The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-05-17
Different Forms Of Counterfelting
Nafu

Different Forms of Counterfeiting
COin.s - -
Gold coins are tampered with In .
number of ways in addition tothe regu-
lar counterfeits. The most common ara
s'sweating," fling the edge or reeding,
plugging and filing.
Sweating is done in a variety OF ways,
all removing portions of the coins from
all parts equally, and reducing the value
about one-twentieth. Filing the edge
or reeding leaves the ridges quite sharp
and subtracts as high as one-teuth the
value. In all these cases the appearance,
ring, etc, are very good, the weight only
being defective. ! = BN
In plugged coins double eagles only
having been found subjected to this
process), holes are bored into the coin
from the reeding and the cavities filed
with base metal, only the orifice being
covered with gold aud the reeding then
touched up with a fi.e. The loss in these
coins is from one-eighth 70 one-sixth.
Filled coins of L denominations are
found from the quarter eagle to the
double eagle. I reeding Is taken off
entire, the coin 50 rcd through, and the
inner part of ca n removed, leaving
only paper. thic' mess of the original
surface. With filling of platinum,
and the surface restored, the coin Is
outwardly q genuine one and Is of COR
rect size and has good ring. BY this
process nearly four -fifths of the value Is
removed.
There are numerous counterfeits Of
silver coin, and description.of all of
the different issues would be almost i'm
possible. '
The tests employed At the mint are
weight and size, and If we take the three
tests of weight, diameter and thickness
It will be found almost impossible for
the counterfeiters to comply with these
three tests unless genuine metal Is used.
| "Struck" counterfeits, or those made
by dies, are by far the most dangerous,
as the lettering and milling are sharp
and clear, and they have the same ring
rs o genuine coin. The weight alone Is
sufficient to determine the character of
nearly all counterfeits of this class.
In counterfeit silver very large per-
centage are made by molds. Ordinary
type metal Is use, and the coins are
then plated. Some very good specimens
are made in this manner, but II of the
required size they are much lighter
than the genuine, and If of the required
weight they differ in diameter or thick
ness.
The outfit required for molding coun-
terfeit silver Is so simple and inexpen-
siye that the number Of molds that have
been made is very large.
Last year alone, according to the re-
port of the Chief of the Secret Service,
Sc sets of molds were captured, and 1t
is not thought that . very large per-
centage of this class of q counterfeiter' 5
| outfit Il vet discovered
The manner of making this class Of
counterfeits Is as follows: A complete
cast of genuine coin Is taken in plaster
of paris, after the method of stereotyp-
ing to make q mold. The plaster Of
paris mold is then moderately baked
and filed with whatever base compound
is used. When the metal cast Is suffi-
ciently cooled, the mold Is taken apart,
the casting removed, finished up, and
either washed in q solution of silver OF
electro-plated with the same metal.
These counterfeits are generally under
weight, and lack the clear ring of the
genuine.
A much larger amount of counterfeit
coin is in existence than is supposed.
Statistics obtained from q large railroad
company, whose daily receipts exceed
$1,000 in coi2, show that the amount o.
n
different offices exceeds S400 o week, ol
over $40, 900 q year. This is over six
tenths of one per cent of the entire
amount offered. As it Is probable thai
large amount of the poorer counter
feits are never offered to ticket agent:
(they naturally being considered gooC
judges of money!, it is probable tha
six-tenths of one per cent. Is low esti
mate of the amount of counterfeit coir
in existsnce.
When 1t is considered that 5000, ,00(
of one counterfeit United States mott
was circulated (the $50 of the old issue)
and that there is hardly a bank in the
country but has from one to half 9
dozen of these notes among its assets
the large amount of counterfeit currency
In existence will be appreciated.
And, further, when it Is considered
that the smaller the denomination coun
terfeited the wider will be the fieit
where it can be circulated, as majority
of people are not familiar with note o
the denomination of $50, and it is q fac
that counterfeit notes of the smaller de
nominations have had much more ex
tended circulation. This has been par
ticularly noticeable among the $5 coun
terfeits.
Among silver the quarter dollar hal
been most extensively and successfully
counterfeited, and when it Is considered
that this coin has a wider circulation
than almost any other denomination
and is much more used than any othe
coin, it will be seen that the counter
feiters evinced good Judgment in max
ing this selection.-Underloood's Cous
teJeit Detector.