The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-01-26
From the View T9rk Tribuns
Photography in Counterfeitins.

CISeISSArI, Tuesday. Jan 9, 1855.
have just witnessed some illustrations Of the
AT OF photographic CouHteJsiting, which deem
highly important, not only 10 bank officers, but
to the public az large Mr.. Fon:ayne of this
city, one OF the best daguerreotypist in the world,
has recently made several Photographic copies
OF bank notes which far surpass, in the perfection
of their details. any thing which has ever been
done in the Oh way Of counter!eiting. When
these Photographs carefully taken On the
proper bank note paper, they defy detection either
by the unaided eye or by microscopic inspection
One OF these photographs, from a $40 bill,
was deposited by Mr.. s. with other bills in the
Life and Trust Company, and was received
without suspicion. He then informed them that
there was a bad bill among them; the money
was reinspecLed and he was positively assured
that il was all good, and requested TO point out
the defective bill he did 50, and after general
examination by the officers present. The bill was
again pronounced good. Another trial wa made
by presenting Photographic copy Of abl at the
principal banking houses At the banks Of
Smead C0llard i Hughes, Gregory y lnsuisbee
and some others; the Photograph was received i,
and, after careful inspection, pronounced a good
bill. \ still more rigid test was made by pre-
sen;ing photographs and genuine bills to Mr.
Booth and other bank note engrsyers. After the
most careful inspection they were unable to de
tect the Photographic counterfeit, for, as | have
observed, the mnutest details are perfect under
microscopic scrutiny.
L think il is Obvious from these facts that our
paper money currency is in dangerous condition,
and that it is necessary to give the widest pub
lici;y to these alarming developments II any
good master of photography, can, IN short time
and a. a trifiing expense, Hood the country with
spurious money, which even cashiers, presidents
and experts Of every grade unable to detect,
we have no security in our paper currency.
Ihaee heard that Photographic notes were once
taken in the Bank of England, Whether any
such are now in circulation in this country IS not
known, but certainly we have no security against
their issue AZ anv time in enormous quantities,
and it is especially TO put the public on their
guard that [ now announce these facts. An
interest is already excited here, and bank pres-
dents are sending their notes to be photographed
to test the power of the art
1t is not only our currency that is assailed by
this art but everything depending on the human
pen IS liable to counterfeiting Ones autograph
may be at any time aft 1ed to bank check, pro
missorv note will deed. letter Of credit, or recon
meniation, any number of autographs may be
affixed to any document the operator may please
the autographs being so perfect that the writer
himself could not detect an error.
skill as ] eTerx se6 fS hsH ass ii to eEs9 f6
ed with mathematical accuracyb by BIOGRAPHY
which copies the red or brown backs of the notes
easily their faces. Possibly there may be
some art of print ( in colors of great variety
on rare paper which Photography will not bc
able to rival. think banks should offer premium
for the discovery of some peculiar species O.
paper the manufacture TO be kept secret, and tc
be devoted exclusively 10 the issue of bank notes
Under the present circumstances an immense
amount of fraudulent money may be issued be
fore the public duly on their guard. Science
and Art must give new safeguards There
are but two methods of detection of which
have any knowei re a. present: they are furnish
ed by chemistry and BY psyehometry, neither o.
which would probably b. brought 70 bear gains
bills so apparently perfect in all their details.
The chemical test is based the fac tha
the black color of the Photographic picture being
derived from a preparation Of silver, is ground
is necessarily different from the inks used by the
engraver and the writer: various tests may bt
devised by good chemists. | would merely men
ton one: the photo graphic picture is mme iiately
DESTROYED or turned white by washing it with
solution of corrosive sublimate.
As for the psychonaetric test, it IS, believe
worthy Of adoption in cases Of Importance wher
chemical tests are not convenient Any indi
vidual of good psychometrie capacity can deriy'
from one of the signatures bank note AZ
impression ot the character of the writer th'
photograph does not give this impression, an,
the difference between the real writing and tn
mere photography may thus be distinguished a
have ascertained by actual experiment Mr.
Fontavne's specimens. | shall give an accoul
Of this experiment in Tie Journal Of Mn
j. R b