Red River prospector. (Red River, Taos County, N.M.) 1900-190?, 1906-08-09
ABOUT COINS.
MANY MISTAKEN IMPRESSIONS
HELD BY THE PUBLIC.
Impossible to Test Genuineness by the
Ring - "Reeding" Prevents
Any of the Metal Being
Scraped OFF.

Many persons have a mistaken idea
about throwing a coin to test its
g-enuineness,' says Captain Tom Halls
of the secret service in the Indiana
polls News. Throwing a coin is not
an absolute test for the reason that
a great deal of our good money will
not ring at all, while some of the
bad will. There are several things
that will take the ring out of a genu-
inc coin. One of these is a possible
flaw in the metal.
1T sometimes happens that in cut
ting out the disks of metal from
which the coins are made there will
be a flaw or a crack in the sheet. If
this is true, it matters not where the
flaw is, whether it be unseen or along
the edge, where it may be discovered
by close inspection, it will destroy
the ring of the piece. This ring is
caused by the small crystals or
globules on the inside of the metal,
the vibrations of which cause the
sound We so like 10 hear in our
money.
If there is any flaw or small fis-
sure which destroys the connection
between these globules the ring will
cease There are also other Ieasons
for a coins losing its sound. Should
a quantity of coin be left in a safe
during a fire and become heated the
crystals will melt and the rhythm will
be stopped. A hearty blow on the
face of the coin will have the same
effect.
"As is generally known, our coin
is not absolutely pure and does not
contain the amount of silver repre-
sented by it. Should there be a dol
lars worth of silver put in the stand
ard dollar it would be almost as large
again as it is now and most incon-
venient to carry, especially in a large
quantity. There are 412.5 grains Of
silver in our standard dollar, which
is 900 per cent pure. The rest is
alloy and is put in to harden the coin.
THE marks around the edge of tbs
coin called the 'reeding' are put there
to keep persons from removing any
of the metal. Should any attempt be
made to scrape off the silver it could
be detected Immediately from the
SCARED 'reeding.' 1t will also be OBJ
served that around the edge of a coin
on both faces there is a narrow,
raised rim somewhat higher than the
engraving. This is to protect the in
scription from bein destroyed by the
friction of one coin on another.
The main mint of the United
States is in Philadelphia, there being
branches at San Francisco, New Or
leans and Denver, the last having be-
gun operations in February, 1906
There was formerly one at Carson
City, but that has been discontinued
By examining a coin and looking
under the center of the wreath be
low the eagle a small letter will be
found, which will be either S, o OF
D.. This letter indicates at which
mint the coin was made. Where there
is no such letter the com has been
made at the main mint in Philadel
phia.
"A 50-cent coin of the present issue
should weigh 1929 grains. The
weight of a genuine 25-cent piece o
the present issue is 96.45 grains. The
weight of our present dime is 1851
grains. These coins are all of the
same deg. &c of fineness-90O per cen
pure. Much care is taken to insure
the accurate weight of a coin. Al
soon as the disk is stamped from The
sheet of metal it passes through the
hands of several experienced women
who examine and weigh it. Should
the disk be too heavy it is filed ava!
until the required weight is reached
By this detailed care the coins ar,
KEEP; from varying the slightest frac
ton from the standard"