The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-06-15
WORN SILVER COINS.
THEY DO NoTSsuFFeR ANY LOSS or
VALUE BY ABRASION.

AscertRined they Are Legal Ten
der.
As everybody Is frequently possessed
of slick or smooth dimes or plugged,
mutilated and battered nickels. aud either
OF these coins might be the last in hi.
possession, awkward results might fol
low; so it is wise to learn II the common
carriers have any legal right to refuse
such coins. Most people have had them
refused at one time or another and have
never questioned the right Of the person
to whom they were rendered to reject
them.
But no one has any legal right to re.
ject such coins. The law of the land
strictly defines what coins are to be re.
jected and the reasons for their rejection.
and the nickel and dime are not included.
This is the law on the matter reduced to
ordinary language: So long as the coin
whether it is dime. Il quarter. half dol.
lar, dollar or q nickel or cent-iy distin.
guishable as genuine United States
coin and its denomination can Es ascer-
tail:ed. the fact of it's being slick or worn
smooth doesn't count; it is good, lawful
money, is Il legal tender, aud no good
citizen who respects the law should re-
fuse it.
Are "slick' silver coins good money
and legal tender? Yes. Is the objection
TINT they are worn smooth legal obiec
ton to accepting them? No. DO shop
keepers who refuse them offend the law!
Yes, for ignorance CT the law ~ no ex-
cusc is n well known legal maxim.
The idea Of these shopkeepers that the
dime or quarter worn smooth il no good
is just contrary to the decision of four
courtS-the jury court, the supreme court
and the court of errors and appeals Of
the state of New Jersey anil later the
supreme court of the United States.
conductor Oh street railway In Jcr-
scy City one fine day. when walking way
good, refused n silver dime rendered him
by a passenger because il was smooth.
The passenger declined to p.Oduce any
other money ut the request OF the CON
ductcr, who thereupOn elected him from
the car. The man brought suit for
damages. and it c.'st the railway COM
pany 5000 to learn that one caunot re-
fuse the lawful niiLey OF the United
States and treat 1t with contempt because
it isn't as young AID fresh as 1t used to
be.
The railway company took the case up
to the United States supreme court, and
in every court il was BEATEN.
This is Il fact which Is also good law.
and it may well be borne in miad by
those who are subjected to the petty an
noyances Of people who froni 'yrrcau-
tion reject perfectly good money. There
is no limitation put on the time whrn
silver coin ceases 10 BE- coin-;hat Is.
loses Its legal tender character. The
statutes place an express limitation on
the legal tender character Of gold coin-
loss Of weight by abrasion affects thos-
but that limitation dJrs not extend to sl-
yer coin. and the provision 81 the Ssataees
is that, silver coin shall De lawful tender
so long IA it remains lawful money of
the country.
The opinion published by Chief Jns-
tice Fuller of the supreme court in the
"slick" dime case: This particularly In
the limitation and al owanre IA to gold
coins Is not found in the case of natural
abrasion in silver coins. This difference
is very noticeable and important In
question Of statutory and Legislative in
tcntion. IT seems by these statutes that
so long az n genuine silver coin IL worn
only by natural abrasion. Is not sppreci-
ably diminished in weight and retains
the Appearance of a CON duly Issued
from the mint it is n legal tender for its
original Value
Now, as everybody knows. n silver coin
can go through a frightful amount Of
hard usage. even to being run over by the
wheels of n heavy freight train. and still
Enthusiastically present the appearance OF
4 coin which was issued from the mint.
So this opinion is farreaching. This de-
cision was. as has been said, on the
smooth dime ease. but it applies to oil
silver coins and to smooth nickels and
cents So long rs the coin is distinguish
able as u genuine United States coin and
it denomination can be aScertained. the
fact that it has been worn smooth by
passing from hand to hand or by any
accident does rot take from its Purehas-
ing power. Every good citizen who re-
spccts the law will accept 1t.
But suppose conductor hands back
a plugged nickel or even nickel with
hole in II. saying. You cant ride on
that" what would you do? Ten chances
to one you would accept his Ignorant
dictum and hunt for another coin or give
him Till to change. Eut the truth is
that he would he exceeding his rights.
There is not word in the law about
mutilatci coinage which includes nickels
or cents. The law expressly forbi,ls the
tightening or mutilnting Of gold and sill
yer coins. but does not mention any other
coins. The section of the United States
revised statutes which covers this point
says: Every person who fraudulently.
by any way, art or means, defaces. mu-
tintes, impairs. dinlinishes, falsifes
scales or lightens the gold or silver coins
which have been made or hereafter shall
| he made a, the mints of the United
States. shall be imprisoned not more than
tw" years aud fined not more than
$1,000"
Not word about pennies or niekels. 50
the individual who gets by mistake a
handful IF plugged or battered niekels
and pennies in his pocket need feel no
pricklings Of conscience when he in turn
tries to pass them. They are lawful ten.
der and, more than that. the shopkeeper
who exposes wares for sale is compelled
by law 10 accept them. IL he Is captious
about it, lie can quickly be brought to
reason hy quoting law on the subject
New York News.