainly a great story behind matts corvette unless everything he thought he knew about his strange inheritance is wrong. Original, unrestored 67 corvettes, theres a little, tiny dot. I dont see it. And something is fishy because thats not there. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. What i love most about being a scientist at 3m is that im part of a community of problem solvers. We make ideas grow. From an everyday solution. To one that can take on a bigger challenge. From packaging tape. To tape that can bond materials to buildings. And planes. One idea can unlock a breadth of solutions. At 3m, we are solving problems that improve lives. Now, back to strange inheritance. In 1993, vietnam veteran Keith Litavsky dies and leaves his son, matt, his 67 corvette stingray. Off we go. Since then, its hardly left matts garage except for short drives to keep it running right. Whats this . Thats a st. Christopher medal for the patron saint of travelers. Yeah. So he kept it in here because he felt like it would keep the car safe. Oh, really . And, yeah, so i thought it should stay with the car. Its wonderful. But by 2016, matt is in his 50s and wondering about what would happen to the corvette if something were to happen to him. He knows a pristine, unrestored 67 is worth a fortune and recalls the tension among his siblings after his father left the car solely to him. I have two boys and a daughter, and splitting a car three ways is not easy. Mm. Splitting money three ways is a lot easier. After a lot of soulsearching, matt decides its time to sell. So it was a decision that, honestly, i prayed for, for years. Matt brings the corvette and his fathers story to Mecum Auctions in wisconsin. Remember john kraman . Hes their director of consignments, and they discover a big problem. Part of the build process of the very unique fiberglass body of the corvette has a little mold dot thats just part of the normal manufacturing process. You know, imagine our surprise that that little hoodchannel dot is missing. Its about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. David burroughs, mecums automobile authentication expert, pinpoints the problem for me. So if you count in 13 of these ribs, it would be right about in the center of this little gutter. But its missing. So restored cars, that gets all sanded off to make it look pretty and shiny, and then that little fingerprint gets obliterated, and so that implies that this car has been either restored, or at least something is fishy. I knew what i had, and i knew everything i had was genuine and real. That one little dot could be the difference between someone believing you and not believing you. And a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, but how do you prove what was or wasnt done to a 50yearold car . The mecum team scrambles. They track down other 67 corvettes manufactured around the same time. We were able to collect photos of unrestored cars in this vin range and the serial numbers where this car fits in that vin range. All 67s . Oh, yes, and none of them had the dot. Dot mystery solved. Its a home run in the world series. May 20, 2017, the 67 corvette, along with all of its documentation, hits the Auction Block 50 years after it was sold to Corporal Keith richard litavsky, who gave himself a present for returning home from battle alive. The 1967 corvette is making its way into the building with Matt Litavsky behind the wheel. And with a heartfelt tribute in honor of matts father. [ taps playing ] they just really paid a great tribute to my dad and the car. And here we go. Start the bid befitting a classic American Sports car, wouldbe buyers maneuver fast and furiously to own the corvette with the classic american story. The bidding starts at 100k. Three, four, 300,000, on the bid. Its off to the races. Five, now 500,000, anybody . It blows through the halfmil mark in seconds. Got 75, 25, go 25 and then. Sold, 675,000 you may recognize that gentleman there in the checked shirt. That is gary runyon with his wife, jackie. That same husbandandwife team, the rarecar collectors we met earlier in indiana. It was totally unrestored, absolutely gorgeous. I gave a thumbs up and a head nod, and gary said, you just purchased that car. I see tears of joy. It appears that this story is going to have a happy ending. It will. Yes. Matt was a great caretaker for his dads vehicle, and to be frank with you, i believe thats exactly what jackie and i are. Again, god answered my prayer. I didnt pray for money. I prayed for it to go to a good home. Of course, that 675,000 will go a long way, but the values inherited from his dad will go even farther. What are you thinking . I was just thinking about how he. I think he instilled in all my brothers and sisters a lot of perseverance and just getting through anything. Didnt matter what it was, youll get through it what did he teach you about america . You know what . Its the land of the free, home of the brave, and theres no bs there. Even though the corvette has been around now for more than 60 years, its nowhere near retirement. In fact, its become a verb. Corvette lovers like to say theyre vetting, an apropos phrase for matts father, the vet who loved his vette. Im jamie colby. Thanks so much for watching strange inheritance. And remember you cant take it with you. Loose change in a desk drawer. For 30plus years, this baggage has sat around . Yes. Inside, a fabled coin. It was a unicorn, talked about but never seen. A rare coin that could bring in millions of dollars at auction this spring. Sounds like kaching one coin, potentially worth 2 million . One penny. But then, the government flips. Theyre coming after you. They are. