$134B In Seized U.S. Treasury Bonds Are "Fakes"

June 17, 2009 4:34 PM EDT

A spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Public Debt said the recently seized $134 billion of U.S. Treasury Bonds in Italy are fakes, according to reports from Bloomberg.

Stephen Meyerhardt said, "They're clearly fakes. That's beyond the fact that the face value is far beyond what's out there"

U.S. records shows that there are an estimated $105.4 billion in bearer bonds that have yet to be surrendered, with most maturing more than five years ago. The Treasury stopped issuing bearer bonds in 1982.

Last week, Italian police seized the bonds from two Japanese travelers who were carrying the bonds in the false bottom on a suitcase and trying to cross into Switzerland.


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