The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-05

vice OF the Treas GSyyk ~3S ~EVNxI
ury Department is lE{A ~ AXIS
SO well organized
that II rarely fails TO trace even the
most skillful offender.
The real detectors of counterfeits
are found in the banks and counting
houses OF the United States. The
average bank teller is SO familiar
with all kinds OF money that coun-
terfeit Is seldom in circulation many
weeks before il is detected and for
warded TO the Treasury Department.
Coins are more often counterfeited
than paper money. The reason for
tEls Is that they more frequently es-
cape detection. In silver, it is the dol
lars and half dollars which are most
frequently co .nterfeited. The profit
in such work is practically equal to
the difference between the actual
value OF the silver and the face value
of the coin. In some cases the coins
are made from molds. A dollar. Tor
instance, is placed in plaster-of-
Paris east. and the mold made from
| this Melted silver is poured into the
mold and the new coin turned out.
| The objection 10 counterfeit coins pro-
duced by this process is that their
lines are not as sharply defined as IL
they had been made by the die pro-
cess. Other counterfeiters produce
dies and turn out reasonably accurate
coins. But there is always difference
in the feel of the coin To the hand
OF the experienced money changer.
A counterfeit silver coin often
weighs more than a good .one, but ii
would be a protltless job 10 counter
felt gold coins on that basis. Gold
coins are supposed to be- literally
worth their weight in gold, and unless
the counterfeiter Is able 10 hide his
work he can make no profit out OF the
| business Sometimes he accomplishes
IL by what is known as sweating the
coins He treats them 10 process
which takes a small portion OF the
metal from them without interfering
with the general appearance. But
more often he bores a hole from rim
TO rim, collects the borings and fills
up the hole. with composition aS
nearly like gold in weight as possible.
\ little gold at each edge OF the coin
makes the job complete. The milling
is restored and the coin appears the
same "a ever except that the ring OF
IL is not genuine, In other cases. es-
pecially in that of the larger coins
like the eagle and the double eagle,
the two faces OF the coin are sawed
asunder from the middle part and a
disc of composition metal Of the same
density as gold. is substituted and
the whole thing soldered together
again. A little gold around the edge
effectively conceals the counterfeit.
There are cases on record where
counterfeit coins are worth more than
the coins which they initiate. In for
mer times platinum. which has about
the same weight as gold. was worth
only one.third as much. The counter.
feiter sawed the real coin into three
sections. leaving both the diverse and
the reverse sides untouched. The
third part was taken ont and platinum
substituted for II. A little milling ma
chine and some skilful soldering did
the rest. The counterfeit was almost
beyond detection, even TO its ring.
Since those days platinum has in.
creased tremendously in value, and a
coin counterfeited in this way is now
worth more than the genuine.
Counterfeiters often find il more
profitable to initiate foreign coins
than native ones. few years ago a
counterfeit silver dollar came into the
United States from Mexico The coun-
terfeiters thought they were realizing
a profit from their business. They
got their silver from a Mexican mine
and when the United States Assay
Office, assayed the metal it was found
to have a large streak Of gold In II.
IL was therefore worth $l.09 as metal
where il was worth only one hundred
cents as money. The counterfeitC S
la not realized they were losing mon
ey every time they made n coin.
1t is not generally known that the
law prohibits Americans from imitat-
ing the money Of any other country
as well as their own A year or two
ago Robert Scott of Anderson. In.
diana. was arrested on a charge Of
counterfeiti~~. He was found to be
making plates for the production OF
Argentine Republic currency. When
arrested. he said he had made a con-
tract with an official Of that Republic
to make the plates for 100000 and he
was entirely ignorant of the fact that
it was unlawful for him to make plates
f. other countries.
The United states Government rec
ognizes the fact that the moving pic
ture show may be an incentive TO
crime Not long ago it was found that
a film VAS going the rounds OF the
five-cent theaters showing the whole
process OF counterfeiting. The Secret
Service looked into the matter and
found that the pictures showed every
process of the counterfeiters' art so
thoroughly as to he an incentive to
TN practice They took the matter
up with the fllm.makers and effected
an agreement whereby no more pic
lures showing the work OF the coun-
terfeiters shall be shown in the United
states Many states have enacted
legislation to the effect that il shall
be a violation of the law to display
on moving picture screen what 1t is
unlawful to do.
Paper money ia very hard to cOun-
terfeit The engraving is done with
great skill, and no single engraver is
familiar with tho Whola prpcagQ nf