Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-03-21

- fingglnS -. ssstantly1
Jut, Hks -aat bit of vegetation, he is
quickly suppressed. His pewter dimes
and quarters are soon detected, and his
occupation gone. When it is said that
the coin counterfeiter' name is Legion,
it is not meant that he is like the
"sape' soldier of the theater who re-
peats himself every few seconds in the
march of the grand army. He is YER
itably numerous The coin counter
feiter soon desists from his business.
He sees that his work of art is not so
deceptive as he thought it would be.
Taking the risk of detection and his
failure to make money together, he
gradually comes to the conclusion that
the game isn't worth the candle. For
this reason the counterfeiter Of small
coins is generally a tyrO. He seldom
becomes professional.
The more elaborate methods are Of
course more dangerous, but the injury
to the community at large is greatly
overestimated. Considering the vast
area of the country and the diffusion Of
money among the people, it seemed no
extravaganza estimate that million or
more of the coin currency was counter
felt. But it should be remembered
that money, paper or metal, Is always
undergoing the WinnOwing process OF
. passage through the banks or the
hands Of intelligent merchants and
business men generally. The false is
soon detected and relegated to HARM
less seclusion. How many millions Of
bad money might be shown were the
desks and tills of retail tradesmen TO
give up the brassy quarters and quick
silVered halves which were taken by
ignorant clerks or in the hurry OF trade!
Such coins are stranded in the trades
mems money drawer, there to remain
as mementoes of the past. And what
curiosity shop any bank might start
with similar objects. The free circula-
ton of money is like the free circula-
ton of the air. It clears it OF its dele
terious elements.
The dangerous coin oounterfeits re-
ferred ito are such as those which were
ecently detected at the United States
Treasury in New York. These were
S20 gold pieces that had passed the or
deal of the Bank of England, and were
detected only when they came within
the range Of the optics OF some OF
Uncle Sam's officials. They had been
bored from the edge and S14 worth OF
gold extracted, the hole being filled up
with some composition with which ex-
act weight was made. This subshtu-
ton was all the more ingenious and
startling for the reason that the bar to
such counterfeiting previously had
been the lack of something hea w
enough and cheap enough to take the
place of gold. 1t was almost an axiom
of the bankers that when gold coin
was the right size and exact weight it
must be genuine, for the reason that 1t
would be impossible to make substi-
tuition for an extracted portion of it
with anything but platinum or some
composition of platinum or other heavy
metal, dearer, Commercially, than gold
itself, weight for weight Some nice
calculations had been madein the coins
referred to, both as to these points,
and doubtless also as to what is called
"the limit of tolerance" This is the
allowance for reasonable wear and is
measured by the age Of the coin. An
old coin which has lost by wear not
more than a certain percentage OF its
original weight is accepted at its full
weight, and is a legal tender, so to
speak, for its fsce value at the United
States Treasury in all cases. Washing.
ton Cor. N. y. Herald.