The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-08-07
INNOCENT CouNTEHrEirs.
Imitation Gains Which Jingle On
Fair WFists--The Government.
Determtned to- Suppress Their
Manxifactufs. y
philsaslphia Tslerrsph.

q we'll known Chestnut street jeweler
this morning, "that the chief OF the sc.
cret service division OF the United States
Treasury has at last issued instructions
30 his agents to suppress the manu'ac.
tnre OF bangles made in imitation OF
gold or silver coin. Ut course all the
jewellers know very we'll that theY have
no right to stamp any pieces OF gold or
silver in imitation OF coin, or TO trafhc
In such pieces. But the great demand
for small gold coin for bangles made
aome OF them very careless in obeying
the laws id that regard. The California
aeventy.ive aud ffty cent gold pieces
hsva been in great demand for bangles.
The supply OF these coins is small, and
had they been bought up in the large
quantities which the trade would have
required, they would hnve soon com.
manded premium upon their fsce and
huili IN value. So somebody started the
business Of coming them for sale TO
JEWELERS.. The couuterfeits are n1sde OF
IA carat gold. and sre stamped In the
slosest imi alton which the die cuiters
can make Of the genuine coins. They
ste not so heavy. however, although the
difference in weight in 90 sms.l coin
II, OF course, scarcely perceptible. They
are not 90 handsome 81 the genuine
coins, and ! never knew who manutac-
tured them. for naturally enough the en-.
gfayers did not stamp their names and
addresses upon their bandiwork. They
were hroueht, srosnd to us. J never
sac but one mar bring them fer sale,
and be bas not been 10 the city for come
sine. thought they were made some.
where .in New England. We paid twenty
eeBts apiece foi the quarter, and thirty
nve cents for the half dollsrs. Some OF
the imitation coins are round and some
were Of octagoRaE shape J baye heard
tiiat some 5uassioH COLA doflsrs we're
made and sold for baDglesr bot ] never
bought any Of them.
81 be quantity, OF real coin which is
Used 10 the msnufaciute Of these bangles
ID remarkable" continued the speaker
~Silver quarters and % so gold pieces
are about the larges: coins used. ] am
working Eve OF the latter coins into .
bracelet to-day. / have made pair OF
brscelets on each OF which ten OF these
gold pieces jingled. Although no one
las the right to mutlate gold snd silver
coin and then put it into circulation, We
have the iight 10 bore holes in our own
coins that We NAV be able TO wear them
for jewelry. They won't cell rs new
coias n, the mint, though, 4 they know
what We want them for. Only the other
day sent man out to GET lot Of ten
cent pieces. He mentioned ss an in
ieres,ing piece of information to the
officer 10 charge, that be wanted the
bright, new dimes for bangles. He did
not get them at all, then. II he had
held bis tongue no objection would have
been made. but the mint people could
not sell him tie money when he avowed
his purpose to use it 10 that way.
"a great number Of dimes are used
ID this way. Only to-day an engraver
told me that he had used 800 worth OF
them In O week. He had smoothed one
ride of, engraved some name or inscrip-
lion upon Il, end bore bole 10 the coin
90 that It could be Used - bangle.
"Some young ladies induce their gen
ilemen friends to present them with such
coins, suitably engraved, and wear the
trophies jangliDg about their wrists
81 never heard that any one tried to
pase the imitation coin made for ban
gles," added the jewel,r, "and ] don't
think that the spec,al agents will find
many such imitation coins in this city.
Much OF The stuff which the jewelers.
here handled they bought for customer
work, and don't think anybody here
will get inte trouhle over the coin
'sHave any of, the new Eve cent pieces
ever been qilded and used % bangles?'
ssked the reporter. /.
tNot that / ever heard Of" the jew
eler said, sYop couldn't get sny glider
ID tbe city to plste one Of these pieces
Tor you. Lots OF people have tIied- 4
glider who does . lot Of oar work told
ne the other day that Q nan bad brougbl
bin q handful Of the frss pieces coined
those which were just marked With 2 '
without any cents, and wanted hun te
gid them. The man said ibss be wanted
70 keep the eilded nickels Tor cursosi
tee. The glider told him he could no
help him 10 set pp that kind OF . curl
otity shop, II would be rather dan.
.eetous thing for o jeweler to use gildet
'nickels for bsneles, and don't believe
,hat any Of them ever felt like trying
s>4 re . :
q member OF another big jewelry 6rn
ssid tbat be had often bought The imita
.iipn COINS, paying SIS . hundred 70
tie quarters and o35 PET hundred 70
ihe half dollars He did not know
where they we're msde, hut thought tha
they came from the West. It Is in ,th
.wsstern states that the government de
iectises have been instructed 20 use par
ticuiar efforts to stop the manu- sctur
Of the eonnterfeis, for eounterfeits th'
bangles certainly are, bearing upon thei
sfnces, as they do, the verv value OF th
ecins Of which they are imitstions-
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