The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 8, February 25, 2007, Article 16

CONTEMPORARY RACKETEER NICKEL REFERENCES

I asked Patrick Feaster if could provide us some of the 1880s
references he found to gilded 1883 Liberty Head nickels (or
"racketeer nickels").  He quickly provided several.  Here are
a few examples:

"New Orleans, La., March 14.--[Special.]--This morning the police at
Morgan City arrested a man named G. F. McCord, alias Mack, charged
with having passed as $5 gold-pieces a number of gilded new nickels.
On being arrested and searched several of these nickels, gilded so
as to resemble gold-pieces, were found upon his person, and the
United States Marshal at New Orleans was immediately notified of
the arrest at noon, when an affidavit was made before Commissioner
Hunt charging McCord with having passed counterfeit money.  A telegram
was then sent to Morgan City to the police authorities to hold the
prisoner until he could be turned over to a Deputy United States
Marshal" ("Criminal Record," Chicago Tribune, Mar. 15, 1883, p. 2).

"Nashville, Tenn., March 27.--At a late hour last night W. C. Woodward
was arrested on a telegram received from Chief of Police Campbell, of
St. Louis, saying that Woodward was wanted by the Federal authorities
on a charge of passing gilded nickels for five dollar gold pieces.
While being conveyed to jail Woodward knocked two policemen down and
ran away.  He was fired at by one of the policemen and was caught at
the end of the block by two other policemen, who were attracted by the
firing.  The St. Louis authorities were notified of the arrest and
replied that they would send a requisition.  Woodward is a newspaper
reporter and was formerly employed on St. Louis papers, and a few
weeks ago was engaged in a similar capacity in this city" ("A Reporter
in a Bad Scrape," Washington Post, Mar. 28, 1883, p. 1).

"Boston, Mass., Feb. 27.--[Special.]--Maj. Mellrath, Chief of the
Secret Service for New England, has made a timely discovery of the
gilding of the new five-cent nickel by manufacturers of cheap jewelry,
which, if allowed to continue, would have proved a fruitful source of
defrauding the public in the purchase of pinchbeck jewelry.  The nickel
on one side looks very much like the die of a $5 gold piece, and the
manufacturers, by gilding it and placing this side to view on crosses,
pins, and other designs of jewelry, made them look as though ornamented
with the $5 gold piece, and they could have been readily sold to the
general public for this purpose.  Several Attleboro jewelers have been
engaged in this business, and have sent samples of jewelry so
manufactured to different parts of the West, a considerable quantity
being found in Cincinnati and other Western cities.  The manufacturers
allege ignorance of the law bearing on counterfeiting, and have freely
given up all treated coins in their possession.  It is not likely
prosecutions will follow at present" ("Gilded Nickels," Chicago
Tribune, Feb. 28, 1884, p. 2).

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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