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby. And today i am cruising ocean side in beautiful la jolla, california, just north of san diego. Im on my way to meet an heir whose strange inheritance stunned the coincollecting world, then led to a showdown with uncle sam. My name is Randy Lawrence. I inherited a baggie of coins from my father, who worked at the denver mint. Imagine a shiny penny. But instead of being coppercolored, its silver. That was one of the coins my dad left me. And it turned my life upside down. Hi, randy. Im jamie. Hello. Nice to meet you. So great to meet you, too. And i heard that your inheritance came in a small plastic bag . It did. Randy shows me in, sits me down, and hands me a baggie full of coins. Well, they cant be very valuable, i guess, if theyre still sitting here in a ziploc. Well, those particular ones arent necessarily. But there was one in that bag that was quite valuable. Where is it . Can i see it . Well, i dont have it. Huh . Yeah, theres a little bit of a story. Its the story of randys dad, Harry Lawrence, who grows up near denver, takes a shine to engineering, and studies metallurgy at the Colorado School of mines. After serving in the army corps of engineers during world war ii, harry heads to chicago, where he lands a job as a foreman at a smelting plant, sweltering work, but not nearly as hot as the time harry spends hanging around the water cooler. Thats where he met my mother. She was a receptionist, and he was a manager. And she was much younger and very pretty. And i think she just made him work for it. And he won. And he won. Randy is the second of two boys. In 1960, when hes 3, his dad accepts a job at the us mint in denver, packs up the family, and heads west. It was a dream job for him because it was bringing him back to colorado. Was it pretty prestigious to have a father who worked at the denver mint . I felt it was. In the schoolyard, when other children would ask me, well, whats your dad do, i. Makes money. And they said, no, no, really, whats he do . No, he makes money. Randys dad loves the precision that goes into minting the nations coins. But as with any perfectionist, its the flaws that really catch his eye. He had a bag full of these coins. And there was a few of these error coins in there. What is an error coin . An error coin is one that was misstruck at the mint. So it didnt land correctly in the press. And therefore, it might be off center, or the edge might be curled. This is a pretty interesting penny. But it looks like two pennies Michael Mcconnell is a la jolla coin shop owner who knows all about error coins. Its simply a penny that was struck twice. It got stuck in the press. And it got struck again. Randys father collects the error coins that he finds in a plastic baggie that he keeps at home in a drawer. So when you work for the mint and they misstrike a coin, they let you take it home . Well, i guess so. There are many error coins out there that are bought and sold every day. Randys mistaken about that. Taking home error coins is illegal, but apparently ignored sometimes, at least in his dads day. So its quite possible that when harry retires from the mint in 1980, his bosses do say he can keep his error coins, a retirement gift, harry explains. Whats harrys plan for them . No way to know. Just six months later, he dies of a heart attack at the age of 60. Im so sorry. He was young. Yes, very young. It was a shame that he didnt get to enjoy his retirement. Did he leave a will . He did. Did he reference the coins in any way . I got the bag of coins. My brother got a set of guns. My father collected guns as well. Randy has zero interest in coin collecting and tosses his inheritance in his desk drawer. For the next three decades, he says, he forgets all about it until he moves from denver to la jolla and, one day, is checking out the new neighborhood. I walked into michaels coin shop, la jolla coin. Yep, that michael. Before long, the coin dealer will be on the scent of a fortune. