SPURIOUS SOVEREIGNS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3321, 23 November 1883, Page 2

SPURIOUS SOVEREIGNS.

Tho London “Times,” on the authority of the Scotland Yard officials, states that it is believed that upwards of 200,000 spurious sovereigns have recently been put into circulation at Homo by a gang of clever coiners. The counterfeits stand all the ordinary tests, and in weight, ring, color, and appearance are very similar to genuine coin. Each sovereign is electrotyped with real gold to the value of about 7s 6d, and the coating is so thick that they resist the nitric acid test. The imitation, therefore, is an excellent one, and even an expert would have difficulty in detecting it, especially as the coins have been struck from various dies, some being of the Australian stamp, while of those purporting to be English money some have the shield and others have St. George and the dragon on the reverse side. Some of these coins before long may find their way to this colony, but as the fraud will more easily be detected after they have been some time in circulation, it is only of suspiciously new booking sovereigns that the public need feel at all doubtful. Considering the amount of bullion tho sovereigns contain, they must each have cost at least 10s to manufacture, so that supposing only 50,000 were struck off at once the originators of the gigantic swindle must have had originally a capital of at least £20,000 or £30,000 to work upon. It is sad to think that so much capital and so much ingenuity should have been used with such sue* cess in such a nefarious swindle on the public. We can only hope that few, if any, of the spurious coins will find their way to this colony, and that speedy and condign punishment will shortly bo the reward of the accomplished gang of swindlers concerned in this gigantic fraud.