The Melted Coins
 Original edition | |
| Author | Franklin W. Dixon |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Hardy Boys |
| Genre | Detective, Mystery novel |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
Publication date | February 1, 1944 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 180 pp |
| Preceded by | The Flickering Torch Mystery |
| Followed by | The Short-Wave Mystery |
The Melted Coins is Volume 23 in the original The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories published by Grosset & Dunlap.
This book was written for the Stratemeyer Syndicate by Leslie McFarlane in 1944.[1] Between 1959 and 1973 the first 38 volumes of this series were systematically revised as part of a project directed by Harriet Adams, Edward Stratemeyer's daughter.[2] The original version of this book was rewritten in 1970 by Andrew E. Svenson[1] resulting in two different stories with the same title.
Plot summary (revised edition)
Frank and Joe Hardy become suspicious when their friend Chet Morton enrols in a summer school that sounds too good to be true. While investigating a burglary at the Seneca Indian Reservation in New York State they also investigate the nearby Zoar College. Their sleuthing leads them to believe that there is a connection between the professors of a fictional college and the theft of a tribal mask titled Spoon Mouth. This mask was created when some melted coins happened to look like a sacred Indian image. Now it is missing and the boys' investigation proves to be dangerous however they successfully recover the mask and capture the thieves.
Plot summary (original edition)
A case involving counterfeit money, buried treasure, and the Curse of the Caribees, Frank and Joe solve the mystery of the Melted Coins and help shut down both a local counterfeiting ring and a much larger operation dealing in stolen gold.