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. Us coins have mint marks p, d, s, and w, designating the locations where theyre made. Can you name all four . Extra credit if you know what the government makes at the w location. The answers after the break. As a principal i can tell you this. When one student gets left behind, we all get left behind. This is a problem that affects each and every one of us. Together with ibm, we created a whole new kind of School Called ptech. Within six years, students can graduate with a high school diploma, a college degree, and a pathway to a competitive job. You know whats going up today . My poster. Today, there are more than a hundred thousand ptech students around the world. Its a game changer. No, its not in my records. Youve got a lot on your plate. Deliveries. Billy, come in. Shift times. I just need to know if its there. Compliance. Can i get your 20 . For 100 drivers. Doug. Doug . And where is doug . He should be sleeping. So should you. Just because youre married to my sister, you could lose this job, billy this isnt working. Introducing samsung connected fleet solutions. With the galaxy tab active2, you can track driver shifts and timesheets and meet eld compliance, all from one device. Samsung business solutions. And meet eld compliance, all from one device. I am totally blind. And non24 can throw my days and nights out of sync, keeping me from the things i love to do. Talk to your doctor, and call 8442142424. Its been reported that theres a cyberattack on business every 39 seconds. Ouch. I dont even want to think about it. Comcast business has a solution. We go beyond fast with a cloudbased Security System that automatically updates, so you always have the latest protection. Phishing. Malware. Risky sites. It can help block all of that. Its one less thing for us to worry about. Comcast business securityedge automatically protects all the devices on your network. Call 18005016000 today. So, what do the p, d, s, and w stand for on us coins . P is for the philadelphia mint, d for denver, s for san francisco, and w for west point, where the government makes commemorative coins and stores gold. Randy lawrence moves his family from denver to la jolla, california, in 2013. While checking out his new town, he happens upon the la jolla coin shop. He tells the owner, Michael Mcconnell, about the bag full of error coins that he inherited from his dad, who worked at the denver mint. I said, you know, i think its time i have somebody take a look at this. Would you be interested . Michael agrees. So randy returns with that old baggie. Michael sorts through the contents, pausing on one silvercolored penny. It was an offmetal coin that wasnt the weight of a normal penny. It didnt feel right to you . Correct. And the first thing that came to my mind was, because the us mint has struck over 1,000 different coins for over 40 different countries, that this coin was struck on a planchet meant for a foreign coin. Whats a planchet . The planchet is a round disk of metal that the coin is actually made out of. A us penny stamped on a blank intended for a foreign coin, michael says, might be worth a few hundred dollars. The other coins have some value, too. So michael makes randy an offer for the whole collection. What was the total price for everything . I think i left there with a little over 2,000. Were you happy . I was happy with it. Love you, dad. But you know what . Im over it. I dont need the coins. But the coinshop owner keeps thinking about that pretty penny. You see, theres this tale in the annals of coin history about an unusual batch of pennies the government minted in the 1970s. The price of copper had gone up in 1973. And so it actually became not costeffective to make the penny out of that. And so they were looking for alternatives. Paul montgomery tells me the story. Hes a rarecoin dealer and author. And he explains that the mints solution is to switch from costly copper to a cheaper metal. What was the composition of them . The coin is made out of 96 percent aluminum. The mints proud of the coin. It strikes a million and a half and even hands out a few to members of congress before its release. But the aluminum penny is a bigger 70s flop than the gremlin or the leisure suit. The coins didnt work in vending machines, uh, i guess because of the metal. Kids would swallow em, and they wouldnt show up in xrays, either. So instead of circulating the coins, the mint melts them down. And it takes back the few it handed out. The 1974 aluminum penny becomes as elusive as the proverbial unicorn. Or maybe not. I began doing additional research, which led me to think that it may actually be that unicorn. The next thing he does it call a lawyer. So what does the lawyer advise you . He advised me to go and get the coin certified, to make sure that it truly was an aluminum penny. Tests show it is indeed made of 96 percent aluminum, just like those minted, then melteddown pennies from the 1970s. Were you excited . It was obviously the scarcest coin ive ever handled. And things are going to get complicated because the heir of this strange inheritance story is about to reenter the picture. Whats michael offering you . Thats next. Heres another quiz question for you. Who preceded john f. Kennedy on the half dollar . The answer when we return. at chevy, were all about bringing families together. This time of year, thats really important. So were making it easier than ever to become part of our family. Man thats why our chevy employee discount is now available to everyone. The chevy price you pay is what we pay. Not a cent more. Family is important to us. And wed like you to be part of ours. So happy holidays. And welcome to the family. The chevy family get the chevy employee discount for everyone today. What are you doing back there, junior . Since