Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-09-24
woRk or couNrIRf1II1Rs.

In unr thef' utes 30 Tear a. -,
WORK or cousrGRFGlTGRS.
lwashingion star
"lIcre arc the bills. thc.e arc tie
plates, and ihrrr are th" chaps" sah
IN. man Who has been tweuty-uinc Years
lu the United state. treasury department
telling visitor. about counicriciiing and
the people Who engage IN u. Abo,e the
door ~ room No. rs, Va which De- stays
are the words "Sccrrt service" u ia
small room. lighted from the ceiling.
On ~. wall. hang the photograph. ~
$50 II the ''chaps" before msuiionc'l,
In an adjoining room. bearing the prohi-
hitian. s.I'riVate." on the door. there arr
seven az eight thousand additional "com-
psnlous IN guilt" forming a Ncriiable
"rogues' gallery" Only thosc that are
found guilty ~ violation ~ law are nov
photographed. some ~ thee faces are
bright aud Intelligent; some are sullen
and .coNling; some are Nillalnou. aud
wicked. some arr insolent aud defiant (;
some sad aud detected. onc wear. a
broad grin, with au eyr drawn down M
"a .mlfklng grimacr.
"Ilcrr's q fellow that didn't want io
leave "a. ANYTHING Ia rcmemh"r hlm hy'
aid the informant. showing faded
picture begrimri With much handling
The subjects mouth Was gaping and All
hl. feature. distorted Into an unr-cog-
nlgahle condition. H. hal hrcn clutch
81 about tie throat aud hy the hair aud
held by main forcr. MANY faces ~
women appear Ia thi. collection A. vel
M those ~ nsgruc. aud Foreigners. The
facr. of the assas.ins ot Lincoln aud
Garheld ar also shown.
When the government selves gang
of counirrfriter. everything belonging
a. their craft .. captured The steel
plate. for printing the bills. h"nd. ani
revenue stamps. the molis Tor molding
coin. the paper upon which hills arr
printed. the metals. the weapons for de-
fence and all the counterfeit on hand.
n require. four plate. a. engraNe a
hin IN the bureau ~ printing anl On
craving. Nn cngrayer 4. required Tor
each II the two border. ani face. hencr
four engraNrr. make one hlll and none
~ the four knows the entire de.ign.
~ome ~ the counterirliers nov ssning
sentence are the finest engra,rrs In The
country ani some have hcrn in govern
ment employ. AMER the counterfeit
hill an. phnt~i from the engraved
plates they arr stained With coii-- to
give them an old appearance That they
NAV the easier escape detection. \
crisp. new counterfeit u never put Into
circulation.
..Cofir~ VA down. YOU sc~. when that
hlil was printed" said our informant,
pointing out q sl0 hlll that had been ioo
drepl, stained.
n &. often only hy the clo.~st cNaml-
milton that counterfeit can b" detected.
One hiil had absolutely no defect cN-
ryptlne that on one fooi ~ the 1oiirs.
nf usrtv that adorned the face therr
ucrr siX toe.. AMI ihis fault could only
l.e detected hy the usc ~ magnifying
rlass. Another bin had the minute
hult. oniy discoVrrahlc hy the irainc,i
expert. ~ having one button on the
cost ~ a soldier slightly imperfect.
some counterfcii.r. photograph hlll'
and rvtouch them With pen ani Ink.
These are easily detected and can onlN
D. passed on on the uuohscrNing and
cirlrss.
"llrrr i.a Icrfect plrre oi work-one
of Toe h..t We have ever taken in." said
the exhibitor. and very old and much.
mrnis-i tWentv-,lollar bill was shown.
"That work l. done With pen, he
continued. Every hlll l. made separate.
That man has been az work on the.'
bill for nine or ten year.. We've been
hunting for him for the Last seven or
eight yrars. We haven't found him yet,
hut we'll get him, that's sure"
Attention va. called tO another piec,
of pen work that I. only shown as cu-
rio.ltv, a. NO Que was ever deceiNei Int
thinking Il was genuine money except
the poor di.traught creature Who make.
the bills.
II ia hundrei-dollar note. ON ".
face l. the picture ~ very daft-looklng
lady Intended Ia represent Martha wash
ington. She has long cOrkscrew curl.
and rcd eyes that start up Into her tenn
ples. On the reverse face was a plctur,
Of the Capitol With a train ~ cars on the
baltimore and Ohio heading for th'
dome. IN inmate ~ an insane asylum
occupies himself making these bills and
paying his physician for his services viii
them.
\ great deal Of counterfelting i done
by raising. Genuine bills ARE used fOI
this purpose. By erasing figures In 4
two or i've and substituting the denom
nation desired the work !. rendered yery
simple, although readily detected by any
close observer. Revenue stamps oi
-. .l.....t.tt.,. A h... l..t .antufarf.stt.
ed. but postage stamps have never beet
Initiated.
some very good counterfeit paper wa'
shown, for the crime of manufacturing
which the offender has fifteen years al
hsrd labor.
Foreign notes are frequently counter
felted In this country. bank of England
notes are ea,lly counterfeited, a. they
are very simple and printed on plair
white paper.
Coin 4 constantly counterfeiied. The
hest counterfeit coin that has ever been
made was u silver dollar.
THAT coin passed through the ilnger'
Of one of the finest experts la the coun
try, la "a subtrrasury of the Unite,
States, without detection" -aid the guar
ulans III lath- uut AFN Eiaih- VI wv
proper weight and has flne ring"
The metal, antim0ny, unlies with sll
yer aud l. used In counterfcitlng silyel
coin. The aniimOny l. melted and ruI
into mold. with the correct faces. WheI
the metal J. cool enough Ia work II i
filed down Ia the proper slle, as antlmo
NY l. the only metal that expands or
cooling. When IL l. cool and file'i to tn
proper sire, IL l. plated With a thin sllyel
plating as any other silver plating Il
done.
The gold coin Il "-truck". The meta
l. placed between engraved steel block
ami struck Ia make the faces. The edg
e. are cut by milling machine, as tn
metal l. all cold. IL costs more 10 MAKE
struck coin, a. milling machine alone
costs s55. The counterfeiter spends nj
little a. possible for machinery Ia carr,
on his buslnes. with. old coins that arr
valuable for their age ani rarity are al
so counterfeited. The 1901 silver dollal
il now worth si 200 aud has been coun
terfeited.