The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-07-19
PUT "STICKERS" ON COINS.
NEW DEVICES WHICH ARE BOTH
ERING THE TREASURY.
Tradesmen Sticking Advertisements
onSilver DOllars-Putting "Double
Headers" on Silver Pieces.

bh DAANNN lOuDlt
Headers" on silver Pieces.
((D TICKERS" are giving the
Government n good deal of
bother They are circular
bits Of paper with adver-
tisements on the face and mucilage on
the back. Made by the lick of the
tongue to adhere to the reverse Of
silver dollar, one of these little l.as-
ters is just big enough to fit inside of
the milled rim. They have been COM
ing widely into use in the West and the
South. Every time a merchant re-
ceives q cartwheel dollar in the way of
business, he slaps O sticker upon it,
which reads, "Iake me back to Buggs,
cheap furniture house, where you get
the biggest value for cash" or, Gre
turn me TO Snaggs, the dry goods man,
and will fetch bargain. "
Many people are unwilling to accept
the sticker dollars, and so the circula-
tion of Uncle Sans coins is interfered
with. Most banks will not take them,
because the Treasury has issued noti-
fication to the effect that it will not ac-
cept or redeem them. 1t holds the
ground that they are defaced and are
not legal tender on that account. 1t
is true that they might be restored to
their original perfection by removing
the stickers, but Secretary Carlisle has
no appropriation for scraping them off.
The mucilage employed is of so excel
lent a quality that twelve hours soak
ing does not loosen the paper from the
silver.
Furthermore, the covering up of
one side of the coin renders it greatly
more difficult to discover whether the
latter is counterfeit or not. Chief
Drummond, of the Secret Service,
showed to your correspondent
specimen of the finest imitation dollar
ever struck with die. 1t is plated
with silver, and few experts could dis
tinguish it from real one. The de-
ception was considerably enhanced by
q sticker on the reverse advertising Il
shoe house in Ottumwa, Iowa. Were
this practice permitted manufacturers
of false money would make business
of pasting on the backs of their bogus
pieces advertisements bearing the
names of reputable shop keepers. Thus,
inasmuch as a respectable merchant
would not knowingly use bad coins to
publish his business, his credit would
help the counterfeits to gain circ;lla-
tion. Also, how is anybody to know
that the side of the dollar concealed by
sticker has not been scooped out and
filled up with lead?
EArk,rro% %ol.y Ahnya ,c
ment forbidding the DETACHMENT of the
United States money, and that law is to
be enforced for the immediate suppress
sion of this new attack upon the cur
rency. Many district attorneys in
various parts of the country have
already threatened to prosecute mer-
chants using the stickers, and the
business will be brought to an abrupt
close. Oddly enough, ascheme wholly
similar was started few years ago,
but it was nipped in the bud before it
had chance to spread. Men some-
times stamp their firm names on coins
Likewise they print their business
cards on the backs of 81 or $2 bills.
Such acts are strictly forbidden by
law. The penalty is 500 fine for each
note or coin SO marked.
A species of coin mutilation not less
interesting than that above described
has excited the attention of the Secret
Service during the past year. 1t is the
manufacture of what are technically
called 'double headers" for gambling
purposes. For example, n silver dollai
is put into lathe and cutting tool
is applied to it in such manner as to
remove three-fourth of the metal from
the back, leaving the milled rim in
tact. What remains resembles in
form backing box lid. Next, an
other dollar is taken, and the back of
it is sliced off in the shape of a thin
disk. This disk and tine fragment like
n backing box lid are then Joined
neatly together in such manner as to
produce what has the appearance of a
whole silver dollar. Tho piece thus
composed has no head of Liberty, but
two tails-one on each side.
In precisely the same manner silver
coins are turned out with two heads.
Such pieces are sold by some dealers
in so-called sporting goods 10 per-
sons who wish TO use them for cheat.
ing unsuspicious strangers in bar
rooms and elsewhere. Dollars thus
prepared fetch 50 each, half dollars 80
each. A Chicago man arrested for
manufacturing them recently was con
victed and fined under the law which
prohibits the making of "coins of
original designs" by private indiyidu-
ais in this country. There is no doubt
that the idea is exceedingly original
rs well as dangerous to the unsophisti-
Gated.
The little game" worked with these
"doublo headers" is us simple as it ID
profitable. 1t is necessary that the
operator shall be provided with two os
tho coins-one with two heads and the
other with two tails. On finding a
man who is willing To- gamble for dol
lars he says: 'Tll match you first"
The other fellow lays down his piece ON
the bar, head up. Seeing that, the
swindler chucks up his coin with two
head. OF course he cannot help win
ming. Then he puts down the good
dollar which he has Just won, and his
adversary throws up and matches"
Here he has an exactly even chance.
But on the next throw his opponent