The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1862-10-17
From the Southern Confederacy, Oct S.
More Counterfeit Confederate
Notes
Wholesale and Alarming Counterfeit
ing!

Wholesale and Alarming Counterfeit-
ing
We have. just finished examining a package
Of fifteen hundred dollars-all in hundred dol.
lars bils-counterfeits of the Confederate
Notes-Hoyer u Ludwig plates. They are
not the same that were put afoat some time
ago. These bills had a number of striking
points of difference, and were easily detected
by the description. The new counterfeit is
far more accurate and difficult to detect and is
very dangerous. The previous one was a bet
ter engraving than the genuine and on better
paper, this the same quality of paper, and the
engraving appears SO exactly like it every
way that the difference is only discovered hy
careful comparison, and by a person who is
used to handling and noticing it.
These fifteen bills were sent to Mr.. j. T.
Porter, highly respectable commission mer-
chant in this city, by a house in Mobile, with
package of some four or FIVE thousand dol
lars. lie did not notice their being counter
feits, nor suspect their genuneness, till they
were condemned at the bank.
The previous counterfeits were notthe same
size of the genuine, and could be detected by
n,easa,neent,. as we described; but these new
base issues are so nearly the same size that
measurment cannot be applied as a test
There are, however, several points about
them, which a careful observer can detect
First on the left hand end of the bills is a
sailor standing up; and above his head is
shield ON which the following words are In
scribed: Receivable in payment of all dues
except export dues" In the genuine the
lower point of this shield is about the 10th of
an inch dbove the sailors hat In the coun-
terfeit the point of the shield is impegtcct:
the point is not made. If perfect, it would
come down lower than the top of the hat. In
the genuine the point is nearly over the cen
tire Of the sailors head-a little to the left in
the counterfeit, the point Of the shield tif it
had the point) would be over the left hand
side Of the sailors hat brins, or near where
the brim joins the crown of the hat. This de
feet in the point of the shield, and its being
placed further to the left of the sailors head,
and extending lower down, and not directly
a5oce the head as in the genuine, is the most
prominent mark of distinction.
The wagon wheel this time has the proner
number of spokes, and they are dim and dark
like the genuine-only a little more so-not
light and finely executed, like the former
counterfeit. The mule attached to the cotton
press is also dim, and more indistinct than
the former counterfeit, and the harness can
not be seen, but he is not quite so much bi..-
red as the genuine. In the genuine the left
hand hind wheel of the wagon, has the spokes
centering the hub. at the corner of the 1pagon
bed or body. In the counterfeit the hub APP
appears to be behind the bed and out of SIGHT
the point where the spokes converge at the
hub or axle. being concealed from the view
by the bed Of the wagon.
The Signatures are quick test to those
who know and have the run of all of them:
but only bankers, or men who handle money
largely, can make this a test We NAV saw.
however, that neaaly all Of them appear TO be
forgeries at once, to practiced eve. They
are crampea and bear evidence of being slow
~ written, in order the better to initiate the
genuine. They are in heavier hand and
blacker ink. A man skilled in such matters
can see at once that they are written by an
effort, and not by free, easy, natural hand.
we have seen only one counterfeit fifty,
though several of them have been detected in
this city. They are also superior imitation
OF the geRuine-so perfect are they that we are
unable to discover any striking points or dis.
simlarity-none that we can describe which
the common reader can understand, save per-
haps one. The bill before US is signed "a.
w. Gray, for Treasurer" The word "for'' is
in small common italics, and "Treasurern i
IN small capitals; thus 9. for TREASURER In
she counterfeit, the hair line on which the
tignature is written, passes across the 81, in
the word for and touches the tops Of tie
letters s'or." In the genuine the word s.fo,''
is bcloa0 the line on which the signature is
written. 1t crosses the upper portion of the
i, but does not touch the "oa'' teing obore.
them. . This is the only distinction we are
able to describe that we think can be compre
hended by readers generally. The nallet is.
made black, the sailors disheveled hair is
smoothed down, the handle on the iron boy Is
right, and the Won,an's head is in the right
place. All the points of difference are rene.
died, so that only an experienced person can
detect them by their. general appearance.
Now what are the people to do? We adj
wise them to refuse everyi2o, so and 100 nf the
Hoyer and Ludwig plates. The Government
has called for them. Let them be. sent in and
no more circulated
Much credit is duo to Col. w. W. CLAYTON
of the ga. r. r. Bank Agency, for detec,ina
the counterfeits Of the treasury notes. he
was the. first to detect the former counterre;ts
and also the first to detect these. The conn.
try owes him debt of gratitude for his skin
and vigilance in this matter.
Gen. TaylGr's Plantation Plum
dered.
The Montpelier journal contains a letter
from a soldier of the Vermont Sth, dated
Camp Allemand, August 29th, in which he
states that on the previous Thursday, the pro-
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