The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-17
PICKING OVER METAL MONEY.
How Counterfeit Hzd INITIATED
Pieces Get to the Treasury.

From the Washington Star
a favorite way TO get rid Of counterfei:
coins is TO pass them on car conductors. 20
said treasury official TO a Star reporter
we get many such pieces. sent in for re-
demption by the companies. The unthink-
ing passenger does not hesitate TO cheat
the cOrpOraJlon-nOt realizing. of course
THAI the loss falls on the floor employe,
VINO must make il good
lInIne nse quantities of subsidiary and
MINOR coins are continually flowing into
re u treasury, To be exchanged for notes
ne street car companies of Washington.
LOT example, do not want TO bother their
banks with Weighty deposits Of small sill
yer, nickel and copper pieces. They find il
more convenient to deposit the stun here,
receiving IN exchange greenbacks, which
are much more convenient TO handle. Also
We receive many small coins from rail-
way companies. express companies, ice
companies and banks.
The coins which we receive from all
over the country are assorted into mt
and UNIT. The latter we do not send out
again Tor circulation. At the same time,
the standard of fitness is somewhat va
rlaDie. If the appropriation for the minis
mas run short, and we have no big guam
uty OF new coins to draw on. we are
Obliged TO pass pieces which would other
wise be Withdrawn and transferred to the
melting pot.
AT all times we pick out for rejection
an coins that are mutilated in any manner.
rms applies even TO pieces which have pa
per stuck on them. Within the last three
or four years the practice of pasting adj
Vertisements on one side of silver dollars
mas been popular with merchants, parLicu-
larry IN the west The paste employed is
OF SO excellent quality that 10 remove
me suckers as they are called, IS next
10 impossible. Soaking in warm water has
no effect on them. OF course, we have no
time to devote 10 such a task and so we
just throw them out
The ingenuity exercised by people in
the deiacement of the coins of the realm
IS really remarkable. Shop keepers will
stamp their firm names upon silver pieces
with steel dies. The advertisement is eX
ce!lenuy conceived, but the value of the
com IS destroyed except as bullion. Many
persons make a practice of cutting coins
with knife to make sure that they are
good. The test may prove them all right,
but IL renders the coin unredeemable. 9th
er persons scratch the pieces with sharp
lnstruments-for what purpose l am un-
same.
I'VE return all mutiIated and counter
felt coins TO the depOsitOr. In every case
the depositor is requested to send them
back to the treasury. If he fails to do so,
no more are returned TO him out of sub
sequent consignments. Counterfeit coins
we mark in such a way that il is hardly
possible to use them again. They are cut
half through from one edge. AS for
mutilated pieces, the owners can dispose
of them only by selling them for so much
metal The minis will buy mutilated
coins in quantities like any other bullion.
I'VE have here at the treasury four of
the most expert counters of money in the
world. They are women, and their names
are Miss Calhoun, Miss Rolf Miss Cocks
and Miss Burns. Each of these young
ladies is able to count from 10000 to 5000
pieces a day, throwing out the counter
feits at sight They are so clever at the
work that it is hardly possible for a bad
coin to escape detection by their keen
eyes The pieces are spread out on tables
in such a manner as to lie fiat, this being
accomplished by two or three quick move
ments of the hands. Then they are
counted two at a time. with two fingers
of the right hand, throwing them into
the left hand, which is held below the
edge of the table. In this process all bad
~ worn coins are put aside, to be sent
to the mint in Philadelphia"