COUNTERFEITER WILLIAM A. WAKEFIELD

William A Wakefield was born in California in 1864. He became a professional gambler in the Old West. He traveled from one place to another looking for high stake games. During the late 1890's he took an interest in the mining camps in Colorado where he worked for a while. As chance would have it he took a three year break from that business traveling in Colorado and Kansas, which we shall get to later, and returned to California looking for work.

By 1909 he was working as a clerk. He entered the employment of a certain Tom Crow of San Francisco in the fashionable suburbs of Marysville. Together with Fred Foster these three men became partners as unofficial coiners of the United States Mint at San Francisco. Another man was the fence for the counterfeit coins at Sacramento and another at Chico, California. Two women were also accomplices passing bad money in San Francisco. When the bust came it was estimated to be the largest counterfeiting gang ever in the history of the State of California. Apparently they counterfeited bogus quarter eagles or $5 gold pieces.

According to the U. S. Census, 1910 at Kickapoo, Kansas, he was serving time in the United States Penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth. According to his prison record he was serving his second term, known in layman's terms as a two-time-loser. He was previously arrested and served time in Colorado under the assumed name of William W. Elliott, and was transferred to Fort Leavenworth Penitentiary.

He was released from Fort Leavenworth Penitentiary on February 25, 1916. Wakefield died on May 4, 1935 at Los Angeles, California.

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WAKEFIELD, WILLIAM A (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/wakefileld-william-a)

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