Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-08-24

u s~si1 hony - apu..s - ..
49, . so~s.e = o4esaaDo u e-a-
So.s ssisss - - 60 b - -
!. o. e-s.sy: = - 49,. :.
- on.ss q ~ aWA = -
6l -, 11suw, - ~ b suuusuns-
~ isussG N 0sso o..sy
- aDslUA 49, q -
AssA 0G 4n.kly b b e.seas = q,
a.Ao q - - - - q. su<sss
Sssvse.t - y sn,U1nsd . - lvux-
- sspE - 80 hzR - n
- su1sssunnR hssAw 49, - -
oa e - ssunaH1usnws skizlfsl ~
e.fsy-
h ssAw % inia.s Q ssss s.s.-u6uE,v
--sAa i. - 90 b I'm xusla. - -
ers@A rxssx- h<cxz.e pruAshay .ne
P<rsaos n<Srr s.ke o srcssd ts~u6 @ -
e.ss ts<y src<s.sL pssxs&sd - s2s<.r-
sse< sss1s rsxss b<r tAe sisrs - e.ns-
-. Ds1ns~aeay Vel sceassaoed ~ k.sa-
LOO D~owy-sne c~sss~rf<zazr Dz<s -
xsss ss>esssa~. sasr, I'D v<sxsa Ia
- b Dsss i.Pnrs.ss - gsid essa. ~
c.zs< tn issss essssns v<sxss sf ~ a.
sn b ess.bsisAsd. sA<nss - ssis.r . ca.
Il axhr vesxAf. - bssg - tn ssas<fiua
= 30 D.ss<rsriy sse eresl OH psa.
Th< ss&sdard vrigsss sss l~sst esrrsas
seseAss u gid csaa are - felsoss:
SE-sa-.s--< SO -s---sa ..<sz s,s
e =.
Any decrsas< N vsigAf bele~ the ls,-
Ter figure ssbyeefs Tia kolaer % be.
egsivalent 30 ths dif<resoe. This de
crease may occur by near. &C, .. ID very
often the case. thro3gA sasdry s~f.rssa,
procss>es. which, thoaxh nSt prep<riy
ooanferfeiting. nevertheless Lelsnx "a
that species VI crime
The operations are perhaps the mos,
dangerous 10 the community. because q
. rule the coin preserves its appearance,
10 spparently genuine auder the acid test
and in fact IL genuine except in weight.
1t is impossible, for example, to tell
whether q coin has been 'swested- ol
not without weighing il, and by sweating
is meant the use Of the coin as the anode
in the electro-platiny bath, the gold be.
ing distracted from it and deposited On
another surface. Of course q 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 q
double eagle in this way. A less scien-
tific plan is one too commonly adopted
by conscinceless jewellers, who, when
they want little gold, instead of buying
the precious metal, purchase twenty.
dollar piece, file off with q dead smooth
file sufficient quantity, rebunish the
place, and pass off the coin at full value.
The most extensive fraud perpetrated on
gold coinage is splitting. The operator
uses finer saw to split the coin nearly
in two. Then he gouges the gold out Of
the center until q thin outside shell il
left, and substitutes silver and plati.
mum alloy for the metal thus distracted
The two parts are then joined with gold
solder, and the edge is remilled. In this
way gold to the value of $3.50 has beer
taken from a single piece. The opera
ton, however, generally destroys the
ring or tone of the coin, leaving it, be.
sides, either too light or too thick
Another swindle 10 to bore into the
edges. The hole whence the gold il
taken is refilled with silver, covered with
gold solder, and the edges are neatly
finished; but the light weight reveals thu
theft. From IS to $3.50 worth of gold
has thus been taken from one coin, and
the pieces, of course, have every appear.
ance of being genuine. Real counter.
feits-that is, coin, wholly spurious be.
cause of base metal-are almost invaria-
bly, below weight. An exception to this,
however, exists in IS piece which is
of the exact standard weight of 1893
grains. 1t is composed of an alloy Of
gold and silver, and worth $2.70 to 50 40.
Its appearance and tone are excellent,
but it 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
proceedings as in the case of gold, as the
amount which could safely be distracted
will not pay for the trouble of doing it,
consequently all silver couDterfeits are
true limitations, and there is hardly q
date of dollar, half-dollar or quarter
which has not been copied with remarks
BILE accuracy. The cOunterfeiter either
makes q mold in plaster from the real
coin, and casts from it, or he stamps his
imitation in dies. As this last process is
the same as in use in the nints,
the counterfeits thus produced are
more difficult to detect, because, besides
being more accurately finished, the COM
preston 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 dan
gerous hslf.dollar is composed Of sill
yer, copper, and zinc, aud is worth
about seventeen cents. 1t is from
seven to ten grains too light. Spurious
hslf-dollars have appeared which con-
stantly deceive bank tellers and other
experts, because they are full weight.
They are made Of compound similar to
German silver, and are % well plated
with genuine silver that the acid does
not affect them. They are, however, too
thick, and the gauge, ~ usual, where the
balance fails, shows the fact. Counter
fsits Of the quarter-dollAr, though very
plenty, are less dangerous than those u
larger pieces. They are composed Of an
A.eA 49,.