Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-02-02
Counterfeit Money-How it is Made
and Circulated.
From the Cincinnati TImen

fEotu the CINCINNATI Times.
AS there is large quantity ofcoun.
terfeit money now in circulation, we
thought that the following descrip-
ton of how the stuff is made and cir
culated would not prove uninterest-
ing:
Almost all counterfeit engraving is
done exclusively by hand, while much
of the genuine is executed with the
finest and most costly machinery -
The latter is necessarily much the
most perfect, and by experts easily
told. In all large bank note engrav
ing establishments there are many
workmen, each one being engaged on
some particular part one for the
printed letters, another for the scrip,
another for landscapes, and so on,
each perfect ia his individual part,
while counterfeit noies are engraved
by one or two persons, and, there's
fore, are not as well done as the gem
uine. Generally, counterfeiters sell
ect, as place for doing work, re-
treat AS far from large cities as pos
slbie, but accessible To e railroad sta
zion and, to avoid arousing suspic-
Ton, always have some other business
with it. The man who does the en-
craving and painting rarely leaves
home, but his "broLher," who is q
'peddler." travels most OF the time
The plates are engraved and tn,
notes printed abo.t the same as il
any genuine establishment. Tn,
travelling brother takes the money
done up in PACKAGES of one, two, three
and FIVE thousand dollars each, anC
goes off to large cities, where it il
given TO others, who sell 1t to tn
ones who do the passing. We almos
forgot to say that the bills, after be
ing printed, are slightly dampene(
by rubbing over them sponge aatu
rated with tobacco juice, and thel
ironed. This process takes away
their new appearance, and make
them look Is if they had been a long
time in circulation.
The men who pass the stuff, gen
orally start out in parties of three
The one who does the passing, has
pocket.book filed with genuine bills G
a large denomination, and mixed il
with them is a single one of the coun
terfeits He also has one other coun
terfeit, which he folds up and tight
| ly congresses into small wad no
much larger than a grain of corn
This he places on the inside of hi
left hand, in the joint of the little fir
ger next to the palm, at the sam
time closing the finger, so that tn
bill cannot be seen, and, in case {
beng arrested, he can readily thro'
this bill away without being detected
The SECOND man remains tw
squares behind the first one, and ha
in his possession only about doze
bills, which he supplies when wante
to the "shover" The third pan ty
who is styled "the bank" keeps en-
tirely out of sight long distanc
off. and has the wholesale depart
ment Of the concern. These me
nave thelf signs. TOKENS OF recognl
ton, etc. by which they can com
mune with each other at long dis
lance. For instance, if the middl
man has reason believe that th
shower" is watched, he carries hi
handkerchief in his left hand.
the first one wants new supply {
the stuff he crosses over the stree
sign that the other is to follow, an
by pre- arrangement they meet a
some unfrequented place, where
new supply is given. Most of tn
money is passed in small shops, wher
it is reasonable to suppose that th
persons are not very good judges {
currency. The men thus wolkin
together manage to get rid of abou
$500 in a day of bills. and of abou
$50 per day when at work with tn
fractional currency.