Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-11-20
COINS THAT ARE BASE
Metals and Methods Used In
Making Counterfeits.
HOW THEY MAY BE DETECTED
Spurious Coins Cannot Stand the
Three Tests of Weight, Diameter and
Thickness-GoId Pieces That Are
Sweated, Plugged or Filled

| Thickness-Gold Pieces That Are
Sweated, Plugged or Filled.
The most dangerous counterfeits are
struck from a die and are usually imi.
tations of gold coins. Molds of yari.
Gus kinds are extensively used, but
counterfeits so made are inferior To
those made with die.
In counterfeits made from a mold
lettering, milling and reeding are usu-
ally poor and weight defective. The
coins lack the sharp and clear cut APP
pearance of genuine coin. Most coun-
terfeit silver coins in circulation are
made from molds, as it is an ineXpen-
sive form of counterfeiting Some fair
specimens have been produced in this
way, but usually they are much lighter
than the genuine and if Of required
weight differ in diameter or thickness.
| Various metals are used by counter
feiters, principally platinum, silver,
copper, brass, anthony, aluminium,
zinc, type metal, lead and their nu-
merous compositions.
Among the most dangerous counter
feits Of gold coin are those Of COM
position of gold, silver and copper.
| They are low grade gold, and the
acid test shows they lack the fineness
| OF standard gold used by the United
| States mint, which is 900 fine, or 81 10
carats. These counterfeits average
| from 400 to 800 fine. Platinum coun-
terfeits are dangerous, as the metal
used gives required weight, and they
| are heavily gold plated. When they
have been in circulation for time the
plating wears off, especially on the
| edges.
The most dangerous counterfeit of
| silver coin is made of a composition of
anthony and lead the former metal
predominating. These counterfeits are
OF the dollar, have fine appearance,
are heavily silver plated, with fair
ring, and some are only slightly below
the standard weight.
Some pieces among the smaller coins
are made of brass, struck from a die,
and when heavily plated are fair imi-
tations. They lack required weight,
except in few instances. Counterfeits
of type metal, lead and other compost
tons are much lighter than genuine.
Those having required weight are
much too thick
Genuine coins of all kinds, for the
sake of gain, are tempered with in va
rious ways. These operations are con-
fined almost exclusively to gold coins,
which are sweated, plugged and filled.
Sweating is removing portion Of
the gold from surface of coin. The
process does not interfere with, the
ring, and as the portion removed is gen.
orally slight the coin is left with
very fair appearance, weight only be-
Ing defective. The principal methods
of sweating are the acid bath, filing
the edges or reeding, the operator find
ing profit in the small quantities Of
gold removed from numerous pieces.
The average reduction in value Of
coins subjected to these processes is
from one-twentieth to one-tenth.
Plugging is done by boring holes in
the coin, extracting the gold and filling
the cavity with cheaper material. The
larger cOins-double eagles and eagles
twenty and ten dollar pieces)-are
used for this purpose. The small
surface of the plugging material,
where it shows on the edge of the coin,
Is covered with gold and the reeding
retouched with file or machine.
The average loss in value to coins
treated in this way is from one-eighth
to one-sixth. Coins of this kind are
very dangerous, as they are perfect
In appearance, only the edges having
been tempered with.
Filling is most commonly done by
saving the coin through from the edge
or reeding, removing the interior por-
ton and replacing it With a cheap met
al. Coins Of all denominations from
quarter eagle to double eagle are sub
jected to this process. When platinum
Is used to replace gold extracted the
| coin has same weight as genuine. BY
this process coins lose four-fifths of
their value, as the original surfaces are
left only of paper thickness.
When edges have been covered with
| SNAo Nii' 'N'Nhis3 iNolOltu tHc COlll Has
the appearance Of being genuine hay-
ing correct size and weight and fair
| ring. Sometimes the covering of gold
on edges is SO thin that filling can be
distinctly seen. When other and less
costly filling than platinum Is used
coins are Of light weight and have a
bad ring. If of correct weight they
| are too thick
Another method of filling Is saving
the coin partly in two from edge of
reeding on one side, leaving thin
and thick portion. The thin side of
the coin is turned back and the gold
| extracted from center of thicker por-
ton. The cavity is filed with base
metal and sides pressed back into orig
inal position and soldered or brazed
together. 1t is difficult to give aver
age loss to coins treated in this man.
ner, as hardly any two seen have the
same amount of gold taken from them.
For detecting counterfeit coin COM
pare impress. size, weight, ring and
general appearance with genuine coin
Of same period and coinage. The three