Malcolm Mathias of Forest Hill, Victoria, Australia writes:

McNally - Fairbanks - U.S.Coin - M.B.Coin - Abbott Machine Co CCDs

In 1862 the New York Times reported that 80% of American currency in circulation was counterfeit. In 1865 the US Federal Government created the Secret Service and over the next 40 years counterfeiting was eradicated as a major crime. Clever inventors made various counterfeit coin detectors to assist banks, shop-keepers, and the public to identify the genuine from the counterfeit.

An advertisement in The American Banker of May 1879 announced the availability of a - the J.T.McNally Gold and Silver Counterfeit Coin Detector.

inscribed on the rockerbeam - mounted on a wooden base.Note the small hole in the base at lower right -the small gold dollar counterweight pin is oftenmissing from these scales.

Unfortunately, there were complications with theUS Patent application which allowed others tomimic the structure of the originalJ.T.McNally invention, and through minorchanges of the design, competitors were able tomarket different versions of the Mc Nallyinvention under their own name.Picture:

There are at least eight different versions of the basic McNally rocker CCD:

1. James T. McNally on a wooden base and labelled on the beam.

2. Fairbanks & Co on an elongated black metal base and labelled on the beam

3. Fairbanks Infallible on an elongated black metal base and labelled on the beam.

4. U.S. Coin Co on a rectangular black metal base and labelled on the beam.

5. M.B.Coin Co on an elongated black metal base and labelled on the beam.

6. Abbott Machine Co, Chicago on a wooden base and labelled on the beam.

7. Abbott Machine Co, Chicago on a black metal base and labelled on the beam.

8. Fairbanks & Co on a wooden base and labelled on the beam.

9. The small counterweight pin (as shown in transparent bag in Fairbanks & Co picture above)for helping to counterbalance the small $1 gold coin is invariably missing.

I am researching all versions of the McNally CCD to create a detailed illustrated listing of all versionsas a reference source for collectors.I now own 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 above, but I am chasing 6, 7, 8 and 9 in the above list.

Version 6 Wanted: Abbot Machine Co. ChicagoThe rocker has nine slots to measure the weight, diameter, and thickness of all U.S. gold and silvercoin denominations from 25 cents to 20 dollars.

The slotted beam was mounted on either awalnut or mahogany base.Abbott Machine Co. Chicago is inscribed onthe beam.

Version 7 Wanted: for the Abbott Machine Co. Chicagoadvertised in the American Stationer Dec 4, 1890

The distinctive shape of the metal base is painted black and decorated withfine gold flecks painted over the black base.Note the counterweight pin in the lower left ofthe black base.

Wanted: Australian collector happy to pay a reasonable price for either Abbott Machine Co version(6 or 7) and/or the Fairbanks version (8) on a wooden base and/or an original counterweight pin (9).

Are there any versions known? Photographs of versions would be much appreciated.

Please contact Malcolm Mathias, Australian member of the International Society of Antique ScaleCollectors (ISASC) via email mathias.m.h@bigpond.com.