Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-08-15

Ter moderately we'll accustomed to hand
ling nloney-the counterfeiter must re-
gard execution, size and weight The
last is most important in gold coin, be-
cause the least current weight of the lat
ter is established, whereas in silver a
coin OF Ii hit weight, SO long as the re-
duction is not manifestly too great, will
pass. The standard weights Of gold coin
are as follows: -..
99po-st.ndard zig ss. least current weight 81 2
SIS Standard 29 g5s least current weight is s.
$2spo.-standard q grs least current weight IS Is
Any decrease IN weight below the latter
figures subjects the holder to loss equiv
alent to the difference. This decrease
may occur by wear, or as is very often the
case, through sundry nefarious processes,
which, though not properly counterfeit
ing, nevertheless belongs of that species
of crime.
These operations are perhaps the mest
dangerous to the community, because as
a rule the coin preserves its appearance,
is apparently genuine under the acid test
and in fact, is genuine except in weight.
1t it impossible, for example to tell
! whether coin has been ;ssweated" or
not without weighing it, and by sweating
is meant the use OF the coin as the anode
in the electro. plating bath, the gold be-
ing distracted from it and deposited on
another surface. OF course a uniform
quantity is removed from the entire sur
face, and the imprint retains its original
sharpness. AS much as two dollars worth
OF gold is sometimes taken from the
double eagle in this way. A less scienti-
tic plan is one too commonly adopted by
constituencies jewelers., who, when they
want little gold, instead of buying the
precious metal, purchase twenty dollar
piece, file off with a dead smooth file a
sufficient quantity, reburnish the place,
aud pass off the coin at full value. The
m ost extensive fraud perpetrated On gold
coinage is "splltting."
The operator uses fine saw to split
the coin neatly into. Then he gouges the
gold out of the center until only thin
outside shell is left, and substitutes sill
yer and platinum alloy for the metal thus
distracted. The two parts are then, join
ed with gold solder, and the edge is re-
milled. In this way gold to the value of
$3.50 has been taken from a single
piece. The operation, however, generally
destroys the ring or tone of the coin, leav-
ing it, besides, either too light or too
thick. Another swindle is to bore into
the edges. The holes whence the gold is
taken are retilled with silver, covered
with gold solder, and the edges are neat
ly finished; but the light weight reveals
the theft. From SIS to $3.50 worth OF
cr,,11 hos fh1,o hooo FOL ~.
and the pieces Of course have every APP
pearance of being g nuine. Real count
erteits-that.is. coin wholly spurious be-
cause Of base metal are Amos invariably
below weight. An exception to this, how
ever, exists in the SIS piece which is of
tt G exact standard weight Of 1870 grains.
1t is composed OF alloy Of gold and silver,
and worth from $2.7O to $3.4O. It's APP
pearance and tone are excellent. but
1t is thicker than the genuine coin, and
hence may be detected by the gauge
Still it is one of the most dangerous
counterfeits in existence.
A silver piece passes current so long as
the imprint is not badly defaced or
weight greatly reduced. A hole through
the coin, however, condemns it. The low
value. Of silver prevents any such proceed
ings as in the case Of gold, as the amount
which could safely be distracted will not
pay for the trouble Of doing it. Conse-
quently, all silver conterfeits are true
limitations, and there is hardly date of
dollar, half-dollar or quarter which has
not been copied with remarkable &C.
| curacy. The connterf either makes a
mould in plaster from the real coin, and
casts from it, or he stamps his immitaticn
in dies. AS this last process is the same
as in use in the mints, the counterfeits
thus produced are more difficult to detect
because, besides being more accurately
finished, the compression which the alloy
receives brings it nearer to standard
weight. A large number of counterfeit
silver coins are made chiefly of type
metal. A very dangerous half-dollar is
composed ofsiIve:, copper and zinc, and
is worth about seventeen cents.
1t is from seven to ten grains too light.
Spurious halt. dollars have appeared
which constantly deceive the bank tcllers
and other experts, because they are of
full weight. They are made Of COM
pound similar to German silver, and are
so we'll plated with genuine silver that the
acid does not affect them. They are,
however, too thick, and the gauge, as
usual, where the balance fails, shows the
fact. Counterfeits Of the quarter dollar,
though very plenty, are less dangerous
than those Of larger pieces. They are
composed of antimony, tin and lead, and
are both too light ana too thick, although
they have a good ring. A peculiar COM
position has been employed, to which
powdered glass is added to give clear
sound; but this is but clumsy expedi-
ent, as the coin is far below proper weight,
tact easily appreciab]e.
1t is difficult matter to lay down any
general rules for detecting counterfeit
coins, as it will be seen from the forego-
ing that the closest ocular inspection may
be wholly at fault. In general the mill
ing on the edge of the counterfeit coin is
always poorly executed as compared with
the genuine; but wear of the latter often
renders the distinction difficult to, draw.
Another Point worth remembering is
that absence Of clear tone in coin is not
necessarily poor of its falsity.; because it
may and does happen that a. crack or
flaw is made in the metal during the
rolling,an this, just as in bell, will Of
course destroy the vibrations, and make
the sound dull and flat. -. -. .f~.. :.
+, .$,',-T- ~ : - :. = = -. =;
An Appalling Chinese Cure.
q 1t is an undoubted fact that even down
to the time of SYdenham, ttmummvv was