The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-09-22
COUNTERFEIT COINS.

"It is not always easy to detect
counterfeits of gold and silver coins, /"
said Director of the Mint Roberts,
especially where they are of good
weights and extra fine finish, and the
peculiar slippery surface by which
many counterfeits may be detected is
absent.
"The public in their haste in the
exchange of money should find time
to scrutinize with care each coin as it
is handled. There is always much
counterfeit coin in circulation no
more now, perhaps, than in previous
years. The Secret Service agents
have been especially active recently,
and their efforts have been productive
of the most gratifying success in de-
tecting counterfeits and securing con-
victions.
'Our presses at the mints are ex-
tremely heavy, weighing 1900
pounds. Naturally piece of gold or
silver struck from their dies is as
nearly perfect as it is possible to make
coin. Yet counterfeiters, with their
light presses and dies, manage to do
some very clever work. The product
of moulds, favorite method with
the smaller fry of counterfeiters, is
inferior to that of the dies. The ab-
sence of the genuine coin, the defec-
tive weight, the imperfect lettering
and milling and the indistinct read
ing on the outer edge of the coin are
the distinguishing characterics which
guide the public in detecting coins
thus made. Italians are the greatest
offenders against the law with mould
made counterfeits. The most expert
turner's out OF metal countertelts have
been regular ss,a1xere of dies who
wanted to get rich quickly.
"The standard of gold made by
our mints is 900 fine, or 2I.1o karats.
The English standard is .o16 fine. A
new $40 counterfeit is probably a
counterfeit of gold, copper and silver,
the gold of low grade. / have, how
ever, known of counterfeits which
were 800 fine, and they range down
to 400. The fac-similes are often
quite perfect, with clear ring and
sharp, well-appearing lettering and
milling, being we'll calculated to de-
ceive those who are not used to the
handling of coins.
Counterfeit gold coins may be ex-
ecuted with such exquisite precision
that they will pass muster under the
eyes of bank tellers and others used
to the handling of coins, though the
average teller generally derects a
spurious coin on sight. But none get
by our Treasury experts. Their
faculty, the result of years of study
and handling of coins, in detecting a
counterfeit is marvellous. They seem
to know spurious coin by instinct,
though it is really the results of train
ing. Yet even these men, as skillful
as they are, occasionally have doubts
raised in their minds as to whether a
coin is cut in half or not. If suspi-
cious, the coin is cut in half, or it is
assayed here in the building, and its
exact weight and fineness are deter
mined.
"Coins are now and then turned
into the Treasury upon the supposi-
ton that they are counterfeits, be-
cause they fail to give that peculiar
clear ring of genuine gold piece
though they present otherwise the ap-
pearance of being genuine. This sim
gular incongruity is accounted for by
the fact that the coin has a small
blowhole in the interior of the metal,
or the flaw consists of a crack or split
near the edge. Experts know where
to look for these imperfections i'm
perceptible to others, and with a pow
erful magnifying glass they are quick
ly made manifest.
eff the public will remember the
three cardinal points in determining
the spurious from the genuine, which
are used by the Treasury experts, il
will be difficult matter to press of
a counterfeit upon one who is accus-
toned to handling money. We call
them the test of weight, diameter and
thickness.
"It has been demonstrated that
counterfeiters do not combine these
three requisites with spurious metals
One or the other, or all, are sufh'
cient. Bear this test in mind, note
carefully the weight, ring, size, i'm
press, milling and reeding, all o.
which requisites may be taken in with
a glance, and one will always carry
about with him pretty good detec
tor.
"The men who make it their busi
ness to cheat the Government out o.
gold adopt several processes. / saw
a coin recently which had been filled
so cleverly that the fraud was appa
rent only upon the closest examina
ton. The ten-dollar and twenty-dol
lar pieces are mostly used for thi'
operation. The coin was sawed
through from the edge by saw o
minute proportions and exquisite fine
ness, the interior removed and th'
cavity filled with platinum, which
brought the piece up to STANDARD
weight, though it lost three-quarter
of its value. 1t gave forth goo'
ring. If it had been filled with bas