The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-13 00:00:00

FORGERY OF BB YS NOTES.

Mr. Henry Bradbury delivered a lecture on Friday
night, at the Royal Institution, Albemarle-street, upon
the " Manufacture of Bank Notes in connection with the
subject of Forgery." The audience was numerous and
distinguished ; the Duke of Northumberland presiding.
Mr. H. Bradbury said it was his object principally to
direct attention to the engraving, as the most important
feature in the manufacture of bank notes, because upon
that depends the security in the eyes of the public ; and
the necessity for discussingethe question arose from the
fact that forgery is on the increase ; that differences of
opinion exist upon the best method to be employed to
obviate it ; that facilities are growing up to assist for-
gery ; and that there is a tendency to employ that method
of manufacture which is most exposed to the operations
of the forger. A committee sat to inquire into the
subject as far back as 1819, and bad their report been
adopted the preseut state of things could never have
arisen. That committee decided that each of the
methods then in use—not dissimilar tothose of the present
day—had their respective merits if carried to the high-
est result ; historical engraving, engine work, chaste
and elaborate ornament, perfection of type, combined
with stereotype ; and that the use of these, more or less,
might be attended with success. This report was of great
value then, and in these days is capable of great exten-
sion, as by the aid of a nice judgment, joined to artistic
advantages that can now be commanded, a result may be
attained, new, and of so high a character as to set it
above the reach of forgery, by stamping upon the pro-
duction an individuality expressing qualities beyond the
province of mechanical imitation. The main feature of
the note, the engraving, and its security, depends upon
the vignette ; the higher quality of the arestic impress,
therefore, which this vignette carries, the greater the
security of the note. The vignette derives its great value
frein being the uncounterfeitable seal of the note—un-
ceunterfeitable, because its individuality cannot be imi.
tated. However similar, there is a difference in the human
countenance—however similar, there is a difference in
handwriting, and if any number of the most eminent en•
gravers were to endeavour to copy each other, it would
be detected by a casual examination. The eye cf the bank-
ing clerk or the man of business would soon become
expert at this sort of fine-art reading. This was proved
in the case of the Plymouth Bank, half a century ago.
Their bills were forged, there notes were not, simply on
account ,of the vignette ; and when the vignette was
added to the bias the forgeries ceased. Of the various
methods of engraving, the choice lies more especially
between intaglio and surface engraving ; between
steel and copper plate or letter-press and wood
engraving ; the first being pre-eminent for its beauty
and adaptability to the production of bank notes. Ob-
jectians valid), urged against this method years age are
now excluded ; cost and difficulty of. reproduction hav-
ing been overcome by the electrotype, which, in addition
to its cheapness, gives a fixed oneness to the paper issue
to a bank, however extensive it may be; which no
cheapness or rapidity of production from letter press or
surface engraving can counterbalance, notwithstanding
the fact that the notes of the Bank ef England, and also
of the Bank of France and the Bank of Russia, are pro-
duced from surface-engraved plates. In the engraving
of the bank note two principles are involved for con-
sideration—the first, simplicity of design ; the second, the
combination of vignette work with intricate engine work;
and both these principles possess high claims to the
attention of banking authorities as security against
forgery—the one on account of the difficulty of mecha-
nical imitation, the other on the ground of a first-sight
recognition. Simplicity of design, when it amounts to
the character of high-class art, the lecturer regards as
much the best for the issue of national notes ; for where
variety of pattern and freaks of ornament distraet the
attentoo, it is put more within the field of the imitator
than when he has to contend with an ideality for which
neither his education nor his pursuits are likely to fit him.
By way of illustration Mr. Bradbury here submitted to
the audience what (or something similar) should, in his
opini n, be the representative note of a national bank,
describing it as being as simple as a national note could
with safety be, its attributes being individual unity-
simple and salient features, with due prominency of nu-
merical value, and a general character of a sort of me-
diaeval met. After explaining tie protective ceialities of,
and ramie ing to objections against, this model note, Mr.
Mr. Bradbury displayed a Bank of England note, and
gave a brief account of its history, as follows : -
The Bank of England note has always been Charac-
terised by simplicity, but carried to an extreme in the
opposite direction, the same general design having been
preserved from the issue of their first note. I have no
objection, however, to submit, namely, that its simpla
city is too simple, not bearing upon the face of it those
features which characterise the true art-point. The vies
nette is a specimen the reverse of what I have been ad-
vocating ; it is alike deficient in conception and execu-
tion. Surface-printing having been chosen as the me-
dium, the bank autnorities were restricted in the appli-
cation of their art. In consequence of this the Bank of
Eneiand note in its present form is unworthy of the
back and na ion. Th • great aim of the bank ha,
been to secure simple identity and ready recognition,
through the excellence of the paper, known by it,
peculiar colour, by its thinness and transparency, as
we'l as by its feel, crisp and tough, patent to the
sense of touch alone. Toe basis of its security
to the public rests upon its paper. It is supposed
to be numatchabte. Such is the case in this country.
