People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1896 — Bogus Mexican Coins. [ARTICLE]

Bogus Mexican Coins.

From the Delphi Times. The leading republicans of this city some days ago arranged to secure a bunch of Mexican dollars to use in campaign argument and many of them have been put in circulation. It has been noted that these coins are milled very poorly and that they are slightly deficient in both size and weight. The coins were secured through the Citizens Bank and the bank bought them through their Chi-, cago correspondents. Everything went lovely until yesterday when the peace of the leaders was disturbed by the following special in the Cincinnati Enquirer: Springfield, Ohio, August 22.—Moores Huamay, an influential Mexican, connected with one of the largest commercial houses in Mexico, was in the city yesterday, and while here showed a prominent manufacturer a letter recieved by him® from the Director of Mint of the Republic of Mexico. The letter is translated by Mr. Huamay, and was to the following effect:

“I thank you for the two silver specimens of so-called Mexican silver dollars which you state are.being put in circulation in the United States. You are right in believing that the coins have been recently changed, if the specimens you send are genuine. Without hesitation’! pronounce them counterfeits and differing from the silver dollars coined by the Mexican Government in many particulars. The genuine coin has 160 mill marks upon the edge, while the specimens you submit have but 150. That may appear a tedious way of detecting the spurious«frotn the genuine dollar, but it is unfailing. The execution and position of the eagle upon th * face of the spurious also, differ from the genuine. Our Government is now engaged in determining where and by whom these counterfeits were issued."’

Mr. Huamay states that the machinery for the production of these spurious Mexican dollars was procured in England, and that the counterfeits reached America by vessel and landed in Florida. They were then purchased by the political managers who are using them for campaign purposes. He states that Mexico needs all the genuine silver she has for home circulation and that the people of that country are satisfied, and would not change their coinage to suit England or any other nation. The countertiting of the Mexican silver dollar is now the subject of international inquiry Mr. Huamay says.