Back in 2010, with the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the horizon, Congress authorized the U.S. Mint to produce and sell a commemorative medal. But that didn't stop one company from advertising imitation versions it called "exclusively authorized" 9/11 commemorative dollar coins.

Thing is, the folks at the National Collector's Mint hadn't been given any sort of exclusive authority by the government to make the coins. And though one might not need anyone's approval to sell a piece of metal commemorating the tragic event, you probably shouldn't stamp that piece of metal with the words "One Dollar" if you don't want to tick off the government.

"Congress has the exclusive power to coin money of the United States," wrote the U.S. Mint in a consumer advisory regarding the imitation coins. "Congress has delegated its authority to mint and issue coins to the Secretary of Treasury, and Congress requires the Secretary to carry out these duties at the United States Mint. Thus, the United States Mint is the only government entity in the United States with the authority to coin money."

The makers of the coin stated that its product was actually legal tender in the nation of Liberia.

Regardless, the Federal Trade Commission - which has reached a $750,000 settlement with National Collector's Mint - alleges the company violated the Hobby Protection Act by producing imitations of the U.S. Mint's medal without marking them "COPY" as the act requires.

Furthermore, claims the FTC, the makers of these coins charged consumers for items they never ordered, and made returning the product difficult - and costly - if not impossible.

To read the complete article, see:Sellers Of Imitation "Exclusively Authorized" 9/11 Commemorative Coins To Pay $750,000(consumerist.com/2013/01/17/sellers-of-imitation-exclusively-authorized
-911-commemorative-coins-to-pay-750000/)

The Federal Trade Commission is coming down hard on a company seeking to cash in on phony 9/11 memorabilia.

National Collector's Mint, based out of Port Chester, NY, was advertising a 9/11 commemorative coin that purportedly contained actual silver from ground zero.

In fact, the silver was just an imitation.

The coins featured images from the World Trade Center and the USS New York, a naval ship partially constructed from the steel recovered after the 9/11 attacks.

To read the complete article, seeCompany selling 9/11 commemorative coins LIED about silver from the World Trade Center(www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2265317/National-Collectors-Mint
-Company-selling-9-11-commemorative-coins-labeled-scam.html)