United States v. Mort Christopher Goodman

Defendant appeals from conviction on seven counts of a nine-count indictment charging him with counterfeiting and conspiracy in contravention of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 , 485, 487, and 490.

Appellant maintains that the evidence introduced at trial was not sufficient to sustain a prima facie finding of conspir acy and was not sufficient to support conviction for conspiracy or for the substantive counts charged. The evidence reveals that Gray, a co-defendant, obtained sheets of silver. Appellant had these silver sheets rerolled to a thickness which approximated the strip thicknesses of U.S. coins prior to manufacture. Appellant also arranged for the purchase of punching dies to punch out slugs. These were ordered in the sizes of dimes, nickels, quarters and fifty-cent pieces. Appellant obtained a coining collar in the size of a dime. This collar had 120 serrations. A real dime has only 118 serrations. The counterfeit 1942 over 1941 Mercury head dimes introduced into evidence contained 120 serrations. Appellant also obtained coining dies in the approximate size of dimes and pennies. Appellant arranged for the purchase of an upset mill and four shoes for this mill in the size of a silver…