The New York herald., 1879-02-04

reported to De as much S2.OOOOO. but the Treas
ury officials believe that $4,000 is than the re-
alty. They do not deny, however, that the resump-
tion of specie payments has given new life to the
almost obsolete industry in this country-nameiy'
the counterfeiting of con 1t is curious fact that
the imitation of coin currency is more extensively
practised by dishonest than that of paper cir
cuation especially of late years. when the engraving
of paper money has become elaborate as to be a
work of art which the counterfeiter can hope to
simulate only by the acquisition Of the skill OF
lifetime and q considerable amount of capital. 1t
Is estimated for instance that the set OF plates from
which Tom Ballard printed his famous counterfeits
necessitated an expenditure OF from $4,000 to $4,000
for their engraving and preparation. On general
principles this sum Of money would usually satisfy
the average man Of Ballards rank in life by buying
him house and home. and make him content to live
out his life in honest and simple labor. But the
countcreiting of coin requires such elaborate or
costly outfit. supply of plaster of Paris and set
of the coins to be initiated are about all that is
needed The character of the work turned out under
such circumstances is, Of course quite various, and
depends upon the skill address of the artisan. In
this simple way are made most of the bogus nickels
and subsidiary silver coins which occasionally
trouble the public.
BOGUS COIN Is MADE.
The genuine coin is fixed carefully in the pulp or
plaster and everything surface Is then pressed
down upon it and the whole left to dry. When hard
the parts Of the mould are separated, the coin
taken out and hole gate" as the counterfeiter
terms It, drilled to the edge of the hollow space The
base metal is poured through this gate." and enter
ing the mould takes the shape and form Of the gen
inc original. But the form is always slightly def
cent in size for the that the genuine coin is
cut from cold strips Of metal whereas the counter
felt made Of molten metal which shrinks slightly
it cools. leaving it measurably smaller
than the limits of the mould. This de-
feet can nearly always be detected IN counterfeit
coins, which are made by moulds Hence there
are several patent devices giving the exact size Of
the genuine pieces which at betray tho counter
felt when the latter subjected to test with the
There are counterfeits too which. like government
work. are made with stamp and die. but in these.
in oil classes Of counterfets there is imperfec
ton in color. lustre weight, sound general ap-
pearance which betrays them
EXTENT OF THE BUSINESS
The counterfeiter of coin is the most troublesome
to the police and detectives. His name is Legion.
The cheapness OF the outlay tempts him constantly
to undertake the making of bad money He can work
in any ordinary room, in ordinary house with
few handfuls Of plaster. a small crucible
and a couple Of dollars Of money. Whereas
the counterfeiter Of paper money must have
quite establishment and run the risk of inviting
suspicion of his operations. He has also TO be
full of the company he keeps and to remain far in the
background out of sight of the retail showers who
circulate the money But the coin counterfeiter is
humber. and content With lighter returns for his
enterprise. He is nuisance rather than a felon
practically at least. Like mushroom. he is spring
ing up constantly but like that bit Of vegetation lie
is quickly suppressed. His pewter dimes and quar-
detected and his OcCuDatiOn
When it is said that the coin counterfeiter's
is Legion so1s not meant M tb that shs,tns ne
who repeats himself every few seconds in the march
of the grand army. He is vcritably numerous. The
coin coilnterfeiter desists from his business
He SEES at his work Of art SO deceptive as he
thought II would be. Taking the risk OF detection
and staIlure to make money t tSsetasr he gradu
worth the candle. For this reason the countcrfeiter
Of small coins is generally a tyro. He seldom be-
comes professional.
AMOUNT IN CIRCULATION
The more elaborate methods are Of course more
dangerous but the injury to the community at large
is greatly overcstmated Considering the vast
area of the country and the diffusion Of money
among the people, 1t seemed no extravagant
currency was counterfeit. But it should be
remembered that money, paper or metal. Is
always undergoing the winnowing process of pas.
sage through the banks the hands of intelligent
merchants and business men generally. The false is
soon detected and relegated To harmless secluson.
How many millions of bad money might be shown
were the desks and tills of retail tradesmen give
up the brassy quarters and quicksilvered haives
which were taken by ignorant clerks or In the hurry
trade! Such coins stranded in the tradesmens
money drawer. there to remain mementoes of the
past And what a curiosity shop any bank might
start with similar objects. The free circulation of
money is like the free circulation Of the air. 1t
clears il of its deleterious elements.
THE DANGEROUS TwENTIEs
The dangerous coin counterfeits referred to
snch as those which were recently detected at the
United States Treasury in New York. These were
twenty dollar gold pieces that had passed the ordeal
of the Bank Of England, and were detected only
when they came within the range Of the optics
Of some Of Uncle Sans officials: They had
gold extracted, the hole being filled up with some
composition with which exact weight was made. This
substitution all the ingenious and start
ling for the that the bar TO such counterfeit
ing previously had been the lack of something heavy
enough and cheap enough to take the place Of gold
1t almost axiom of the bankers that when q
gold coin the right size and exact weight it must
be genuine, for the reason that it would be npossi
BILE to make substitution for extracted portion of
it with anything but platinum some composition
of platinum or other heavy metal, dcarer, CONNER
ciay, than gold ITSELF weight for woght Some nice
calculations had been made in the coins referred
to, both NJ to these points and doubtless
also as to- what is called ''the limit Of toll
wear and Is measured by the age of the coin An old
coin which has lost by not more than certain
percentage OF it's original weight accepted at its
ull weight and is legal tender. to speak, for its
face value at the United States Treasury in all
AT THE SECRET SERVICE DIVISION.
Much Of the above information acquired in the
of visit to the Secret Service Division the
Treasury. where the statistics of counterfeiting
operations recorded 10y Colonel Brooks with the
precision attending the operations OF the entire de-
partment. Indeed the apartments of the Secret Ser
vice Division are little treasury in themselves.
number OF safes, reaching well up to the
ceiling, stored with the spoil of the
raids Of the Secret Service men. Piles Of
apparent greenbacks and national bank notes done
up in bundles and labelled like the of the
Treasury itself occupy set of these Safes In the
adjoining safes heaps of CLOTH bags of apparent
coin. each tied up and sealed with red sealing wax.
like the contents of Uncle Sans great cash room in
another part of the building. Indeed, were some
burglar TO make an entrance some night into the
Treasury and by chance come across this doodle"
he would fancy that he had come upon tho genuine
treasure itself, delusive is IL in its outward
ing In this curious museum of mans efforts to
cheat his fellow man Colonel Brooks exhibits. with
something of pity and pride commngled the won-
derful five hundred dollar counterfeit precnbnck for
which Tom Ballard Is now serving his thirty years In
prison. -Four OF the notes are all that are