Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-29
WEARERS OF PUNCHED COINS
ARE LIABLE TO ARREST
AND PROSECUTION.

on the watch, and should we catch any
one wearing punctured coin or coin
used in such a way that it could still
be passed as a coin we would enforce
the law. ! haven't received any special
instructions lately from Washington
about this, but there's the law, and
that's all there is to say about it,"
One concern in The Maiden Lane dis
trict has tor years made a speciality
of making coins into jewelry, but 1t
is done in Il way that doesn't disturb
Uncle Sam a bit. This concern has "A
process by which the head of coin
is driven out In this condition the
heads are mounted on pins and made
up in brooches and charms, even ten
cent pieces being used. BY the pro-
cess the piece is destroyed as a coin.
Before elnbarking on this however, the
concern took pains to see that it came
within the law
One of the novelties in a downtown
jeWelry store is a lccket the cover of
which is made of one of the old TRACE
dollars. 1t is opened by a secret spring,
which helps to make it sell. The
beautiful design of the old trade dollar
helps to make this an attractive
novelty, and yet ii does not violate the
law because the coin is simply fitted
in and has in no way been tampered
with, But while il would seem to be
impossible to pass it as coin made up
as 1t is, nevertheless it has been done
Some years ago" said the jeweler
who showed one of these lockets to a
reporter, we had a customer on the
lookout for nnVaI+y and he b,,,rbt
one of these to take home with him az
a present to his little girl a month
later he came in and inquired if we.
had any left.
What do you think he said. 7
put that thing in my trousers pocket
and gave it to a conductor in a crowd
ed trolley car by mistake for a real
dollar | didn't discover it until I'd
got my change and got off the car
Fortunately we Rad some left and
he bought another one. Of course he
was out quite a little. and | guess the
conductor was too. There was So cents
worth of silver In il and that's all. but
the man had paid a good deal more
than that for it,"
While the law says that coins must
not be multiated a good many Jewell
ers FREQUENTLY put good gold eagles in
To tier melting pots. The very scarf
pm You wear may have been made out
OF gold piece taken right cut Of the
mint and melted down by manufac-
turing jeWeler. In doing this he doesn't
render himself liable under the law.
because he has very elfectualIy des
| troycd the coin.
Some manufacturing jewellers prefer
to get gold coin rather than bar gold
because there is no question as to the
fineness of the gold 1t has been esti-
mated that every week there is taken
out of circulation by the jewelers. and
dentists about $4,000. The Treasury
officials have never been able to com
| pute the amount exactly and the stea-
dy Withdrawal of gold for this purpose
mas made it impossible for the Treas
ufy Department ever 10 tell just how
| much coin is in circulation at any one
time. only approximate figures can be
given In the weekly reports
mere even arose Il question among
| the jewelers. at one time as 10 whether
TINS melting down of gold coin didn't
come dangerously near to Il violation
OF Section 1853 This was a good MANY
years ago however, and at a time when
similar report was spread about re-
Eardine strictcr enforcement of the
law The matter was laid before the
Treasury officials and Maurice D.
oCohnell, the solicitor for the Treas
ury Department, decided that it was
entirely permissible.
| u know of no law" said he in an
| opinion. making ii criminal to melt
the gold coin of the United States TO
| be used in the arts and for other pur-
| poses"
Some years ago when bangles with
CONS attached We're popular the Treas
ury officials had occasion to warn the
| jewelers., some of whom attached the
COINS to the bangles by boring holes in
| them. Now if You desire to have coins
| rugged up in that fashion or attached
to Your watch chain the jcwelcr will
lasteh something to the coin to hang
1t on by.-Rochester. IN. " Herald