Chapter 569: Levels

The reason why Liang Yao firmly controlled the coinage right through the five major banks in California was not only to stabilize the financial order in the West, but also to prepare for the issuance of formal credit currency in the future.

California has sufficient precious metals as currency anchors. As long as the California government maintains good credit, the introduction of credit currency is just a matter of course.

Compared with traditional precious metal currencies, credit currency is easier to manage and is also a more convenient monetary policy tool. The government can impose inflation tax in disguise through the implementation of credit monetary policy.

Liang Yao can't tolerate them minting coins privately in places like Oregon, Liangzhou, and Western Mexico, let alone in California. Minting private coins in California is tantamount to exporting on Liang Yao's face.

Huang Kangrui's private minting of coins not only destroyed the credibility of the California dollar, but also dug up the roots of California.

"Funing Mountain is such a big mine, Huang Kangrui minted coins privately under your noses, and you didn't notice it all the time? Deng Wenyu! What do you do for a living?" Liang Yao rarely scolded his capable general Deng Wenyu.

The silver output of Funing Mine is very large. The amount of money that Huang Kangrui has minted privately while guarding this mine over the years must be very astonishing.

Such a big thing was not discovered until today. Deng Wenyu and others are to blame.

"It is my fault for this matter." Deng Wenyu first admitted his fault and admitted his fault, and then explained to Liang Yao, who was still angry.

"In the past, when we investigated private currency, we mainly investigated gold coins, which were the most rampant and hard-hit area in the private currency field, but neglected silver coins. Moreover, we also lack a department dedicated to dealing with the crime of minting private currency.

In the 19th century, financial crime was an emerging criminal industry. In the United States, where the system and financial market were not very sound and there was not even a formal central bank, many states simply lay flat and acquiesced to the existence of private currency and allowed private currency to circulate, not to mention taking action to crack down on private currency.

Of course, it is another matter in Europe. Countries such as Britain, France, Prussia and the Netherlands have their own central banks, and their financial systems are relatively mature. They are not subject to the crime of privately minting inferior and counterfeit coins. The crackdown on criminal acts was quite strong, especially in the UK.

The United States has its own national conditions. Due to the decentralized banking system, the abundance of gold and silver mines, the prevalence of localism, and the lack of money supply, the problem of the proliferation of private currency was not completely solved until the end of this century.

Deng Wenyu was not entirely excusing himself. California did lack a regulatory crackdown department for financial crimes. Huang Kangrui was indeed cunning. Others were minting gold coins with more lucrative profits, but he was the only one who made a big and strong business in the silver coin track with relatively meager profits.

"This cannot be entirely blamed on Finance Minister Deng." Pinkerton commented as he carefully rewarded the silver coins produced by the Funing Mine.

"Among the many private coins, the private coins of Funing Town have the highest level of casting technology and the most conscientious silver content I have ever seen in my life. We all spent so much time and energy to identify them as counterfeit coins, not to mention ordinary people. I suspect that the molds and die-casting machines used to cast these private coins are official, or at least have some connection with the official. "

As soon as Pinkerton said this, the room suddenly fell silent. Pinkerton almost said that internal personnel of the five major banks were directly involved in the private coin minting in Funing Town.

"Go on." Liang Yao saw that Pinkerton was hesitant and motioned Pinkerton to continue.

Not to mention that the middle and senior management of the five major banks were directly involved, just based on Huang Kangrui's arrogant attitude of directly resisting taxation and refusing to be investigated, I am afraid that there must be a large number of state legislators involved in the case.

"Please look at it," Pinkerton shared with everyone the information he got from these private coins.

Although the coins issued by the five major banks in California are the same in size, shape and pattern, there are also differences in details.

Each coin is engraved with the initials of the minting bank, A for the American Bank, S for the Southern Bank, and B for the Boston Bank. , Jardine Matheson Bank is Y, and Tongfu Bank is T.

It can be judged from this that these private coins are imitations of the silver coins of Boston Bank, Jardine Matheson Bank, and Tongfu Bank. That is, if there are bank insiders involved in the case, it is likely to be from these three banks.