were obviously lost, im rescheduling my Xfinity Customer Service appointment. Ah, relax. I got this. Which gps are you using anyway . A Little Something called instinct. Been using it for years. Yeah, thats what im afraid of. He knows exactly where were going. My whole body is a compass. Oh boy. The my account app makes todays Xfinity Customer Service simple, easy, awesome. Not my thing. So, who was on the half dollar before jfk . Its a, benjamin franklin, from 1948 to 1963. A baggie full of coins, thats Randy Lawrences strange inheritance from his father, who worked at the denver mint. When he brings it to this la jolla, california, coin shop, owner Michael Mcconnell tells him the fistful of change is worth a couple of grand. After randy takes the deal, michael determines one of the coins, a 1974 penny, is made of aluminum. That suggests its from a run of coins never put into circulation. If so, its one of those finds collectors dream about. Michael knows he owes randy, just for starters, a phone call. People come to us because were the experts. And so if we give somebody bad advice on Something Like that, we, of course, have to go back to em and tell em thats not right, thats not what i originally thought the coin was. And he wanted to set up a meeting with me. So i went down to his coin shop. Whats michael offering you . Well, technically, he was the owner of this coin. So we worked out a 6040 split. I took back 60 percent ownership. He gave me back 60 percent value of the coin. Interesting. So michael buys the coin and owns it outright in your mind. Mmhmm. But when he learns that its more valuable, hes willing to bring you back in as a partner . He felt that was the right thing to do. What were randys options when you told him the news . What could he have said . He could have said anything. Could he say, give me my coin back . Absolutely. So for 300, he could have bought this coin back from you . Sure. What did he say . After we talked about it, and we talked about the options, he said, lets partner up and go forward. How do you decide whats fair . Well, its kinda tough in this kinda situation. But this was a coin that had been in randys family for a long time. This was a family heirloom. And i was certainly happy to give that split. Ill say, for it turns out that randys rare penny has one more strange characteristic that will set the coin world abuzz that little d. So this one has a d mint, signifying it was made in denver. Thats where randys dad worked. And that is why this coin was so unique. Because as far as anyone knows, the 1. 5 million aluminum coins minted, then recalled in 1974, all came from philadelphia, not denver. That could lift its value into the stratosphere. Did michael give you a sense of what it could be worth . Anywhere from a low end of 250,000 up to 2 million. One coin, potentially worth 2 million . One penny. As coowners of the coin, randy and michael decide to put it up for auction, beginning with a sneak peak at a coin expo in long beach, california. It was phenomenal. A rare coin thats spent years lost in a drawer could bring in millions of dollars at auction. We were on every television station. And realized it might be something a little more special. I was getting phone calls from across the country, as well as seeing articles across the world russia, china. Is the price going up at this point with all that interest . In my mind, it is. Then out of the blue, the postman knocks. Well, i got a very interesting letter from the government. A letter . Do you have the letter . I do, right here. Oh, this doesnt look good. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. As a struggling actor, i need all the breaks that i can get. At liberty butchumal cut. Liberty biberty cut. Well dub it. Liberty mutual customizes your Car Insurance so you only pay for what you need. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Everything your trip needs, for everyone you love. Expedia. Now back to strange inheritance. In february 2014, Randy Lawrence is gearing up for the auction of his oneofakind inheritance, a 1974 aluminum penny. It was left to him by his father, harry. But now hes hearing from his uncle sam. Dear mr. Lawrence, it has come to the attention of the United States mint that you may be in the possession or control of an aluminum onecent coin. It is our understanding that you may have obtained this item from your late father. Boy, they know a lot they sure do. Please contact me at your earliest opportunity so we may discuss arrangements for the timely return of the subject piece. Theyre coming after you. They are. Recall that randys father works at the denver mint for 20 years. Upon retiring in 1980, hes apparently allowed to keep a bag full of error coins as part of his retirement gift. You were convinced, in your mind, that your dad received this coin legally and was entitled to keep it . Absolutely, 100 percent. But now, 34 years later, the government claims otherwise. What are your options . Well, our options was to immediately turn over the coin, or do what we did. And that was to file a lawsuit against the United States treasury to keep ownership of the coin. The other half of