The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-10-27
COUNTERFEIT COIN.

The whole country is flooded with ceun-
terfeits of gold and silver coins. and unless
something is done to arrest the growing
evil, the rogues viii have it all their own
way. Formerly pair of scales and a bot
tie of nitric acid was all that was necessary
10 enable the receiver of money to detect
the bcg,,s coin. while an expert would sep
arate the genuine from the counterfeit by the
very touch and ring of the piece. Science
and skill have changed all that; and now
the experts are themselves at fault. while
the common people are entirely at the mer
CT OF the manufactures of bogus coin. Up
to recent period the most dangerous fraud
in circulation vas made from genuine die,
fitted to strike quarter eagles, which vas
stolen from the mint at New Orleans. 1t
bore the date of 1854, if We remember
rightly; and the pieces were made of COM
position metal handsomely plated, and coin
ed in this stolen die. That was followed
by the practice of splitting the gold dollar.
taking out about sixty cents of its value,
and soldering the shell together again.
Then came the saving into the edge of a
piece, generally a half or quarter eagle.
cutting two-thirds of the way through and
afterwards filing up tie coin. re-miIlipg
and gliding the edge. The latest and most
skillful of these frauds is perpetrated as far
as detected, with the eagle. The piece is
split into three parts, or at least, the two
outside shells containing the impression are
separated from the center. The latter is
forieiled to the operator, and its place sup
piled by filling of plantira to which the
outsides are fastened. the edges being re-
milled and handsomely plated. This is SO
well done that very few experts, outside OF
the two accomplished testers of coin en-
ploy ed by the assistant treasurer, can de-
tect the cheat. The SO piece under this
management loses about 50, so of its gold,
and remains equally good for general circu-
latiou. The fact that this is done Mt all
and the operation continued, is proof that
it is carried on upon large scale: for the
exquisitely fine machinery, and the skill
and science necessary TO success, could not
he proftabIy employed except in the con
duct of an extensive business. The pieces
are full weight, and except through the
wonderful instinct of here and there rare
expert. they cannot be dected. as they an
swer all tests that do not involve the break
ing or cutting of the coin. There must be
at this moment, large number of them OF
deposit in our banks, and in almost every
full bag of coins one or more Of these, O.
other frauds. may be discovered while th'
number of bad pieces oflerd at the sub
treasury has sometimes amounted TO fifty
or sixty dollars in single package Of FIVE
| thousand.
TIE counterfeit and fraudulent silver
coins are also increasing. The greasy leac
or soft composition quarter dollars any one
may detect; and portion of the bad hal
dollars are of he same stamp. But more
recently composition piece has been utter
ed, which rings we'll, does not feel smooth
to the touch. and can only be detected By
carefully testing. It's exact ingredients arr
unknown, but the weight is evidently made
up by percentage of platira.-N. Y JOur
nal IF Commerce.