The Sun.
London, England, 1818-03-05 00:00:00

yENIIE*N6.P.

tion) were.disposed .t.%iiiiitate it, :they miht„produce a work of similar beauty and general effect to that of Sharp's, but
the-difference of mariner would be dbeions to the commonest
observer, and no only would the forgery be,instautly'de-
tected,-but the hand that had done it be immediately identi-
Ged—for historical engravers recognize each other's handiing
wit h. as much facility as correspondents recognize each other's
hand- writing; and with more certainly.• It is, therefooe, aut
within the verge •of probability to suppose
.thae'first-rate
artists, enjoying large incomes, would comnittatrirrie, where
defeat, detection, and punishment could not fail to light ott
them immediately; and as none but first-rate artists could
make the attempt, it follows that an end would be put to the
commissiou of the crime.
This view does not rest upon theoretical reasoning ; it has
been proved to be tree in •practice. Several Country Bank-
ers have long been aware of ;the utility of haviogAheir notes
engraved itf a superior manner, its order to.mcrease tin: diffi-
culty of imitation. They have had their notes engraved
its
this manner, and have succeeded completely. I might quote
several instances of the success which has followed this lire-
caution, but this ,may %office.: The Proprietors of the Ply-
mouth Dock Bank, about 1.8 years since, were forged op in
they; in consequence,, had a handsome right tie designed,aud
engraved by an eminent his,srical engraver. He I:as en-
graved several sneeessive plates for them, and they Inure nevi r
been imitated. But the partners, some years since,' wishing
to hare a distinct app,arance between their Notes and
had 4 new plate engraved for the latter, with only an
ornamental cypher instead of the vie•:ette. this was •no
sooner issued than it was imitated, where-Upon they imme-
diately discontinued the use of the cypher plate, and adopted
the vignette,. and since then they have had no forgeries on
them. -The artist tell r.e that he and other historical en-
gravers have engraved Vignettes fur sev...al Conn; ry Bankers,
and that lie never heard of a surgery having liven attempted
•of -any of their plates. Theis the feas-P.;lity of. the sxv.cin in
theory stands confirmed by practical experience. Its eiree-
tiveness then, in the prcvention of forgerie,s,l think cannot
admit of a doubt. The only reasonable objections wl,ich I cats
conceive it possible to adv•inee,' in the' seemiogis treat
expence of using superior histUrical engravings,inste•oi
ferior writing plates. If, however. I shall prove, the i.l%tv,il.
of the proposed :means invoiriog the B 5 ik in adliii,onnd -
pence, it will materially lessen the expenees, ai. t 1,,,
time that it *ill relieve the public from the loss of tin, oc-
casioned by writing names, po thi notes, the loss of proi:e.'ty
incident to their receiving (urged notes, and the vexatious
proceedings consequent .un their being imp/melted by the
Bank, to say nothing hereof the temptation to crime, and the
sacrifice of lives, colisequenkon the present mode of manufac-
turing Bank-notes—I think it will be impossible to deem the
system which I advocate otherwise than highly useful to the
Bank, as well as tO the public, and such as ought to be adopt-
ed without delay. Now then•ai to trpcnce. •
It is waisnown that engraving may be done upon soft-
ened steel as well as on.copper ; it is also ascertained that
when engraved,- the steel plates may be hardenedlo a high •
degree without injury, and that so prepared they will yield an,
immensenumber of impressions without any sensible, wear-
ing,. I have•heard some practical men say they will bear a
million of impressions, others reckon upon a hundred thou-
sand. A plate executed as '1 propose would cost 301.; so
that taking the minimum orimOressions, vii. ieo,ocio, the
expeller; of • using fine historical .engravings on steel would ire
301. for 100,000 impressions.
- • The present copper plates, I :suppose,: cost the Bank about
31. each, and yield about 5,000 impressions; the expense then
of using bad writing engravings an copper, is 001;for 100,000
iMpressionfes.jU.skdouhle.the expellee of plates nu the preven-
tive system. This view onqffraWs into .comparison the rela-
tive
expenses of the opposite desc. ipt ion of engravings, but a
•fae more important saving would be producedby superseding
the necesilty" of the.expeinee of criakiinsl prosecutions, and of
dbe,attendant corps of spies and informers.
A 1'161114 • effect of this sytteM in preventing forgeries,
would be found in all the notes of one kind fora long period
of years being takers from'ene plate, whetite a In4con having
a genuine note might compare it witlithemibegie of another,
suspected'to be forged, and as it 'would lie impossible even
for the artist himself •who had-engravers arts w•t-iginal plate, to
tams, in a copy, the length, sweep, depth and number of
the strokes in his original, • a it ettji•tisri wimitt be easily 'made,
even by thosewlio knew notlting.ol, the arts.
My preventive of forgeries, consists in combining
-Ahense of the finest histalleal engraiings,lth the use of
plates of extraordinary•durabdity.
The vignette which I shonitl;seec.olittnernt fur zthe.plates of
the Bank of .ttgland would ocesipy less t'n '
one-third
of their whale space. It-tvotildi ffe an biste..rieaf composition
—contaloithrsaiut. less thairihree human figures ; the figures
to be nearly naked; as ifich subjgatpi,e the ability of the
artist to the hietst test. -The very first-rate.4alents to be '
found among the artists of this country ought to be enlisted
in this gerrice. • 4)liforentAgisettes eight to be used for the
different denioninlioos.of minas, the more efFecioally to dis-
tiagitislilheni. -ErtitY suleessiete Oat -aire'denumiliativa -
should be marked with a soceesaise irtter or number, and,the
date of the year when fir-St: "•••••
Snob 'i4 my.cfmrictiou of thetalkertiveness oF the system
._which I:recommend, that I am willing, at my own eipence,
to produce sech a plate as I have described, and a hundred
thousand impressions from it, provided the Bank of F.pgland
will adopt the plan. • •
.• Should this proposal lie adopted, it would be necessary for
me to submit designs'of the t.roposed vignettes, and to coo-
fer.on the best mode of filling up • the writing part of the• •
plate, and of guarding the finishing of the plate, and this
taking off of the impressions, so as to preclude the possibi-
lity of a misuse of it.; •