we is coinshop owner Michael Mcconnell. Why didnt you just turn it over to the mint . I didnt think it belonged to them. And there certainly wasnt evidence that said it belonged to them. The same circumstances have existed so many times in the past, and so there are precedents. And rarecoin expert Paul Montgomery believes those precedents favor randy. Exhibit a the superrare 1913 liberty head nickels, which montgomery wrote a book about. His Research Indicates they likely were struck by a rogue mint worker, just as the governments claiming in randys case. Each one of these coins had been owned and purchased. And millions of dollars had traded hands. And yet the government has never gone after those. Why this one . In their lawsuit, randy and michael cite other rare coins with similar histories that collectors buy, sell, and own freely. The governments response so what . Then it ups the ante by putting on the Public Record serious allegations against harry. Accusations of my father not being of the highest standard. For example . Well, that he could have been the one who made the coin, or my father should have known better than to accept it and keep it. What was the governments beef against Harold Lawrence . Well, they suspected that mr. Lawrence had a nefarious scheme to produce coins that werent supposed to be produced. Bottom line the government is strongly suggesting that randys dad is a crook. Did that make you mad . Very, very angry, yeah. Two stories, two sides of the coin. And before the case goes to trial, the government deposes the man who headed the aluminum cent project back in the 1970s, former mint director alan goldman. To randys great relief, goldmans testimony exonerates his father. Under oath, the former mint director states, i knew Harry Lawrence very well, and he was a straight shooter. He would not have engineered this. When i read that, i knew that my fathers name was cleared. But thats all the good news because goldman also bolsters the governments claim that the penny was struck improperly. He believed that it was actually made as a practical joke by one of the mint employees. And as far as how it came to my father, again, probably as a memento when he retired. With no star witnesses of their own, its going to be hard for randy and michael to convince a jury the coin rightfully belonged to harry. They drop their lawsuit. Youre willing to walk away from 2 million . Apparently so. I did. It seems like you caved. At the end of the day, because there arent enough people left to be able to tell the whole story as to how it really came to be, i felt like it was kind of a case that we werent ever going to be able to win. The man from la jolla is forced to return a rare and valuable coin to the us government. The us mint declined our request for an interview about randys aluminum penny. Is the government becoming more strict in that regard . This is first ive seen anything like this. I see the government getting very active in lots of things. But confiscating collectible rare coins has never been one of them. This has never happened, either. After receiving randys strange inheritance, the mint puts it on display at a coin show near los angeles. Collectors press their face against the glass to get a good looksee. This is the first time that this coins ever been displayed like this. And while the lawrence family may not even know this, theyve already become a tremendous piece of the history and numismatic lore. So Randy Lawrence did not cash in his legendary aluminum penny for millions. But he did get a consolation prize of sorts. In coincollecting circles, he and his father are now legends themselves, with the lawrence name forever attached to the oneofakind 1974 d aluminum onecent piece. Your dads reputation is restored. Perfect, yes. The coin is gone. Yes. And you didnt make a buck. Didnt make a penny. [ laughs ] i say the governments taken my last penny. Remember how a handful of aluminum pennies were handed out to lawmakers back in 1974 . Legend has it that, one day, a congressman dropped his while rushing to vote on a bill. A Capitol Police officer tried to return it. The congressman, thinking it was just a dime, told the officer, keep it. Its believed that officers family may still have that superrare penny. But the mint is now on record saying it would like it back, just like it wanted randys. I guess you could say the mints really pinching pennies these days. Im jamie colby. Thanks for watching strange inheritance. And remember you cant take it with you. Shes a jetsetter in the golden age of travel. Pan am flight attendants were iconic. Did she fit the bill . I think shecreatedthe bill. Bringing back these from around the globe. Indonesian, african, chinese they came from everywhere. I thought she was a smuggler, which made it even more exciting. What . are they just silly trinkets. Is there a big market for beads . Theres a big market for beads. This is the real deal . This is the real deal. Or historical treasures worth a mint . Thedalai lama . Yes. [ gavel bangs ] bidder 561 is for 11,000. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ]
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