The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-08-20
CHAS. III. SMITH.

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CHAS. III. SMITH.
as distinct set of plates each requiring months
of patient labor to produce, was required for
each issue
The labors of the Secret Service have been so
successful that nearly all of the most skillful
and dangerous engravers engaged in the un-
lawful business have been caught and put
where they could not, for long time at least
do further mischief But few new counter
feits have made their appearance for several
years, and nearly all OF them are so poorly
executed as to be easy of detection Most of
the well-made counterfeits of years ago have
been weeded out. leaving the currency compar-
atively pure. You can take any bill that is
offered with very little fear as to its genuine
ness. When any person, or even bank, gets
stuck" with counterfeit bill there is a
strong temptation 10 pass it off
ON SOMEBODY ELSE
as soon as possible-perhaps in the night, or
aGroitly placed with a lot of other bills or upon
an ignorant and unsuspecting person. Con-
Science, If the passer has good one, may
kick 7" a little, but, just the same, that is the
way most people always have done and always
will do. They think that as long as they can
keep such bill going il doesn't hurt anybody.
Asamatter ffact under the law any person who
does this naughty thing is just rs guilty of pass
ing counterfeit money as the one who takes it
fresh from the hands of the rascals who made
it and palms it off upon the public. All banks
are directed by law to instantly withdraw from
circulation and stamp as bad any bill which
may be detected as counterfeit. They do not al
ways do this, as such bill is dead loss, un-
less it is detected by the sharp eye of the re-
ceiving teller and refused. Years ago, when
counterfeits were much more numerous than
sihow, and many of them of large denominations,
very considerable losses would have resulted
from strict observance of the law. The Off
GERS of the Secret Service say, however, that of
late the bank people recognize the fact that
this course is the best policy in the end, and
that most of them now lend every posi- bic aid
to the Government in getting counterfeits out
OF circulation.
A DANGEROUS COUNTERFEIT
is one which. even to the most minute detail,
is so nearly an exact reproduction of the origi-
nal as to deceive the most expert handlers of
money. Many such have been produced, circu-
lating for years and passing through the hands
and under the scrutiny Of thousands of bank tel
lers and business men. Counterfeit United States
notes have been so perfectly made that when
presented by innocent parties at the Treasury
for redemption, they have passed undetected,
and been henored by prompt payment in coin.
Counterfeiters generally prefer to expend their
energies upon notes of. the smaller denomna-
tiens. The degree of care with which a bill is
scanned is apt TO be praportionate to the num-
ber OF dollars it represents In nine out of
ten a counterfeit 81, s., So or even SO note will
pass unquestioned, while $780, $500 or 81 600,
equally well executed, will be carefully scru-
tinized, and quite possibly detected None but
the most skilled engravers attempt the large
bills and but few such are in circulation. Any
blli less than $50 rarely attracts in the ordi-
nary course of business, more than a passing
glance. With little care and adroitness good
counterfeit may easily be put in circulation in
large quantities. Most business men handle
daily more or less counterfeit money, and are
none the wiser. 1t is fact that while there
has been a steady decrease in the spurious
paper currency,
.as isSs THE AMOUNT OF BASE COIN
has quite largely increased, in spite of the
efforts of the officers of the Government The
iaundation of silver afforded good opportunity
TO the coin counterteiters, and they have not
been slow TO improve it. Their ingenuity has
produced combination of base metals which
gives the ring OF silver and deceiyes the most
practiced ear. Melted glass is one of the in
gradients used to produce this effect. With dies
or molds coins are made and plated with silver
which, Laying the ight weight, almost defy
detection by the usual superficial tests. Silver
coins of all denominations, from the dollar to
the dime arc successfully counterfeited, and
even the fye-cent nickel does not escape a base
imitation. The cent would seem to be game
hardly worth the POWDER" and get the penny
has been counterfeited several times To make
q fair article of spurious coin requires far less
time and skill than to initiate paper money
An engraver may spend year or two upon a
single set Of plates for banknote, while but
few days at most are required to produce the
apparatus for making coin.
Dnring the past year 1893 persons were ar
rested for making. passing, dealing in or having
in possession counterfeit money, and four for
liz
that the first issue of the new nicSels by sim
gular omission, did not have the words " Five
cent" at all. When gilded they very closely
resembled, on the eagle" side,
THE S. GOLD PIECES,
the size and appearance being almost precisely
identical. Many of these gilded nickeIs We're
for time, passed upon unsuspecting persons
Last year eight persons were arrested for passing
these dcccpiions. OF the persons arrested 1874
pleaded guilty, or were convicted, and were SEN
tenccd TO imprisonment aggregatinc 341 years.
Fines were imposed amounting to 81; ,4S0. The
amount of counterfeit money capture ed during
the year was $4,000, half of which was Treas
ury and National Bank notes and silver certif-
Gates, and the other half coin, about equally
divided between limitations of gold and silver
OF the plates captured II were for bank notes,
81 for flash notes, 66 for postage and revenue
stamps. ana l23 ior proprietary stamps There
were Also five woodcuts and % glass negatives
of bank notes, and for the manufacture of base
coin, 35 dies and 322 molds. Besides these
there were ealyanic batteries, printing presses.
numbering machines, Iathcs crucibles and other
implements and machinery used in the busi-
ness The negatives referred to are used in
the counterfeiting Of notes by the Photographic
process. The quality of the bills thus produced
is very poor, aud could scarcely deceive child
What are known as fash notes" have dur
ing the past two or three years, received much
attention from the Secret Service. They are
simply business advertisements, printed in the
general form, size and color of bank notes, and
scattered broadcast through the country In
many cases there is palpable attempt to
INITIATE TIE "GREENBACKn
At the top are the words United States" in
similar letters; there arc the large figures, s. 10
or 30; they are printed in green ink; and
much of the reading matter on the Treasury
note is used. with few changes, ending by ex-
tolling the advantages of cigar store or hat
factory. Many of these are such good imita-
tions that if held at arms length from the eye
in q dim light they have much the appearance
of genuine notes. They are not counterfeit
money, for they do not purport to be money,
and upon examination are found to be nothing
bnt advertisements; but they have deceived
many people, whether so intended or not They
have been repeatedly passed for money upon