Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-06-07
DOUBTFUL MONEY.
Italy Teens With Worthless and
Counterfeit Currency.
CONFUSION IN ITS COINS.
They Almost Rank With Those c.
Korea, Where the Descending Scale
Is Good, Half Good, Bad and Coun
terfeits Good Only After Dark.


is Good. Half Good Bad and coun.
terfeits Good Only After Dark.
OF au the so called great powers
italy has the most unstable ana most
unsatisfactory currency. Not alone Is
the exchange subject 10 Quotation
chat is true In greater or less degree
Of the currency Of every country, bus
there Is great mass OF counterfeit
and worthless money 1oating ahoH
tile country for the undoing Of the ng
wary In the frs place. the engla'
.ne on the paper money is of interl"r
quality. ana hence il IS quite easy 90
limitations secondly there are 50 mn
worthless or doubtful coins in circula
ton that the temptation to add g."
their Number Is not easily resisted
Like some of the paper money l.af
not 50 bong agn used 10 be quite ron
mon ~ our own country the Italian y
allowed Co remain in circulation unt4
disgraccfully dirty and nearly obliterat
al ana therefore difficult Of recalu
ton MS counterfeit or genuine To aii
70 the confusion French silver is srfl
orally accepted while the coius 90
Switzerland Belgium and Greece" BOZ
though officially recognized. are. ~ =
rulc. refused III commerce. Numerous
papal and Roumauian coins are still in
circulation. although they are value
less ana accepted only by unwary Tor
eigners. whom the Italians regard ~
fair prey
In addition. none OF the large mum
her of one Ira pieces coined before
1863 can he passed although intrinsi
cally Of equal value with those Of later
date. since the period arbitrarily fixed
for their redemption has passed ami
the government refuses TO accept them
further Under this caption fall all
coins bearing the head OF Victor En-.
manuel and the word "eletto" (elected'
on the face.
The Italians possess mania for mn
tilating and perforating the five ana
ten centesimo copper coins. but owing
10 their small denomination this usual
ly acts as no bar 10 their acceptance
"Oh. it's half good is often heard
from some philosophical storekeeper rs
he losses doubtful coin into the till
Indeed. the traveller is constantly re-
minded OF Korea. the classical country
OF counterfeits. with its complicated
scale of descending money values
which are good. half good. bad. and
counterfeits that are good only after
dark
But let the foreign visitor who has
served as clearing house for worth
less money beware of entertaining the
fallacy that the rule is capable OF IN
verse application Like the Legendary
memory of elephants is that OF The
Italian cabby or retail merchant. lead
ing him 10 pursue through storm ann
darkness the man or woman who has
passed worthless coin into his Keep
inc. on one occasion ! was tracked
even 10 the dinner table of friends and
forced 10 redeem doubtful ten cen
tesimo piece - cents which ] had IN
advertenily offered as tip
Instead Of seeking 20 strengthen III"
basis 81 the cnumtry's paper and Siir"
money. the government adopted tie
very measure calculated still further 10
dehasc the currency In the public mind
According 10 the ruling OF the po>i"l
fee authorities. al money orders INV 7
be purchased with gold. silver aud pa
per being refused. Owing. however ~
the premium nj which gold is held b'
the banks. this results In consider'lbi"
loss 10 those sending money IA I'M
manner and often also 10 great inrou
veuience after banking hours.
To acceniuate the inconsistency o.
tho countrys refusal officially to rcru.
nize It's own currency II need only
mentioned that the amount OF iialiaN
gold IN existence i . negligible auau
iiiv and that the government ruling ~
suits IN forcing those patronizng H..
uostofIicc 10 purchase French gold
Justly anscrcd by this inconsistcncl
on one occasion relieved my feelings
In the presence Of the otlicial who lHu
refused the offer of Italian paper nioi
ey bv sarcastic reference 10 the not
existence OF native gold coinage The
resultan, Indignant search through hi
money drawer failed TO reveal a single
italian gold piccc. although II resnlini
nearly ia an attack OF apopic.t
brought on By patriotic wrath
The application OF my little article Is
this. tre not these conditions In :
home land responsible for the frr
aucncy with which italians Of h'
class In America are caught conni"'
+ feltina our Uncle Sans silverware;
W W Whiielock In Chicago Rec"rl
/ Herald
Didn't Want the Moon.