Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-06-27
DOUBTFUL MONEY.
Italy Teens With Worthless and
Counterfeit Currency.
CONFUSION IN ITS COINS.

They Almost Rank With Those o
Korea, Where the Descending Scsl'
10 Good, Hail Good, Bad and Coun'
terfsits Good Only After Dark.
az all the so called great powers
Italy has the most unstable and mos,
unsatisfactory currency, not alone Il
the exchange subject to tiuctatiOr
that ID true in grcater or less degree
OF the currency of every country. bul
there is a great mass Of counterfeit
and worthless money floating about
the country for the undoiug Of the IN
wary. In the first place. the engrav'
Ing on the paper money Is Of inferlo'
quality. and hence it Is quite easy 0;
imitation; secondly. there are SO many
worthless or doubtful coins 10 circula'
lion that the temptation to add to
their number is not easily resisted.
Like some Of the paper money that
not so long ago used to be quite com.
mon in our " country. the Italian ID
| allowed to remain in circulation until
disgracefully dirty and nearly ob!lterat.
al and therefore difficult OF rccogni.
ton as counterfeit or genuine, 10 add
to the confusion. French silver is gen.
orally accepted. while the coins Of
Switzerland. Belgium and Greece. al
! though officially recognized. arc. az a
rule. refused in commerce. Numerous
| papai and Roumanian coins are still in
circulation. although they are valne-
less and accepted only by unwary for
eigners. whom the Italians regard as
fair prey
In addition, none OF the large nun
Der OF one Ira pieces coined befor.
1863 can be passed. although intrinsi
cally Of equal value with those OF later
nate. since the period arbitrarily fixed
for their redemption has passed and
the government refuses TO accept them
further. Under this caption fail all
coins bearing the head OF Victor En-
manuel and the word ''e)ettO" (elected|
on the face.
The Italians possess q mania for mu.
tlating and p%erforating the FIVE and
ten centcSin>o copper coins. but owing
to their small denomination this usual.
" acts rs 20 bar 10 their acceptance.
"Oh. it's half good" il often heard
from some philosophical s~torekeeper as
be losses n doubtful coin into the till.
indeed. the traveller is constantly re-
minded Of Korea. the classical country
Of counterfeits. Will, its complicated
scale OF descending money values.
which are good. half good. bad. and
to%unterfeits that are good only after
dark
But let the foreign visitor who has
served as n clearing house for worth
less money beware Of entertaining the
fallacy that the rule IL capable Of in.
verse application. Like the legendary
memory OF elephants il that OF the
Italian cabby or retail merchant. lead
ing him to pursue through, storm and
darkness the man Dr. woman who has
passed a worthless coin into his keep
ing. On one occasion ! was tracked
ever to the dinner table Of friends and
forced to redeem a doubtful ten cen.
teslmo piece q cents> which I had in.
adverteutly offered as a tip.
Instead Of seeking to strengthen the
basis Of the cOuntry's paper aud silver
money. the government adopted the
very measure calculated still further 10
debose the currency In the public nina
According to the ruling Of the postof-
ace authorities. all money orders must
be purchased with gold. silver and pa
per- being refused. Owing. however. to
the premium at which gold Is held BY
the banks. this results in considerable
loss tn those sending money in this
manner aud often also to great incun'
venience after banking hours.
TO acceDtuate the inconsistency OF
the country's refusal officially to recog.
nize its own currency. it need only be
mentioned that the amount Of italian
gold in existence is a negligible guam.
tity and that the government ruling re-
suits in forcing those %patrouizing the
postoticc to purchase French gold.
Justly fingered BY this Inconsistency.
II occasion [ relieved thy feelings
In the presence, Of the official who had
refused the offer Of Italian paper mon.
ey by a sarcastic reference to the non
existence OF native gold coinage. The
indignant search through his
money drawer failed to reveal a single
Italian gold piece. although it resulted
in an attack Of upopiexy
brought on by patriotic wrath,
The application ~ my little article ia
this: Are not these conditions IN the
home land responsible for the FIRE.
quency with which Italians OF low
class in America are caught counter
our CW!e Sans Silvprware?-
W. White)mrk in Chicago Record
Herald.