1850 American Gold Tycoon

The reason why Liang Yao firmly controlled the minting power 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, launching a 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 levy inflation tax in disguise through the implementation of credit monetary policy.

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

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

"In such a big mine in Funing Mountain, Huang Kangrui minted coins secretly right under your noses, and you never noticed? Deng Wenyu! What do you do for food?" Liang Yao rarely reprimanded his right-hand man Deng Wenyu.

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

Such a big thing was only discovered today, and Deng Wenyu and others cannot escape the blame.

"This matter was my dereliction of duty." Deng Wenyu first admitted his mistake and admitted his dereliction of duty, and then explained to Liang Yao, who was still angry.

"In the past, when checking private coins, we mainly checked gold coins, which is the most affected area in the field of private coins, but ignored silver coins. Furthermore, we also lack a department that specializes in dealing with the crime of minting private coins.

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 acquiesced to the existence of private currencies and allowed them to circulate, let alone sell them. Crack down on private coins.

Of course, it's a different matter in Europe. Countries such as Britain, France, Prussia, and the Netherlands have their own central banks and relatively mature financial systems. They have cracked down hard on criminal activities such as privately minting bad and counterfeit currency, especially the United Kingdom.

The United States has its own national conditions here. Due to objective reasons such as a decentralized banking system, rich gold and silver minerals, prevailing localism, and insufficient currency supply, the problem of the proliferation of private currencies was not completely solved until the end of this century.

Deng Wenyu is not entirely excusing himself. California does lack a supervisory department to combat financial crimes. Huang Kangrui is indeed cunning. Others are minting gold coins and bad coins with more profits, but he is the only one who is becoming bigger and stronger in the silver coin bad coins with relatively low 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 in Funing Town are the ones with the highest level of casting technology and the most conscientious silver content that I have ever seen in my life. We have spent so much time and effort 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, there was a sudden silence in the room. Pinkerton almost directly said that there were insiders from the five major banks who were directly involved in the private coin minting in Funing Town.

"Go on." Seeing that Pinkerton was hesitant, Liang Yao motioned for Pinkerton to continue.

Not to mention the direct involvement of middle and high-level officials from the five major banks. Given Huang Kangrui’s arrogant attitude of directly resisting tax inspections, I’m afraid there must be quite a few state legislators involved in the case.

"Look, everyone," Pinkerton shared with everyone the information he had obtained from these private coins.

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

Each coin is engraved with the initials of the minting bank, A for America, S for South, B for Boston, Y for Jardine, and T for Tongfu.

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

Moreover, the earliest casting year on these private coins is 1855. From this, it can be judged that Huang Kangrui began to engage in criminal activities of casting private coins at least in 1855, or even earlier.

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

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

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

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

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

Before departure, Huang Kangrui stared at the three hundred armed men carrying guns on their backs who boarded the train in an orderly manner and felt a little embarrassed. He had never seen such murderous and well-disciplined armed men, so he was suspicious.

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

"To tell you the truth, these people are soldiers."

"A soldier?" Huang Kangrui took a breath when he heard this. The expression on his face froze instantly, and he asked warily.

"Really a soldier?"

"They are soldiers. They are all retired soldiers. I spent a lot of money to intercept Hu Hu from Umbrella Company. You don't even want to think about my identity. I am General Liang's brother." Liang Yao explained disapprovingly.

Lies cannot fool a shrewd person like Huang Kangrui. Only by making it difficult to tell the truth from the lie can he be fooled.

After hearing what Liang Yao said, Huang Kangrui breathed a sigh of relief and felt relieved.

Yes, he is a descendant of the Liang family, so it is not surprising that he has such pomp and ability.

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

Private trains are not a privilege that rich people can enjoy in California. As far as he knows, the only people who own private trains in California are the Liang family, the Deng brothers, Governor Fremont, former Governor Robinson, and Mayor Sutter. , as well as Wu Yuanhua and Pan Zhengwei are just a few.

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, opening the beautiful and warm flannel curtains, sitting on the seat covered with soft and smooth mink fur, Huang Kangrui took a deep breath of the top-quality Havana cigar handed over by the maid, Huang Kangrui said from He sighed inwardly: "I thought Mr. Liang would enjoy it. The business class seats that ordinary people like us travel in are nothing compared to your special train."

"That's an exaggeration." Liang Yao laughed and said, "Mr. Huang is not an ordinary person. You have the largest silver mine in Nevada. Looking at the entire California, you can count on two hands the people who are richer than you."

"There is a little bit of stinky money, but in the end it is difficult to achieve elegance." Huang Kangrui said sharply, "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 is mainly engaged in mercury mining business. Xiangshan Mining Company has a firm grip on all mine owners in the west with its mercury resources.

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

Now, no matter how hard he tries to catch up, Huang Kangrui's family will not reach the heights of the Liang family and the Deng family. Even the heights of the Wu family and the Pan family are a ceiling that is difficult for emerging families like them to reach.

These families that already occupy the top ecological niche in the West will not just watch other families take their places.

More often than not, timing is more important than ability. Missing out on California's statehood was a regret he couldn't make up for with millions of dollars.