There were Liberty gold coins and Krugerrands, and a gold chain so thick that had it been used as a restraining device, it might have done a fair job of keeping Tom Eli behind bars.

But the purpose of the gold baubles, chain included, was exactly the opposite: Mr. Eli’s Romany family sought to use them as collateral for his $50,000 bail, to secure his release from Rikers Island.

And therein lay the reason for an unusual hearing on Monday at State Supreme Court in Manhattan, as prosecutors sought to challenge the provenance of the jewelry.

Mr. Eli’s lawyer grew indignant that his client had to spend another night on Rikers simply because the judge was not convinced that the man’s family had obtained the pile of gold lawfully.