COUNTERFEIT MONEY

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1929, Page 7

COUNTERFEIT MONEY

MUCH IN CICULATION. CHIUSTCHURH, Dec. 7. Christchurch is believed to he the centre from which counterfeit coins which are at present in circulation in large numbers, are being issued. The banks have given another warning to business people to he careful in accepting silver coins, especially half-crowns and fioiins. Tellers in the hanks are regularly turning away large numbers of coins which, on examination, are found to be spurious. ilie opinion is growing in banking and business circles that the coining of counterfeit money is being carried on in Christchurch, as no other city has reported the prevalence of spurious coins. It is extremely difficult to say in which centre the counterfeiters are operating, hut the presence here of large numbers o'f had coins suggests tliat the centre is in New Zealand, and in all probability in Christchurch. A large collection of counterfeit coins was made in a short time by a reporter yesterday. Some of the counterfeits crowns especially being hard to distinguish. Numbers of them have been passed by cashiers of the big commercial firms of the city—men who have had considerable experience in the handling of money. It has not been until the coins reached the banks that they have been found to be spurious. Needless to say the banks have returned the counterfeits with a note to be more careful in 'future. Tiie florins have been cast in dies of the Australian and New Zealand patterns, and are also extremely deceiving in appearance, but in some cases they are roughly ca.st. The counterfeits, both half crowns and florins are dull in colour in comparison with genuine coins, and are lighter in weight. It would not be wise, however, to select the counterfeit from the genuine purely on the test of sound, for in many cases the counterfeit has a ring that is almost the same as that of the Crown currency. ,