FAKED COINS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 March 1932, Page 5

FAKED COINS

MENDICANTS IN SYDNEY SYDNEY, March 3. i New Zealand visitors to Sydney for the Sydney Harbour Bridge carnival i will need the hundred eyes of Argus, with only two asleep at a time, and ; hard hearts and good digestions, if > they are to dodge faked two-shilling ■ pieces and other coins, and to pass philosophically and cheerfully the mul- ; titude who accost Sydney folk at • every turn at all hours of the day and night with the greeting: “Excuse i me, Digger, but can yer give us the price of a feed?” which, in its strict interpretation, means the price of a . beer in most cases. , They will also need a spare eye for those with a digital genius for picking pockets. The counterfeit coin “industry” is flourishing in Sydney just now as few industries are flourishing. For some time it was confined to “two bobs,’’ but it is now reported to have extended to sixpences and shillings. If you happen to be in Sydney for the carnival, and someone in the shops, 1 for example, reminds you that the coin which you have tendered is “crook,” don’t question him. If you do he will give you a demonstration of its “crookedness” by twisting it up or by. breaking a * piece off it, which, of course, will make it even more worthless as an instrument of 'barter in the market place than before. The best thing is to take it back in exchange for another coin, without any argument, and then pass it on to someone else. You may not succeed at first, but you will eventually. That’s what Sydney does.