Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-10-02

short description of bank note engraving and engraving
generally may not be unacceptable 10 our readers II
IS taken from the letter OF an expert in tie Augusta
tGa) Chronicle.
The kinds of engraving in general use may be limited
to three, viz wood engraving. steel engraving and
lithographc engraving. The first mostly used for
book aud newspaper Illustrations, for two reasons- frst
cheapness second, because it be worked eff (in
printers paTance) with type AMI lii common press,
while the two latter kinds cannot, but require presses
peculiar 20 themselves
Whee illustrations seen in page of ieter-press
or printed matter they may be set down wood engra-
wings 1t not adapted 10 subjects or purposes requi
ring very high style OF art, nevertheless some
admirable specimens in The MesSrs Harper's publica-
tioDs and those of the American Tract Society.
Steel engraving is Only used in works requiring the
highest style OF art, such embellishments the cost
est books, copies OF celebrated paintings bank notes.
&c, and ls the cOstiest Of all Examples OF this kind
of ing may be in any Of bank ard
tie tnsrsRngs formerly sent annually by the Amer
can Art Union.
Should it be asked why it is necessary that bank
notes should be Of this kind would reply, because it
is most difficult to counterfeit, and STEEL plate is much
more lasting than wood Or stone. A steel plate will
last to take 80 600 Impressions copper one 20 or
O0OO stone about 500, wood probably about the
same copper
1t may be sat down Is certain, that two plates cannot
be engraved exactly alike by hand but hete
by which engraved seo plates may be made provided
the originals are to be had.
The first may be produced by the electrotype process
aid this is prac1sed extensively in the NOrthern Cities
and affords cheap OF furnishing illustrations for
books, newspapers, advertisements &c.
These eectroypes as they are called may be in
any printing Cfite.
Steel plates are Reproduced by the following process
! Il quote from Bylnes Practical Metal W Workers. As
sistant, page 18)
"a soft steel plate is engraved with the required SUBJ
jet in the most finished style OF art either by hand or
mechanically, or tie two combined, and tie plate is
then hardened decalb0nizd steel cylinder chat u.s.
steel cylinder returned TO its original state of soft
iron is next rolled the hardened plate by power
iul achiG cry, until the engraved impression appears in
relief the hollow lines of the original becoming ridges
upon the cy Under The cylinder is reconverted to
the condition OF ordinary steel and hardened, after
which it serves to return the impression to any number
of soft steel plates every one OF which becomes absO
lutely counterpart of the original. ard every plate,
when hardened, will yield tie number $780,
900 impressions without any percaptbc difference be-
tween the first and the last"
The plates, however, moi usually hardened as they
liable to break, but in their soft state are sufficient
y hard to last to take 10000 impressions and in case
it out, tie Keller is left, by which plate can
be made at trifng cost DR.. IRE, in his dictionary
and Sciences that the Greens head on the
English postage stamp has never been engraved but
once although millions upon millions Of the stamps have
been made
In the above quotation, the phrase either by hand
or mechanically" may need explanation. Some of the
engraving bank notes, strange it may seem, is
actually done by machine. AS specimens of this |
would refer the reader to the delicate and intricate
craving around the figures in bank notes. (proVded be
can frd of the latter not, be trust to his
memory, or wait until the good times come again(
Lbographlc engraving as applied to the fine arts is
a misnomer there is no engraving about it.
The word photography means the art Of drawing or
stone hence picture printed from :" drawing or
stone is called Autograph and such are our Coined
crate notes, engraved by l1oyer & Ludwig, which
so extensively counterteited. Should it be asked how
can a drawing stone be printed from l would say
that tie limits Ct newspaper article will not permit
me to explain This style of engraving is not adapted
of art blt for works of large size it is well adapted
as may be in Autographs by tie French artists
who probably excel all others in this style OF engraving
Some of their productions perfect gems of art,
he cheap gau1y, c0Cred Gaubs SO c0mmOn--sacl
as Gen. Jackson at The battle of New Orleans, Bona
pare crossing the Alps (when you momentari
looking for him to fall bacbwards) death of Gen
Washington, and hest of others, the production
), of Yankee photographers, (not artists9
These are colOred with an abundance Of red, blue
and yellow after they are printed. The stones from
which photographic pictures taken cannot be dup
Gated perfectly, although have seen statement in th
a newspapers, within few months, that MesSrs Hoye
q Il Ludwig made OF process by which they coui
do it, That they nay have process OF transferring
impression already taken to fresh stone 10 assis
the artist materially ia copying with tolsrobLe accurac
and uniformity is very probable but that they cannC
make perfect COPIES their works show Tor tLemseve.
is In comparing baIf doz genuine $500 bits OF the!
Is engraving, marked difference may be seen. | haV
not examined tie smaller denominations with the yieI
of Gaeectpg variations but presume similar variation
t may De found IN them.
Now the question naturally arises, why did The Go,
. eminent TO such and dangerous mean
Of suppl ing the wants OF circulating medium al
s swer, probably was the best they could do at Ii
time. Formerly, nearly all bank note engraving, ant
: in TACT engIavings OF every kind, mostly done
the North and ii there were any good eDgf4TeIs IN b
COnlederacy at all, there were probably not enough
supply the wants of the occasion be Secretary Of Il
IS Treasury, in bis rgcen report, states that the service
# OF over seventy clerks arc required IN signing Z
. bills.
y Now, any one can see at once that an impres8io
\ from photographic steel plato cannot be taken
e quick a clerk sign one; consequently numer0l
plates must be had, requiring of course numerous e.
y gravers-mCre, probably, than could be obtained.
e 1t is not probable that there was person in Il
e Contederacy who had practical knO Wedge of tt
method of reproducing steel plates be0re described
consequently, they had to resort to tbs uncertain pr
cess OF lithography. l remarked before that thogr
lie phic plate only admitted of about L5O0 impression
y, being taken.
le Now, when we consider chat 800 one hundred dc
sr lar bills only amounts TO $3.50 000 and that mlio
are required inst d of Thousands it will be very reaC
ly that new plates must constantly be made, al
as they cannot be made eTdctty like those used beto
tn this will explain why genuine bills Of the demon
We nation differ from each other.
u / would here caution persons who happen to ha
We two or more bills of the same denomination dieri
Us from each other not get alarmed, as that of itself
no evidence of any of them being spurious have Il
self, within day or two, seen 10 the possession OF
person five one hundred dollar Confederate notes. havi
a all the marks of the genuine yet but two out of the
M were alike, and the difference in the engraving
on [ very much question whether any person, howe
"a good Judge of bank notes generally be may be,
c pronounce with certainty upon the genuineness of
$lOO Confederate notes unless be is furnished with g