To Thomas Jefferson from Albert Gallatin, 9 November 1804
From Albert Gallatin
[9 Nov. 1804]
The counterfeiting of notes of the Bank of the United States, or of coins of the sd. States, are equally by the Statute offences against the United States; but I believe that base coining of foreign coins is an offence only against the State. At all events, the proper course seems to be to transmit the affidavit to the district attorney for North Carolina; which, if approved by the President, may be done by1 the Secretary of the Treasury
RC (DLC: TJ Papers, 146:25376); undated; in Gallatin’s hand; unrelated endorsement by Gallatin on verso: “Surveying departmt. Light house estabt.”; endorsed by TJ as received from the Treasury Department on 9 Nov. and “Counterfiets & Coiners” and so recorded in SJL.
district attorney for North Carolina: Benjamin Woods (Madison, Papers, Sec. of State Ser., 2:42).
1. Gallatin here canceled “either.”