Counterfeiters Tools Found - 1863

KURTZ

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 5/25/2016 at 15:47:15

Dubuque Democratic Herald – Nov. 4, 1863

Counterfeiters Tools Found
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Yesterday as Jacob Kurtz was excavating on a lot of the corner of White and 13th Streets, he suddenly came upon a large lot of tools, buried about a foot and a half under the ground, which had been used for making bogus money. They consisted of dies, molds, stamps and presses, &c., embracing a full and complete kit, such as is used for the manufacture of bogus money. There was among them a fine die for the manufacture of gold dollars and another for the manufacture of half eagles, and others for silver quarters. The parties to whom they belong and who buried them, evidently did a large businesses they had all the tolls for that purpose. A quantity of the base metal used for the manufacture of bogus silver coin was also found, a portion of which has been already milled.

The tools are all completely rusty and spoiled for future use had any enterprising individuals ever been tempted to use them again. They have evidently been buried for a long time, and without doubt belonged to the gang of counterfeiters that flourished here four or five years ago, and were broken up in 1859 by the arrest of three men, two of whom escaped shortly afterwards, and the other was sentenced to the State Prison for two years. It will be remembered that their tools were never discovered, and it was never known what became of them. The accidental discovery yesterday reveals the truth in reference to them, after have been buried for so many years. They show notwithstanding the rust, that they were of very superior workmanship and have been considerably used.