Spate of Counterfeit Gold Coins Hits Central Washington
Prosecuting Attorney Hnively warns Yakima business owners to exercise extreme caution as light-weight gold coins flood the region.
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Prosecuting Attorney Hnively reports that counterfeit fives, tens and twenty dollar gold pieces are in circulation at Ellensburgh and over a thousand dollars of this coin have been passed there and a large amount in Spokane Falls. The pieces are of good appearance and the right ring, but are too light in weight. The coins are usually passed during a rush of business or at times when the attention of the party on whom they are to be passed is preoccupied. Yakima business men would do well to be on their guard and closely scan all gold tendered by strangers.
“The pieces are of good appearance and the right ring, but are too light in weight.”
This warning illustrates the vulnerability of early Yakima's gold-based economy to fraud. It echoes modern concerns about financial security and the importance of verification in small-town retail environments.
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