FROM TUESDAY't, GAZETTE.

IT'ar-Wee, .31arch S, 1818.

4d•Regiment of Life Guards,—Lieutenant Pharaoh Harley,
from the Half-pay of the 40th Foot, to be Cornet and
Sub-Lieutenant, vice Dunne, who exeian;ces.

Commission in the Staffordshire Regiment of- Yeomanry Ca-
valry., -signed by the Lord Lieutenant of the County of
Stafford.--Henry Mount ford, Gent, to be Cornet.
Comntissions•in the Staffiirdshire Regiment of Yeomanry, ,Ca-
ralry, signed by the Vice-Lieutenant of the Co`unty of Staf-
ford.—'Thomas Morris,' Gent-and Lieut. Samuel Campbell
Siju'pson,. on the tnaJf.•pay of the 23d Lancers, to be Lieute-
nautl ; Charles Gallimure and Robert Darwin -Naughton,
• Gent. to be Comas. • .

, .
DIVIDENDS.
March 31, J. Lacy, Whitby, Yorkshire, ship-builder--March
es, E. Jamei, Bristol, tiniher-merchantMarch 27, T..lack-
sbn, Wath-upon-Dearne, .Yorkshire, grocer—March 31, .1.
Hester, Rochester-road, Tothill-fieldS, brick" . maker —Mardi
Ploii7iird, fateaton-street, hanker-T-A pri lA, .1. Nt..t.-
. t hews, Harefield , Middlesex, shopkeeper—M arch 24,.1. G
' Little ITyilei-'street, roan-milliner.—March 14, T. .1,4m5,,
Judd,-street, Brunswick-square, roaster-mariner—March SW,
A Diiwson. Bath, whiet-chaff-diaker—Mareli 28; H. Cooke
' and D. Prince, Coleman-street, merchants—March 26, .1. Gay,
Gislinhhaw, Sutiolk, dealer and chapman—March 24, J. Mor-
ley, Livhrpool; draper—April 14, J. Warren, Fora-street,
cooper--March Mown, Glaniford-I3riggs, Lincolnshire,
niercerApril 10;...I.'Penn, Chepstow, Montnouthshireomer-
chant--March2B,'.l. Varyer, Oxford, tobacconist,
CER'I'IkICATF.S—MA FtC it 24.
T. Shorttitan Bristol, shopkeeper—S. Card, jun. Mere,
Wiltshire,_farmer—P. Stanley, Lower Thames-street, iron-
monger—W. Rees • King's Mews-gate, Castle-street,. Leices-
ter-fields, linin-jraper—Y. Price, Clfrow, Radnorshire,
farmer.

PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED.
J. Rolls and J. Hoare, Wendovet; Bucks, coal-merchants—
S. Gundry, J. G. Dowse,
,:and.J.Rosov Bridport, Dorset,
maltsters—L. W. Dillwyn, 'l'. tevington, and J. Bevington,
Swansea, Glamorgan—W:Gray and. W. L. Simpson, Scarbo-
rough, drapers—T. Knight and it. Edell,Hammersmith,,
apothecary-4;,_Porter and •G. Porter, Moretov;.ii, Hants,
fellmongers—W. 'fllggini;`Highgate, (4. Moore,. Trieste,
and 'ALAN. Denison, -Malta, merchants—M. Hale.and It. He Heckmondtvike,'York, linerr;.drapers--J. Long' and
E. Itickett, -Hatton-gardett,
,tritsvdtnakers—J. Potter and .1.
Williams, Pontypool, Aloqmouth, ?addlers;—G. Birley and .1.
H. Small, Ruston, Lincoln, drapers---W. C. Ellis a' d W. S.
Bctty,Kingstou-upou-Lioll, Yorkistageont and apothecaries.