Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-07-18
CHEATING UNCLE SAM.
Clever Manner In Which Gold Coins
Arc swcatcd.

SVe%V ONSSe SAWys
Clever Manner in which Gold coins
Arc sweatcd.
There is an unusually large amount
of gold coin in circulation ut present
that Is below Its proper weight and the
yellow metal Is being subjected to q
careful scrutiny. Some of the new
methods of coin sweating are particu.
larry Ingenious and difficult Of detec-
ton. 1t Is stated that fully two-thirds
of the coins found thus mutilatcd have
been lightened by Chinese and Japan
csc, whose patience and perseverance
has become prOvcrbial and whose skill
In delicate metal work approaches the
marvellous.
One specimen Of their ingenuity 10
shown In $50 gold piece. which might
well pass the severest test Of the bank
tellers, and even escape the trained
eyes Of the United States experts ut
Washington. 1t had been sawed in
two through the edge, and about Sl4
worth of gold gouged out Of the two
inner surfaces. Thus the coin was re-
duced to hollow shell in two halves.
1t was then filled with platinum, which
Is just about as heavy rs the yellow
metal and costs about half as much.
The cut edge of the reconstructed coin
was disguised by rim of gold sOldcred
on. and by means Of reeding machine
the original cOrrugations Of the mint.
Ing were renewed. A method some
what similar, though much less artis-
tic. Is to substitute for the inferior
portion Of gold piece core In the
shape Of n planchet Of silver. Its chief
drawback IL that the coin thus treated
Is noticeably light In weight.
The most common method Of all, nrd
one that shows most Enthusiastically the
handlwOrk Of the Oriental craftsman,
Is that known In detective pariance as
plugging. 1t Is safe to state that no
American or European criminal would
spend whole week of tedious and cx-
acting labor In thus manipuln ting coin
with but a profit Of So or 81 In view, not
to speak Of the chances of capture and
the cost Of the tools. In this method n
hole IL bored Into the coin from the edge
and fraction of the gold scrapcd out.
1t 10 then filed up with metal compc.
sition and sOldcrcd ut the opening with
gold. The whole coin Is then gone over.
and from every possible place q tiny
scrap Of gold Is scrapcd OF, care being
taken to do this work In n manner nj.
most unnoticcable to any hut the most
experienced eye.
A most radical method, and one that
almost dcilcs the scrutiny Of the store
keepers, Is that known as trimming. by
cutting q rim from around the coin, rs a.
tire might he removed from a wheel, y
piece Of gold weighing twcnty-six to
twenty.nlnc grains and worth about q
dollar can be removed from each SO
gold piece. Subsequent re.recding Of
the double eagle by means of n machine
renders 1t rs perfect as ever to the eye
Of the casual observer.
Many countcrfets Of ca giles and half
eagles are cStant. cast In base metals
and gllded. Some Of these are plati-
mum for the sake Of weight, but almost
every other known metal ana many
compositions have been utilized. This
gliding process las been most ingc-
suspcnding u gold piece ut one end OF
copper wire and base metal couMtcr-
felt ut the other and In tank OF Gym.
hide Of potash, the OperntOr can chcn-
ically transfer u coating Of gold from
the good coin to the bad one. by this
method the bud coin obtains the mp
pcarance OF gold coin, while the real
gold piece Is apparently uninJurcd and
easily negotiable ut tho face OF Its
original value.
n century or more ago the clipping OF
coin was carried Oh extensively in En-
gland rs well Us elsewhere. Gold pieces
which had lost more or less Of their
substance were common enough, and
some most clumsy specimens Of sweat.
ell coins passed current without objcc-
ton. But In time. us the evil became
still more mbid, penalties OF the most
severe order soon rendered this crime
extremely Improbable. Fortunately
for our own currency, almost every
gold coin In circulation passes through
the treasury, or at least ono Of the
sub.trcasurics, every few years. Each
piece received ut those institutions Is.
weighed ana critically examined, ana
II found light In weight Is stamped by
a big l.. Such coins are only redeemed
at their bullion value. and are sent to
the minis, where they are melted ana
rccO!ncd. In this case the people lose
by the deficiency and not the Govern
ment.