Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1886-04-23
COMMUNICATING COINS AND STAMPS
A New Phase of swindling Which has Re-

| A New Phase of Swindling Which has Re-
Gently Been Developed.
A new phase of swindling has recently
| grown up In this country. This is the coun-
/ terfeiting OF old coins and postage stamps
/ with which collectors enrich their cabinets
| Owing 70 the demand for such articles on
tho part of numismntsts and others, a
J profitable business has grown up in coun-
! terfeiting tho originals and selling them at
/ immensely advanced prices Several days
| ago the secret service officials secured tho
arrest Of certain persons i'm Philadelphia
| who had in their possession 1000 spurious
coins which they had manufactured for this
purpose. As there was no evidence that the
coins were intended for circulation, but only
| TO rob conddiny dupes of their money, the
guilty parties were allowed 70 60 unpun
l ished upon their promise o. destroy all the
! dies and plates in their possession.
II is now learned that firm in Germany
is manufacturing United States postage
stamps Of "A denomination long since extinct,
which have attained an enormous sale in
this country | was shown several sets Of
these genuine and spurious stamps at the
office Of the secret service recently. IL
there was any difference, IL appeared 20 be
In favor Of the latter, which In all respects
were the better executed IN point % color
and workmanship. | afterward talked with
a local numismatist about the effect Of
counterfeiting upon the sale of these curioA
He said IL was not 50 great rs might be sup
posed II would be difficult to swindle q
dealer in ancient coins, though, of course
people who purchased Of whomsoeYer nigh ,
offer were apt TO be taken in
He then informed me that silver hnlf-dol
lars coined in tho year 1901 found ready
sale at from $50 to $1,000 each. The value
depends upon the preservation Of the coin
The dealers have ascertained that there arc
but seven pieces Of this denomination that
were circulated, little, IL any. IL is these
seven which command the highest figure
Those whose appearance Is not too much
disfgured sell readily at $500, while any OF
the remainder, without regard IA condition,
arc sold at $50. II is little singular that
while coins OF 1903 and 1906 are worth only
few cents more than their face value,
those Of 1904 should be rated 50 extensively.
The reason for this lies IN tho fact that in
1904 the number Of half-dolars ,oinol wal
comparatively small, and as these grad
ually disappeared from circulation their
value accordingly increased Another coin
for which there is great demsEd is tho half
dimes of 1902 These are quoted at from
$50 TO 500 each, according 20 their state
Of preservation, and for tho same reasons
given above
The sums of money withdrawn from cir
culation and locked up in these collections
is said 10 be very large The number OF
collections have greatly increased Of late
years, and many rich men, like Senator
Stanford OF California aud Harri on Gar
rett Of Baltimore, made IL their especial
hobby. The most complete collection in
America, embracing coins Of every descrip-
tion from the old colonial days down 20 the
present time, Is in possession OF Loring e.
Parmalee OF Boston. It's intrinsic value Il
a trife less than a. 30 The sum which
Mr. Parmalee has refused for it is sGi, OU0 800
Philadelphia Press