Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-12-19

fned eOunterfeits are OF FUN weight
they are usually a little short OF
weight Some OF these gold coin coun.
terfeits arc so well made and are OF
such a fine appearance that they pass
current until they reach the hands OF
the coin experts IN this building.
"Thc standard gold used by the mint
Is 300 Gfe. or 21.10 cnrats. The most
deceptive gold cOuntcrfeits are made
OF lower grade OF gold. or from COO
10 500 fine and as low as 400 fine I'm the
more inferior grades or counterfeits
The most deceptive gold connterfeits
are those which are manufactured
from an alloy OF gold. copper and sill.
yer. Platinum Is a metal which f.
used 10y the expert cOunterfeiter 20
gain the necessary weight TO his out
put, and when these platinum counter
feits are struck Off I'm good dies ana
then very heavily gold plated they
prove 20 be very dangerous counter
feits when first showed by the accom-
phces or the man who generally does
the spurious minting, he usually keep
ing out OF sight for be is too valuable
man In the trade 70 be nabbed in the
passing stunt The gold plating wears
or In due time. and the base metal IS
revealed.
"A comparison OF the piece with the
genuine Of the same coinage and date
together with Il critical inspection OF
the minting. general appearance. die
Impress. ring. size and weight. will be
found an accurate test when I'm doubt
rs to whether a coin is genuine or spuri-
Gus. The familiar acid test may also
be applied.
"Counterfeit coins made IN molds
are the more common and the more
easily detected. The mold counterfeit
: usually applies TO silver coins. 4 num-
Der OF years ago there were many
coun'erfeits Of silver coins made OF
lead and tyne metal. but these have
largely passed because OF their easy
detection both rs 70 sight and feeling.
rs they are slippery 20 the touch as
compared with the real silver coin. The
molding process is a cheap one 70 set
up and is largely indulged in 10y for
eiSners. who pass their bad products
upon their own countrymen when the
latter are green as 70 the genuine coin.
he sharp clear cut appearance OF
the genuine coin is absent the milling
and lettering are dim. while the read
ing IS usually very faint and poorlv
delineated. Nevertheless some pretty
fair silver counterfeit coins are turned
out Of molds. but the weight IS gen
orally short when an attempt IS made
10 bring them within the specified
thickness md diameter.
hat there is considerable counter
feitin- IN coins still attempted IS
shown by the fact that our secret serv-
Ice officers captured $1,000 in spurious
gold coins and SIP GOO i'm silver coins
during the past year The more ex-
pert silver coin counterfciters use for
their product OF the larger silver coins
an alloy of about two-thirds antimonv
and one-third lead. and when they
heavily plate these productions they
get out deceptive coin which has n
pretty fair ring. The good old standby
test OF the required weight gives these
coins away In the hands OF one used
to handling money. though in some
sections OF the country they get into
circulation easily. The dollar piece
makes the most dangerous OF this class
OF cou'ucrfcits
some of the molds are made OF
metal. hut most Of them are made Of
plaster OF paris. The five dollar and
the ten dollar gold pieces are the most
favored 10y tie counterfcitcr. the TWEEN
" dollar gold piece being very hard 10
reproduce So rs 90 battle detection. IS
the die OF this coin Is the most beauti-
full and the hardest 10 initiate OF our
gold coins. Tho predominating silver
pieces of counterfeit production are
the fifty AMI twenty-five cent pieces
and the standard silver dollar. The
first two pieces Of subsidiary coin are
the most easily showed
Nickel Pieces have been sold plated
and passed o@ immi-rants and for