Not because it cannot be imitated, but because the law
affn-ds ample supervision to detect it—which is as good
as preventing it. As successful imitations of this papei
have been made abroad, and passed in this country, toe
much reliance ought not to be placed upon this superi-
ority of the paper. Again, the fallacy of its security
consists in the extreme facility it affords fur reproduction
by hand, apart from reproduction afforded either by the
Anastatic or Photographic processes. I have thought
it only right to refer to these processes with reference to
this note in particular, inasmuch as if the paper were
procurable, a successful copy of the engraved parts
might certainly he effected by the aid of photography.
From 1837 to 1854 these notes were printed from steel
plates, reproduced by the Siderographic or transfer
processes. At the commencement of 1855 a change
took place in the production of the notes by the sub-
stitution of surface-printing from electrotypes for steel
plate printing. A variation was then made in the forni
of the old note by d lopting an engraved signature in-
stead of a manual one—the object being still further to
'strengthen the identity of recognition.
Mr. H. Bradbury then exhibited a specimen of simple
note, bank of France, compared with a surface printed
note of the same bank, admitting, however, that sim-
plicity of design is not to be advocated as solely applic-
able to a note in all instances. It is more especially
suited for national notes, because immediate recognition
should be one of their essential features, while for pro-
vincial notes, not having so wide a range of circulation,
the complex note has peculiar advantages. Mr. Brad
bury then glanced at complex engraving, which is per-
formed in two ways—relief and medallion work, guil-
-1 tells or rose-engine work—the one representing models
on flat surfaces, the other lines, straight, waved, or
carved ; circles, ellipses, parallel or intersecting, result-
ing in a particular effect; and exhibited specimens of
production by both processes, describing the latter as
bei ig at once more beautiful, less confused, and ac-
companied by more facilty of detection than tee former.
Mr. Bradbury then exhibited specimens of a engine-
turned designs on glass," simple and complex, both of
wh oh he conceived to combine beauty with security.
and facility of recognition—a result not practicable to
attain until the electrotype became a recognised agent in
practical reproduction. Since the discovery of the elec-
trotype, efforts ha-1 been made in several cases to apply
its perpetuating power to the reproduction of copper en-
cravings generally, but with no bettor result than signal
failure; but the lecturer stated that an experiment as
made a few months ago to establish in this country (it
having !mg been in practical operation at Vienna) its
practical as well as its economical adaptability. In this
experiment 1,200,000 notes of the Brazilian Government,
if very elaborate work, were printed from electrotype
plates ; the means for future produ ttion still existing for
printing as many million notes more as thousands had
a ready been printed--and with this certainty that the
last note printed shall be identical with the first.
The lecturer then described' Siderographic bank-note
printing, as being a process for transferring figures from
steel to steel, and thus multiplying the number of places
to be printed from. It consists in taking up an en-
Jamie(' plate upon a roller of softened steel, a ceinbina-
:ion of rolling and pressure, so that the engraved sub-
'set stands in relief upon the roller, which then under-
goes a process of rehardening, and the sill ject in relief
is then, by rolling and pressure, transferred to a surface
of steel, softened to receive it. The objections to this
plan are, that every subject so transferred neat he re-
touched by the graver, that it is inapplicable te tte
manufacture of complex notes, that it is not economical,
and that it is doubtful whether it secures identity. Still
it bas been in use air .10 years in America, and was, in
fact, an American invention.
The lecturer then exhibited specimens of Brazilian,
American, Austrian, Prussian, and Russian notes, re-
marking in succession upon their faults of design
and execution, and proceeded to deal with the most
difficult part of the question, security of manufacture,
glancing first at the Anastatic process as, in suppo-
sition, applicab:e to forgery, and suggesting as
the best and simplest way of obviating the
danger the adoption of copper plate and very fine work.
Ten comes photography, by which copies of bank notes
have certainly been produced, but not to an extent to be
considered dangerous, as the copies were imperfect, as
there was a failure in appearance generally. But photo-
graphy has made advances, and is now capable of pro-
ducing more serious results by means of a printing-plate.
Both in the case of the Anastatic and the photographic
processes, the antidote consists in the adoption of print-
,ltngnatentadtiiffeeorrentlrlours ; for in. attempting to take an
the separationP
of the
copy of a c enpound note,
cannot be effectede two' printings, in different colours,'
andthem without destroying tee combined
wtroanrksfienrg;in colour isorreenelaborate and artistic the second
Jr
till, the more the difficulty of
dissection is increased.
by excellence of art and eng;rabevui:n
°trhgeenabliet should lie water-mark were backed
the
imperativebank n ote
committee to resolve this question,
this should b 3 found
on the
Governmentnh eotr et
og abredetihlea sicnausnef,
and offer a reward for its solution.
The lecturer then drew attention to diagrams illustra-
tive of the process of paper manufacture II (representinga
the machinery of Mr. T. H. Saunders, Dartford),
with
view to show what science, labour, and capital must be
expended in the production of bank-note paper ; and in
conclusion, while deprecating censure upon what some
might deem his boldness in coming forward upon such a
subject, said he could appeal to the evidence of many
eminent men who had lived before him, and whose opi-
nions were corroborative of his own. Mr. 11, Bradbury,