The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-11-13

Startling Revelations in Counterfeitiny.

An old bank plate ensraver, has been per-
mitted TO examine the twenty one bank note
plates recently recovered from gang of coun-
terfeiters. and gives the New York Express the
result of his observation as follows:
| The great majority ofcounterfeit money is ori
| ginal engraving. The time is fast approaching
when our beautiful paper money will be regard
ed with contempt, and disgust. II the same
hands that are employed in engraving the ORR
ginal, can, by any trick, be employed in produ-
cling the counterfeit. how can we tell the genu-
inc from the spurious? A man may be well ac-
guainted with the work of Rawdon, Wright &
Hatch, and may take five hundred dollar Trea-
sury note with him, their genuine work upon it,
and yet, it may be a counterfeit! A man may
be familiar with the works OF Casiiear, of Dan
forth & Co., and may take counterfeit notes with
| their identical ,rork upon them, and yet no
blame can be attached to any of these gentle
men, because the patchwork and die system of
manufacturing them renders it perfectly easy
for counterfeiters to obtain the work OF any man
who engraves die or Transfers bank-plate.-
In my late publication. have sounded the first
alarm, and all the modes of fraud there revealed
are proved TO have been in practice by counter
te.ters in Philadelphia.
Through the kindness of Mayor Gilpin, have
been permitted to examine the twenty one coun-
tertet plates lately recovered together with a
vast amount Of counterfeit materials which has
accumulated there in the course of a few years
past. By far the largest portion of them proved
to be genuine works of our best artists! CAST
| lear, Durand. Burton i Edmonds. Danforth, I'm
derwood & Co., Murray. Draper. Fairman & Co.,
a., B. Il c., Durand, Wright & Co.. and other
firms are represented among these implements
of fraud. The ease with which bank plate
can be altered to represent one bank: after an
other, through the entire country is plainly il
lustrated there. The vast amount of spurious
money which can be manufactured by very sim
pie means, is truly alarming. The counterfeit
ers had obtained one steclplate of the Burton
x Edmonds, and had erased the title in order to
print the blank. They had small copper plate
which was engraved by master hand the titles
of eight banks in Wall street. Phoenix Bank,
Union Bank, Manhattan Company. &c. Now,
10y means of these two plates, they might have
manufactured, by the process of printing above,
counterfeit money to the amount of three hun
dred thousand dollars, on eight different banks
all the engraving upon which, would have
been executed by our best artists! The twenty
one plates recovered from the counterfeiters,
were capable. with trifng addition, of manu-
featuring spurious money to the amount of mill
ions. The electrotype process of multiplying
viSnettes, and all engraved plates had been re-
sorted to. One copper plate twenty dollar note
on the Merchants Bank Providence. had been
VI
Thus, the counterfeiters vary the relative posi-
| tions of the detached pictures at pleasure and
make a solution of sulphate of copper which
might be contained in quart measure, take
the plate of our engravers' transfer press, and
other expressive machinery. What now is to be
done?
BY the present method of engraving bank
notes, an ordinary mechanic stamps the plates
by means of dies. 1t is therefore for the inter-
est of the engravers to continue the use of those
dies, and the more our notes are counterfeited
and altered the more their business will be eX
tended. Our new banks are eager to get into
| operation-the dies facilitate the engraving
and though the notes as soon as issued. are al
tered, or cOunterteited. to the great annoyance
and loss of community, the banks themselves
seldom lose anything. Indeed. some Of them do
not scruple to declare that they made money by
it, What then is to be done. First let the Le
| gislature appoint committee to enquire into
this matter-let them determine the best meth
| od Of engraving note to prevent these frauds;
and then let the necessary law be added to our
model General Banking Law, compelling all
bank notes to be engraved in future according
| to the best method, without regard to the time
required Or the cost of the work. Let an in
spcctor be appointed. who is thorough practi-
cal artist, to carry the law ito effect. and give
the people the protection which they need
When our State has once set the example, other
States VIII i0il0W; and IN the course OF very
few years, we shall seldom hear of counterfeit
notes, and uerer hear of alterations in the de-
nomination, which is a species of fraud against
which all our counterfeit detectors say no gen
uine bill is exempt But fear am trcspass
| ing too much upon your columns at this season
of political interest. At some future period. |
will, with your permission. endeavOr to explain
the rules by which to cngravc a bank note, in
order to give the greatest amount of protection
against forgery. There is law governing this
matter, which is no less certain than the law of
gravitation.-.N Y. Express.
WOMAN's AFFECTION.-Conrad Schill enlisted
as German soldier. and served the term of
years required by the laws of that land to quail
| ify him for promotion. He gradually mounted
the ladder of fame and honor, and imbibing from
| nature as he advanced. the doctrine of EQuali
ty, readily espoused the cause of the Liberal
Party in the recent Revolutions that have con-
vulscd Europe. Owing to this course, he was
compelled to flee his native land and find home
in America. He chose our city as his abiding
place, but alas! the sudden revorsion of his for
tunes weighed heavily on his mind. and ere
=