Liberty Dollar fight for silver continues

A special marking, a pair of handcuffs, is featured on Liberty Dollar products being used to raise money for the company's fight with the federal government over its operations

Liberty Dollar, an Evansville, Ind., company that was raided by federal authorities who confiscated 60,000 Ron Paul dollars as well as gold and silver stockpiles, has reopened under a new name and is offering an "arrest dollar" described as a "limited edition" to raise funds for its battle with the federal government.

"As I have not been arrested … yet … the Arrest Dollar is still available," company founder Bernard von NotHaus told supporters in an e-mail. "Believe me … this is a very limited time offer! Please consider supporting the Liberty Dollar by getting a special Silver Liberty that is hallmarked with Handcuffs."

Von NotHaus has said since his company was raided by the FBI and U.S. Secret Service more than a month ago, and had 60,000 Ron Paul dollars as well as gold, silver, platinum, medallions, documents and other items confiscated, he expects to be arrested for his work in creating and retailing the Liberty Dollar items.

Marked since of the Liberty Dollar products

He said in his newest alert to supporters that revenue from the "arrest" coins, which are Liberty items that have been donated back to the company and are being marked with a tiny set of handcuffs before being resold, will go towards his battle with the federal agencies.

"It's costly to defend your right to use gold and silver and get your property back," he said.

A report in the Evansville Courier Press said the company reopened as Liberty Numismatics, replacing what formerly was known as Liberty Services and was closed down by the Nov. 14 raid.

The U.S. Mint earlier had issued a warning that it considered the Liberty Dollar products an "alternative currency" and it was illegal, and von NotHaus had filed a lawsuit against the Mint over those statements.

He had told the newspaper recently that he thought the raid could have been connected to politics, since the raid was conducted almost immediately after delivery of 60,000 Ron Paul dollars that were intended to publicize the congressman's bid for the GOP nomination for president.

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"It defies logic to think that it would be unrelated, quite honestly," he told the newspaper. "I think they knew about it … It does look suspect."

Von Nothaus described the Ron Paul medallions as campaign support buttons, even though Paul campaign officials have paid little attention to the events.

Von NotHaus told the newspaper he got to know Paul and found they shared views on several issues. The newspaper reported he donated the maximum he could, $2,300, to the campaign, but still wanted to do more.

So the Ron Paul medallion was generated.

Von NotHaus said the result was a lot of "buzz" that was created for the campaign.

Jesse Benton, Paul's communications director, told the newspaper the impact of the stunt was minimal, and he doubted whether the raid was political.

Von NotHaus also suggested the raid would be just the "first battle of a long war that I intend to win!"

The newest report from von NotHaus notes Paul has gone to bat for the idea of an alternative currency before Congress.

In a statement to Congress shortly after the Liberty raid, Paul called for support for the Free Competition in Currency Act.

"This act would eliminate two sections of U.S. Code that, although ostensibly intended to punish counterfeiters, have instead been used by the government to shut down private mints," Paul said. "The two sections this bill repeals, 18 USC 486 and 489, are so broadly written as to effectively restrict any form of private coinage from competing with the products of the United States Mint."

He said the provisions merely encourage prosecutorial abuse, and, "One particular egregious recent example is that of the Liberty Dollar, in which federal agents seized millions of dollars worth of privacy currency held by a private mint on behalf of thousands of people across the country."

He said the U.S. dollar "stands at historically low levels" and America stands "on the precipice of an unprecedented monetary collapse."

"I believe that the American people should be free to choose the type of currency they prefer to use," Paul continued. "The ability of consumers to adopt alternative currencies can help to keep the government and the Federal Reserve honest, as the threat that further inflation will cause more and more people to opt out of using the dollar may restrain the government from debasing the currency."

The company produced the gold- and silver-backed Liberty Dollars as an "inflation-proof" option for investing.

The Peace Dollar, by Liberty Dollar

Federal authorities in the U.S. attorney's office in North Carolina, to whom WND was referred when the FBI and Secret Service were questioned, declined to release information about their case, although they admitted the action took place.

Company information says von NotHaus developed the Liberty Dollar in 1998 as an "inflation-proof" alternative currency to Federal Reserve Notes. The U.S. government, however, historically has taken a dim view of anything monetary that could be perceived as substituting for Federal Reserve Notes.

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