The National Register.
London, England, 1820-08-06 00:00:00

NEW BANK NOTE ACT.

The tting the ACT.Ihr Mejlerther PREVENTION
4st RCiLya.and COUNTERFEII'ING of BANK
NOTES:—
Whereas the forgery of Bank Notes bath of late very much
increased in this kingdom ; and as well far the prevention thereof.
as to facilitate the detection of the same, the Governor and
Crmpany of the Bank of England, have, after great considera•
non. labour, and expence, formed a new plan for printing Bank
Notes• in which the groundwork of each Bank Note will be black,
or coloured, or black and coloured line work, and the words
• Bank of England' will be placed at the top of each Bank Note.
in white letters, upon a black. sable, or dark ground. such
ground containing white lines intersecting each other. and the
numerical amount or sum of each Bank Note in the body of the
Note will be printed in black and red register work, and the
back of each note will distinctly show the whole contents there•
of, except the number and date in a reversed impression ; there-
fore, for the better prevention of the forgery of Bank Notes.
and for the security of the public, be it enacted by the King's
most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of
she Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this pre-
sent Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same.
that from and after the passing of this Act, if any person
or persons (other than the officers, workmen, servants, and
agents for the time being of the said Governor and Com-
pany, to be authorized and appointed for that purpose by the
said Governor and Company, and for the use of the said (Go-
Werner and Company only) shall engrave, cut, 'etch, scrape, or
by any other art, means, or device. make, or shall cause or pro-
cure to be engraved, cut, etched, scraped, or by any other art.
means, or device, make, or shall knowingly aid or assist in the
engraving, cutting. etching, scraping. er by any other art,
means, or device, making, in upon any plate of copper, brass,
steel, iron, pewter, or of any other Metal or mixtures of me-
tal, or upon wood or other materials, or any other plate what-
soever, for the purpose of producing a print or impression of all
or any part or parts of a Bank Note. or of a blank Bank note.
of the said Governor and Company, of the description aforesaid,
without an authority in writing from the said Governor and
Company. or shall use any such plate so engraved. cut, etched,
scraped, or by any other art, means, or device, made, or
shall use any other instrument or contrivance for the making
or printing any such Bank Note, or blank Bank Note, or past
of a Bank Note of the description aforesaid; or if any person
or petsoN shall, from and after the pinging of this Act, without
tech astaboritv as aforesaid, knowingly and without lawful ex-
cel* binw in his, her, or their custody any silty such plate or in-
attention. or without such authority as aforesaid, shall knowingly
*really ober, publish, dispose of. or put away any such blank
Beak Nose. en part of such Bank Note, of the demption afore-
said. any person so offending in any of the gates aforesaid,
and being thereof convicted according to law, she/ be adjudged a
felon, and shall be transported for the term of feetheen years.
" 2. And. whorl= divers frauds have been praised by making
and publishing papers with certain words sod cbseactom so
nearly ithembliag- the Notes of the Govemer Ind COMPOW.
the Bank of England. as to appear to ignorant NA trovaty
persons to be the Notes of the said Governer Ind Comproly
and it is nemesery for the sem* of the public, that such ware
eidhe4 Is=gato the Nines ef the said Governor and Company
011ie aforesaid. should be prevented ; be it therefore
ihrthar anathad, that if any penes Or persons. from and after
the paling of this Aes, shall aggress% cut. etch, scrape, or by
any other art. means. se device, oaks, or shall cause or procure
to be oltroord. cutotehed. scraped, r by any other art, means,
or connivance, thaw et shall knowingly or assist in the engra-
ving, elatings ettNag, cramping. or by any other art, means or
contrivance. making, Is upset any piss of copper, brass, steel,
iron. pewter, or gamy edoor inetelo. re wood, or upon any other
materials. or uponanysitheolthatooever, any line work, as or for
the ground-work eta Proosisor3, Note or Bill of Exchange, the
impression taken dies width line work shall be intendod to re-
semble the grouni-wark da Soak Nose of the said Governor
and Company of the tieseslalen ateswead, or any device, the
impressies table has isbish shall costaie she words • Bank of
England.' In white letters upon a black able, or dark ground,
either with or without white or other lines therein, or shall con-
tain in any part thereof the numerical sum or amount of any
Parisian Note or Kill of Exchange, In black and red register
work, or shall show the renewal mounts of a Promisory Note or
Bat of linehangetor of any part of a Protnisory Note or Bill of
Kashoups or shag osossin any word or words, figure or figures.
clwastart or dare an, pattern, or pawns, which shall be in-
elided So woubbe the whale or say part of the matter or °ma-
mma slimy Sank Note of the drecoption aforesaid, or shall
oenteinztionansis.d, number, figure, or character, in white on a
as dark ground. either with or without white or
!thaw which shall be intended to resemble the mime-
rind non or arneunt in the margin, or ;any other part of any
Bank Note of the said Governer Ad Company, without an au-
thority in writing tor that popesma hum the said Governor and
Company. to be poodosal sid pu by the party accsed • if
any penes or pens= &ell, lbw awl after the passing or
Of this
Act (without sods euthenty as abresoid), use any such .plate.
wood. sr other rasisrld so 'waved, cat, etched. scraped, or by
any other art. mean% toreentrivance, node, or shall use any other
instrument or contrivance for the making or printing upon any
paper or other material, any word or woods, figure or figures,
character or characters. pattern or which shall be in-
tended to resemble the whole or any the matter or orna-
ments of any such note of the said Ooverosr and Company, of
the description aforesaid, or any word. figure, or character in
white on a black. sable, or clerk ground, either with or without
white or other tines therein, which shall be apparently ictended
to resemble the numerical sum or amount in the margin, or any
other part of any Bank Note of the said Governor and Company ;
or if any person or persons shall. from and after the passing of
this Act. without such authority, knowingly have in his, her.
or their custody or on, any such plate or instrument, or
shall knowingly wilfully utter, publish, or dispose of. or put
away any paper or other material containing any such word or
words, figure or figures. character or characters, pattern or pat-
terns, as aforesaid. or shall knowingly or willingly lime in -his.
her. or their custody or possession, any paper or other material
containing any such word or words, figure or figures, character
or characters, patters or patterns as aforesaid (without lawful
excuse. the proof whereof shall lie upon the person accused),
every. person so offendinh in auy of the Mies atbresaid, and being
convicted thereof according to law, shall be adjudged a felon,
and shall be transported for the tom of fourteen years.
" 3. And whereas it is expedient, that the name or names of
the person or persons intrusted and authorized by the said Go.
tremor and Company to sign Bank Notes on behalf of the said
Governor and Company to sign Bank Notes on behalf of the said
Governor and Company, should be impressed by machinery upon
Bank Notes of the description aforesaid. in such form as may
from time to time be adopted by the said Governor and ;Com-
pany, instead of being subscribed in the hand-writing of such
person or persons respectively And whereas doubts may arise
respecting the validity of such Notes ; be it therefore declared and
enacted, that all Bank Notes of the said Governor and Company
of the description aforesaid, whereon the name or names of any
wroon or persons intrusted or authorised to sign such Notes on
behalf of the said Governor and Company, shall or may. be im-
pressed by machinery provided he that purpose by the said
Governor and Company, and with the authority of the said
Governor and Company, shall be and be takcu to be good and
valid to all intents and purposes, as if such notes bad been sub-
scribedin tbe.proper hand writing of the person or persons ietrus•
fed or authasased by the said Governor and Company to sign
Use seas teipairely, and shall is deemed and taiga to be Beak