Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-28
COUNTERFEIT COIN.
Two Millions of Spurious Money Sup
- posed to be AHORt - How the
Genuine Pieces are often
Successfully Initiated.

Scientific american: 1t would hardly be
supposed that SO large an amount as two mil
lion dollars in counterfeit silver and gold coin
is now ahoat in this country; but such, ac-
cordlng to the estimate of treasury experts,
is the fact, and, moreover, the total Is con-
stantly increasing. The spurious money
passes through thousands of innocent hands,
until finally it is caught In the meshes Of the
nets laid by the secret service, or Is recognized
by a lynx-eyed expert in some large bank.
Then the unfortunate holder becomes the vic
tim of the counterfeiters skilltul rascallty.
In order to initiate coin successfully
is, so that it will deceive, not the general pub
lie, because probably most persons never take
second look at the coin they receive, pro-
vided its appearance seems right, but the
clerk or cashier moderately well accustomed
to handling money-the counterfeiter must
regard execution, size and weight. The last
is most important in gold coin, because the
least current weight of the latter Is esta6,
lished, whereas In silver a coin OF light
weight, so long as the reduction Is not
manifestly too great, will pass. The standard
weights and least current weights OF gold coin
are as follows:
$50 pc.-Sta'rd 516 grs; least current whit 513 ~
S! O pc-Sta'rd 25S grs; least current W hit 216 u
s. pc.-Sta'rd 129 gfs; least current whit 128 SO
S212pc. Sta'rd. "a B gr; least current Wht 64 10
Any decrease in weight below the latter
figures subjects the holder to loss equlva-
lent to the difference. This decrease may
occur by wear, or, as is very often the case,
through sundry nefarious processes, which,
though not properly counterteltlng, never
theess belong to that species of crime. These
operations are perhaps the most dangerous to
the community, because, as rule, the com
preserves its appearance, Is apparently genu-
inc under the acid test, and, IN fact, is genu'
inc except in weight. 1t is impossible, for
example, to tell whether a coin has been
'sweated ~ or not without weighing it, and
by Sweating" is meant the use of the coin
| as the anode in the electro-patlng bath, the
gold being distracted from 1T and deposited
on another surface. OF course uniform
quantity is removed from the entire surface
and the imprint retains its original sharpness.
| AS much as two dollars worth of gold Is often
| taken from the double eagle in this way: A
| less scientific plan is commonly adopted by
| conscienceless Jewellers, who, when they want
little gold. instead of buying the precious
| metal, purchase twenty dollar piece, hle OF
| with a dead-smooth file sufficient quantity,
reburnish the piece, and pass off the com at
| full value. The most extensive fraud perpe-
| trated on gold coinage Is splitting. The
operator uses fine saw to split the coin
neatly in two. Then he gouges the gold out
| of the center until only thin outside shell is
| left, and substitutes a silver and platinum al
| 10y for the metal thus distracted. The two
points are then joined with gold solder, and
| the edge is remilled. In this way gold to
| the value of fifteen dollars and a halt has
been taken from single piece. The opera
| ton, however, generally destroys the ring or
tone of the coin, leaving it. besides, either
| too light or too thick. Another swindle Is to
| bore into the edges. The holes whence the
| gold is taken are refilled with silver, covered
| with gold solder. and the edges are neatly
| finished; but the light weight reveals the
| theft From five to seven and half dollars
worth of gold has thus been taken from one
| coin, and the pieces of course have every ap-
pearance of being genuine. Real counter
feits-that is, coin wholly spurious because OF
| base metal-are almost invariably beloW
| weight. An exception to this, however, eX-
lists ina fvedollar piece, which is OF the exact
standard weight of one hundred and twenty
| nine grams. 1t is composed OF an alloy oil
gold and silver, and worth from two dollars
and seventy to three dollars and forty cents
Its appearance and tone are excellent, but
il is thicker than the genuine coin, and hence
may be detected by the gauge. STILL, 1t Is
| one of the most dangerous countertelts In ex'
| istence 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 o
silver prevents any such proceedings as IL
| the case of gold, as the amount which coulC
trouble of doing it. Consequently, all silver
| counterieits are true limitations, and there Ii
hardly date of dollar half dollar or quarte
which has not been copied with remarkable
accuracy. The counterfeiter either makes
, mould in plaster from the real coin and cast
from it, or he stamps his imitation in dies
As this last process is the same as In use IL
, the minis, the counterfeits thus produced arr
more difficult to detect, because, beside being
more accurately finished, the compression
which the alloy receives brings it nearer t.
standard weight. large number OF coun
terfeit SILVER coins are made chiefly OF type