And the earliest minting year on these private coins is 1855. Based on this, it can be judged that Huang Kangrui started to engage in the criminal activity of minting private coins at least in 1855, or even earlier.

"This case and the subsequent private coin cases will be handled by your CIA (California Intelligence Agency). "Liang Yao decided to hand over the smuggling case to Pinkerton's California Intelligence Bureau.

The efficiency of Xiangshan Mining Company was still very high. On the third day, Washington, the trainee deputy commander of the California Infantry Regiment, arrived in Reno with a soldier from the California Infantry Battalion disguised as an armed security guard of the mining company, escorting 5 tons of mercury.

Huang Kangrui also saw the strength of this Mr. Liang and determined that this Mr. Liang was undoubtedly a member of the Liang family.

Huang Kangrui had already asked people to clear the rocks and earth on the railway tracks and invited Liang Yao to go to Funing Town again.

"Mr. Liang, these guards of yours don't look like ordinary guards, they look a bit like soldiers."

Before departure, Huang Kangrui was a little scared when he stared at the 300 or so armed personnel carrying guns and boarding the train in an orderly manner. He had never seen armed personnel with such murderous aura and such good discipline, so he had doubts.

"Hahaha." Liang Yao laughed and took Huang Kangrui's hand to board his luxury train together.

"To be honest, these people are soldiers."

"Soldiers? "Huang Kangrui took a breath of cold air when he heard this, and the expression on his face froze instantly. He asked back vigilantly.

"Is he really a soldier?"

"They are soldiers, all retired soldiers. I spent a lot of money to steal them from Umbrella Company. Don't you think about my identity? I am General Liang's brother." Liang Yao explained disapprovingly.

Lies can't fool a shrewd person like Huang Kangrui. Only by making it difficult to distinguish between true and false can it be fooled.

Hearing Liang Yao say this, Huang Kangrui breathed a sigh of relief and felt relieved.

Yes, he is a child of the Liang family. It is not surprising that he has such a pomp and ability.

"Mr. Liang's private train is really elegant and not vulgar." Huang Kangrui couldn't help but sigh after entering Liang Yao's train.

Private trains in California are not a privilege that can be enjoyed by those with money. As far as he knows, the people who currently own private trains in California are only the children of the Liang family, the Deng brothers, Governor Fremont, former Governor Robinson, Mayor Sutter, and Wu Yuanhua and Pan Zhengwei.

As a wealthy man, Huang Kangrui has many powerful friends in the state, but none of them can reach the level of Mr. Liang.

Stepping on the exquisite and expensive Persian carpet, pulling open the beautiful and warm flannel curtains, sitting on the seat covered with soft and smooth mink, Huang Kangrui took a deep breath of the top-grade Havana cigar handed to him by the maid. Huang Kangrui sighed from the bottom of his heart: "I thought Mr. Liang would enjoy it. The business class that ordinary people sit in when traveling is nothing compared to your special train."

"You are too flattering." Liang Yao laughed, "Mr. Huang is not an ordinary person. You have the largest silver mine in Nevada. Looking at the whole of California, you can count the people who are richer than you on your hands."

"There is a little bit of dirty money, but it is not worthy of being in the upper class after all." Huang Kangrui said bluntly, "Silver mines and gold mines are not as good as the mercury mines in Mr. Liang's hands."

The richest mining company in California is not a gold mining company, nor a silver mining company, but Xiangshan Mining Company, which mainly operates mercury mining business. With its mercury resources, Xiangshan Mining Company firmly holds the weak points of all mine owners in the West.

Power is more important than wealth. Huang Kangrui has a deeper understanding of this sentence. What he regrets most now is that he came to California too late, missed the first wave of gold rush, and failed to enter the power center of California.

Now even if he works hard and diligently to catch up, Huang Kangrui's family will not reach the heights of the Liang family and the Deng family, and even the heights of the Wu family and the Pan family are the ceilings that these emerging families can hardly reach.

These families that have occupied the top ecological niches in the West will not watch other families replace them.

More often, timing is more important than ability. Missing the opportunity of California's statehood is a regret that he cannot make up for with millions of dollars.