The coins and their history are real. There is a donated painting in the Neue Gallery in Manhattan by Gustav Klimt entitled, Adele Bloch-Bauer I.
1.
Neal Caffrey drank his morning coffee as he watched the news on his laptop:
"We have a very happy New Yorker today," the male announcer began. "It seems while cleaning out a newly acquired pawn shop, the new owner found 2 1933 double eagle solid gold coins in his inventory, and turned them in to the secret service. He received a 2 million dollar reward. The recipient wishes to remain anonymous. Jane, do you have the history of these coins?"
The woman anchor spoke, "yes...the 1933 double eagle is a United States 20-dollar gold coin. Although 445,500 specimens of this double eagle were minted in 1933 none were ever officially circulated, and nearly all were melted down. Around twenty found their way into the hands of collectors, and the US government is offering $1million reward each, but most of these were subsequently seized or voluntarily turned in to the Secret Service who destroyed them, making this one of the world's rarest coins.
Right now, two are in a U.S. National Collection, one is in the hands of a private owner who paid US$7.59 million for it in 2002 - the second-highest price paid at auction for a single U.S. coin, ten others are in Fort Knox.
5 are still missing, and the U.S. Government wants them."
Neal closed his laptop just as Mozzie knocked and walked in.
"Morning, Neal..." he gave Neal a container of coffee, and sat. Neal put the coffee on the table.
"Morning Moz..."
"Going to work today?"
"Yes, I'm waiting for Peter to call... He called earlier, said he had something of interest to review and he'd call me...how did everything go with you?"
Mozzie smiled,
"Very well, mon frère...our choice is we can leave in 10 days, or two weeks".
Neal grinned, sipped his coffee. He gazed out onto the terrace, staring at the Chrysler Building.
"Let's go for 10 days...the sooner the better".
He stood up and walked around Mozzie, patting him on the shoulder.
"Going to miss this place, Moz, but its time..."
"Neal...we have to leave with no regrets, remember? Otherwise what's the point?"
Neal turned to his friend, nodded.
"I know...we are who we are, and it seems that no amount of good deeds will ever change that."
"Neal, you don't have to change, and you don't have to do penance or good deeds...let's just get our bootie, get out of here, and live in peace"
Hearing it said, Neal smiled, nodding...His phone rang and Mozzie got up to leave,
"Catch you later".
Neal answered, it was Peter.
"Hey Peter, what's up?"
"Neal, come on in...Got something brewing..."
"All right, be there in a half hour."
Neal disconnected, put on his jacket and hat, and left for work.
Springtime in New York was Neal's favorite time. Walking its streets gave him time to go things over in his mind.
It was time for him to start a new chapter. He knew the time had come to leave after Matthew Keller was captured with the Nazi U-boat bootie. After Mozzie told Neal that while Keller was searching for the stash, he had 1/2 of the stolen treasures secreted away and shipped to a safe location. Everyone thought what Keller got was 100% of the treasure and they stopped looking for it! Got to love Moz; and Neal did.
This was their ticket to a new life, with plenty of merchandise to sell when needed. They just had to wait for the right time to pack up and go, and that was in 10 days.
Neal knew now that he was who he was; no matter what life changes he tried to make, or what Peter tried to force down his throat. No regrets...he smiled as he entered the FBI building, 'maybe I'll get a tattoo that says that', he thought as he got into the elevator.