The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-02
LARGE. QUANTITIES OF SILVER
TURNED OUT.
tains q Little More silver Than
the Genuine, but 1t Is Illegal and
Its Makers Are Lawhreakers-
Efforts to Prevent BAN ed-BiE
Profits.

pScee& 70 call attention 70 the counter
fefting OF standard silver dollars. the ex-
tent TO which ne thinks the evil has
grown can be surTnised.
The coins made are spurious only In the
fact that they are not made by the gov
ernment- They contain practically the
same amount OF silver and OF the same
fneness as the genuine coins. and they
can be made that way at a bigger prohI
than almost any business in the country
affords
In fact, the chief point relied on by ex-
perts to tell the counterfeit from the gen.
uile pieces is the excess Of fine silver put
in by the swindlers. This is caused by
the use OF Mexican dollars, which are
worth little more for bullion than are
the American.
II il considered by many 20 be OF thu
first consequence that some step should
be taken at once 10 prevent furfheT
frauds upon the government in this direc-
ton. One suggestion is that no silver
coin larger than the ffty-cent piece be
allowed to circulate, and that the design
of all coins be changed and made so ex-
pensive and 50 difficult 10 copy that the
undertaking will be too large for the
counterfsiters.
II is believed that the government has
already lost more than a million by this
sort of imposition, and that the coinage
The false as we'll as the true money must
be redeemed finally by the government;
for, while a test would show in many
cases that the counterfeit was not from
the government mint, the proof must be
brought out in each coin, and this would
cost nearly as much as would be saved by
throwing out the false pieces and refus-
ing TO redeem them
secret Service Busy.
The secret service has been busy with
this problem with increasing difficulties
ever since the margin between the true
value and the face value OF the silver
money grew 10 be so great
II is usual for detectives 10 watch for a
scoundrel to make some false step by
which they get view to his operation
and finally run him down. 1t is the muir
der will OUT theory; but In this case they
have. hardly got q vestige OF evidence by
waiting. The men who are flooding the
country with bad dollars and half dollars,
which no one, not even an expert. can dis
tinguish from the true money without an
assay. have so far been shrewd enough &c
avoid anything that would give the secret
service men q chance at them.
A few seizures have been made of tools.
which might have been used In molding
bad limitations of money, but nothing of
much Importance has been taken, and the
officials are a good deal puzzled. The Sc
cret service report does not touch the prob
lem at all: IL was probably deemed wise
first 10 lay hands on the offenders before
making too much Of a stir about them,
thus putting the whole circle on their
guard.
Mr.. Preston thought the wrong upon the
people had grown 20 such proportions that
he was no longer justified In keeping quiet
about the matter. II seemed his plain duty
10 speak and warn the people of what Is
happening.
He states in his report there Is no doubt
that the silver coins Of the United States
are now being counterfeited. pieces being
manufactured exactly similar TO the genJ-
inc in size, weight and devices. The fine
ness OF the counterfeit so far discovered
varies from the genuine, but In some cases
contain higher percentage OF silver than
the genuine.
Plenty of Half Dollars.
A very dangerous counterfeit silver half
dollar has made its appearance in the
East and West, the weight of which Is
100 grains. with q flneness OF .seIi9. while
ths weight OF the genuine Is 1923, Of the
fneness of 900 To what extent this coun-
terfeiting has been done 1t Is impossible
10 say.
These coins could not have been made
from genuine dies. as record OF all dies
manufactured IL kept. These dies are
numbered and at the end OF each year
are Cancelled and returned to the mint at
Philadelphia, where they are compared
with the record, and when found correct
are destroyed in the presence OF the super
intendent. coiner cngraver and assayer
Of the mint at Philadelphia
The director states that IL would be i'm
possible for these coins 70 have been Is
~ 4ts4~S a1
IL taken to see that every coin stamped
comes within the tolerance allowed by
law. both as 70 the weight and hneness
From every delivery Of coin by the coiner
at any OF the minis two pieces are taken
inx9lscrtminately. and sent 10 the bureau
OF the mint. where they are weighed ana
asssyed.
In addition 10 this. there are taken 10
be tested by- the annual assay commission
one piece from each 5000 pieces or frac-
tional part Of 1900, and none OF the coins
SO far tested by the bureau or the annual
ASSAY commission have been found outside
OF the limit OF tolerance, either as 10 the
weight or ineness.
O. ss~ tba best known protection against
the eounterfeiting OF coins has been found
10 be the lettering placed in the edges
similar 20 that on the first coinage or
me United States or OF the 5-zranc piece
OF France.
Remedy Wanted.
The director recommends that authority
be given the secretary OF the treasury 20
have experimeufs made 20 determine the
best means Of preventing the counterfeit
ing. or at least. minimizing the danger.
Al the prevailing price or silver the
difference between the bullion and nomi-
nal value Of our silver coins Is about loo
rAr cent This constitutes great temp
tafiou for the stamping of such coins by
interruptions persons. aTorGing them an
oppo~tunity 70 place In circulation coun-
terfeit silver coins at about 100 per cent
profit. as good IS these stamped by the
-aints and which cannot De distinguished
from them. even by experts
sFhe nintlng OF metal into coin after tho
+~ue alloy has been obtained - a very
sIranle matter. and 6snes not Involve ma
~hirerv so complicated or 70 expensive a.
10 make an insuperable bar to dishonest
men. The chief obstacle IS the innate
honesty OF the people and me danger Of
rejection from some oversight. 10 seems
- ~ A sort OF fatality with Tascsls that
they cannot execute perfect work. and.
again. after they have produced a piece
tbat will pass even the closest scrutiny.
same enc OF the gang IS always doing
some trivial fhing that lets the light n
on fkelr usgarfous operations.
To make silver dollars the government
ofarsal authorized 70 do tnA Work rolls
a silver ingot into rfo5oa several feet