Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-08-13
Counterfeit. SD nrloas and Altered BSaf
Notes.

| oblileraton and suppression. Since there
seems TO be NO uieaas of preventing the &C.
eret Creation of sPurfo9s bills, AID as there
| Is no certain Safeguard against Imitation, ,
we must rest satisfied With simple e1pIand-
tloas and warnings. With proper regard
| for the interest OF osfr subscribers, We pre-
sent to them sorns suggestions experience
has taught US are both useful ahd neceasa-
ry IN handling paper money.
First limitations of the eefuiEe, which
are produced either by engravlngs, proso-
Prophy, or lithography.
Second. Notes that are estirelY uhiiKe
the genuine bills of the banks by which
they purport to be issued, except in the ti-
tie and location. These bills ares however
especially dangerous, as they are nearly
always made from the impressions Of pi sies
designed and executed By sone of our best
bank-note engrayers, for institutions which
| in some cases failed, but ofiener proved to
be fraudulent. Many of these notes, shsfe-
fore, besides bearing name common to
good banks in different sections of the coun-
| try, haTe aiso vignetts and engravinRs which
are TO be found on the Issues of ether
banks.
| Third. Genuine bank bills OF small de-
uominaiion, which have been altered or
raised to larger--as, for instance, a gen.
uine one may be altered To ten or twenty
dollar bill. This operation is accomplished
by psst:ng over the original figures and let.
ters of the small note pieces of paper on
which are printed figures and letters repre-
senting higher denomination. 4nother
method is to totally oblitefGte the original
| denom:n alton By means Of chemicals, and
printin this numbers representing 3 larger
amount.
| Engraved limitations are always imperfect
| id consequence of portions Of the genuine
being engraved By expensive machinery
which, coanterfeits do not possess. There
| fore. TO detect them. the engraving must
be minutey and critically examined. II
/ human figures are represented, examine
The eyes, hair, arms. hands, and drapery s-~
The skies are seldom well done in counter-
feits, being "wiry and scratchy," to use an
engrsver's expression, while in gendine en-.
grazing they are soft and even. The geo.
ometric lathe work (the ornamental cvals
and circles Cd which the denomination are
placed) can never bo well initiated by hand.
| In the genuine, the white lires of the lathe
work cross each ottfer. clearly aud sharply
leaving small black diamonds between them;
while 10 counIerfeits, an imitation is at
tempted by a confused. mass of irregulas
dots, the white lines sc dom appearing clear
and Distinct. The letters comprising fhe
titles of the banks generally have shadow
which, in the gen d'ns. is engraved BY MIA.
chine work and is perfeSt; not a line being
out of place; whilst In counteffeIts it will
be seen, on close Inspection, that some lines
are thicker than others, and wider apart
The same may be said of all parts of the
bill where there are fat, even tints. These
differences can be noticed BY close niincte
inspection. Any person, by the Observations
and study of weII-engraved notes, can learn
to detect counterfeit engraving. ALI rules
or suggestions are of no avail unless they
do. Some people judge only by the geuer
al appearance of the note, without an exam.
inaton of the engraving. This is in well
connection with the proceeding suggestions
| but it will not do TO trust that alone.
Photographs.--Ths rapid advance ant
perfection of photography, as means of 2or-
traying objects, has not escaped the notice
of counieiters. So admirable are some
of these limitations said 10 be. so delicate In
their tone aud finish, that persons, unless
they are competent judges, will be deceived
even after the closest scrutiny. If the
photopraohic art still continues to improve
under the experiments and discoveries o
chemists, it certainly behooves The Director
of banks and bank-note engrasers to lsavt
no stone unturned which viii provide nez
means for the security of OF 0thef~ise use.
less currency. AT present, If the bill pre-.
sented is photograph. il viii rarely pos
sess the deep, rich black which denotes tai
genuine; they are almost always of browl
or purple tihge. In sdch esses,. the ex
pertinent oil moistening the note, then toucl
ing ii with drop of cyanide Of potassium
will result in the complete obliteration o
the color, leaving the paper white.
Altered or raised genuine notes are often
times SO well done as to puzzle the bes
judges of money. Those which areSlteres
by the '.pasting operation" can generally B,
de tected By hs1dlng them ,o tIfe hg6t=-th,
pasted parts being thicker thsa the rest OF
the note. Those altered by erssing the o
riginal figures, and printing in their place,
those of higher defiomihatioh, sfe more
difficult to detect. In applying the ehemio.
ais, the signatures afs often damaged, and
have to be retouehed; when this is done il
can easily lie seen, on close inspection.-
The shading Of the words five dollars and
ten dollars, Sc, in the centre of the note
Beneath the title of the bank, is always In
perfect
By far the larger proportions of couater
feits that have been put in circulation during
the past few years have been entirely unlike
the genuie notes of the banks iheY purpor
ted TO represent. They are in most in
stances altered from broken bank sotes, b
changing the title, location, ara officers
names. Therefore, these parts should b
scrutinised closely. In taking out the orig
inal names. the puper is usGally nsote OF Ies'
injured, giving the adjacent engfaeinF fotgi
and inferior look, compared with that Of ths
fest ef,he Bib Large nuts6ers Of blatei
win genefal titles, such as FarInefss Bani
Exchange Bank. &C., cuh be easily alsereC
to Sanks of the same ifstne In different To-
eaiftf eS, and these have been re-arrauRed BY
BetS5tfs who have come into possession o
some of the machinery aud genuine dies o
the defnnct engraving companies. Such
notes, to any one accustomed to handiinE
money, have a suspicious look, add eau b
easily detected; but to those who are no
the best course is to consult reliable reg
lister or detector of connterfeiss.--IB Banl
Note Register.
A bill has been introduced into the house