Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-01-25
DISHONEST DOLLARS
CouNTERFelTERS USE RARE SKILL
 AND MANY DEVICES.
It Takes Experts to Detect Some of the Illegal Coin In Circulation. How Uncle sam's Officials Detect Fraudulent Currency.


 the Illegal Coin In Circulation. Fraudulent Currency.
 Although gold coins are not in cir culation in the east in comparison with the total amount of paper money which leaves the gray walls of this old build. department to reporter. there are nevertheless q great many of these coins current, and they are counter feited, together with our silver coins, more than the average person would suppose.
 "I will give you few suggestions on the manufacture of good and coun terfeit coins of various denominations which will be of interest and value to the public. The three principal treas ury tests of coins are first, the weight; second, the diameter, and third, the thickness. The counterfeiter who succeeds fin making his dies and the spurious metal alloy which will meet all of these tests Is indeed smart one With some alloys he may be able to work out the weight, but the diameter of the, coin would reveal that it was a counterfeit product, for even very slight increase in the thickness of the illicitly made article would show at once it's counterfeit origin.
 "The superior grade of coin counter feits are made with die. Some of the more perfect ones are almost rep licas of our own mixed products and have sharp, true ring. smooth, well finished surfaces, with the lettering and milling finely delineated. The reeding tue little raised and indented marks on the edges of the coin-is not as sharp and clear as the reeding on the genuine coins. While many of the fined commercials are of full weight they are usually a little short of weight. Some of these gold coin coun- terfeits are so well made and are of such fine appearance that they pass current until they reach the hands cs the coin experts in this building.
 "The standard gold used by the mint Is 900 fine, or 2l.19 carats. The most deceptive gold commercials are made of lower grade of gold, or from 600 to 800 fine and as low us 400 fine in the | more inferior grades of commercials. The most deceptive gold counterfelts are those which are manufactured from an alloy of gold, copper and sil- yer. Platinum Is metal which Is used by the expert counterfeiter to gain the necessary weight to his out. put, and when these platinum counter feits are struck off In good dies and then very heavily gold plated they prove to be very dangerous counter felts when first showed by the accom- plices of the man who generally does the spurious minting, he usually keep ing out of sight. for he Is too valuable man in the trade to be nabbed in the passing stunt. The gold plating wears off 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 critical Inspection Of the mInting. general appearance, die Impress. ring. size and weight, will be found an accurate test when in doubi as to whether coin Is genuine or spuri ous. The familiar acid test may alst : be applied.
 Counterfeit coins made in moldi III N1 hn easily detected. The mold counterfeit usually applies to silver coins. A mum Der of years ago there were man, counterfeits of silver coins made O lead and type metal, but these hav' largely passed because of their eas. detection both as to sight and feeling r as they are slippery to the touch a compared with the real silver coin Tn molding process Is cheap one to SC 2 up and is largely indulged in by for n eigners. who pass their bad product s upon their own countrymen when tn }, latter are green as to the genuine coin 'The sharp. clear cut appearance o |. the genuine coin Is absent the millin [, and lettering are dim, while the read t ing is usually very faint and poorl delineated. Nevertheless some prett d fair silver counterfeit coins are turne
 out of molds, but the weight Is ger r. orally short when an attempt is mad J. to bring them within the specific r. thickness and diameter
 "That there Is considerable countel
 feiting in coins still attempted
 shown by the fact that our secret serN