The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1907-08-28
AUGUST 20. 1907.
COINS THAT ARE BASE
Metals and Methods Used In
Making Counterfeits.
HOW THEY MAY BE DETECTED
opurious Coins Cannot Stand the
Three Tests of Weight Diameter and
Thickness-God Pieces That Are
Sweated, Plugged or Filled

hTee eStS or weight Diameter and
Thiekness-GoId Pieces That Are
Sweated. Plugged or Filled.
The lHost dangerous couhtcrfeits are
rtruek from It die and are usually lmi-
tatioas Of gold coins. Melds Of vari-
Gus kinds are extensively used, but
counterfeits 50 made are inferior to
those uade With n die
In countcrfcits made from Il mold
lettering. milling and recdng are usn-
ally poor and weight defective The
coins lack the sharp and clear cut APP
pcarancc of genuine coin Most coun-
terfeit silver coins Ii circulation are
made from mods, Us it is nn incXpen-
sive form Of counterfeiling. Some fair
specimens have been produced in this
way, but usually they are much lighter
than The genuine md if of required
weight differ In diameter OF thickness.
Various metals are used by counter
friters, principally platinum. silver.
copper, BRASS antimonY. aluminium.
zine, type metal. lead and their I'LL
mcreHS compositions
Among the most dangerous counter
fcts of gold coin are those of com
position Of eaid silver and copper
They are a low grade gold, and the
acid test shows they lack the incness
of standard gold used by the United
States mint. which Is 800 Tine. or II. 10
carats These countcrfcitS average
from 100 10 500 fine Platinum coun-
terfeits are dangerous, rs the metal
used gives required weight and they
are heavily gold plated When they
have been in circulation for ii time the
plating wears off, especially on the
edges.
The most dangerous counterfeit Of
silver coin Is made of n composition Of
nntlmonX and lead. the former metal
predeninating These countcrfcits are
of the dollar, have Il fine appearance,
are heavily silver plated, With fair
ring. and sorae are only slightly below
the standard weight
Some pieces among the smaller coins
are made of hfass, struck frem II die,
and when heavily plated are fair imi-
tatlons They lack required weight,
except in II few instances. Comtcrlcits
of type metal, lead and other compost
tons are much lighter than genuine.
Those having required weight are
much toe thick
Genuine coins of all kinds. for the
sake of gain. are tampcred with in va
rioas Why's Thesc operations are eon-
fined almost exclusively IL gold eeins
which are sweatcd, plugged and filed.
Sweating IS removing 4 portion OF
the gold from surface Of coin. The
process dots not interfere with the
ring. ana AZ the portion removed is gen
orally slight the coin Is left with "A
very fair appearance weight only be-
ing defective The principal methods
of sweating are the acid bath. filing
the edges or recding. the operator find
Ing pretit In the small quantities of
gold removed from numerous pieces
The average reduction in value of
coins subjected 10 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 within cheaper material Tie
larger coins double eagles and eagles
twenty and ten dollar pieecs) are
used for THIS purpose The small
surface of the plugging material.
where ii shows on the edge of the coin