Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-11-02
SOMETHING ABOUT TIE CCUkIERFsITERS.
HOW AND WHERE THEY WORK.
Interesting Description Of the DifFer
ent Counterfeit Made upon
Government Issues.

For the past two or three years the officials of
the secret service of the government have had
comparatively little to do in ferretng ont coun-
terfeiters. The latter have been pressed so
closely, in fact, by the detectives in their work
of making and pushing "the queer" that they
have lost their old audacity, and the result is
that our present issues of greenback and frac
tional currency, with but two exceptions, have
not been coHnterfeited. Quite a number of the
most notorious gangs of counterfeiters have been
broken up, and IL is now a hard matter to ind
an eneraver of any ability engaged in their ser
vice. The experts at the TressuTT are 30 thor
oughly acquainted with the work Of
TBR DIFFERENT GANGS,
that they can easily tell from what quarter
counterfeit comes as soon as it makes its appear
snce, and though they have not always been
able to bag the offenders. in many instances the
plates and machinery of the gangs have been
captured and destroyed, though not until copies
OF them were taken for preservation. There are
on file in the department some four or five hun
dred different samples of cOunterfeits upon the
various issues of legal tenders, fractional our
rency, national bank notes, bonds, revenue
stamps, &c. Some of these are admirable speci-
mems VI skill and workmanship, almost defying
detection by the most experienced experts. In
more than one instance the experts have not
been able to agree as to the note being counter
feit or genuine until after il had been closely
examined by at least half dozen with the most
powerful glasses.
THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTERPART
ever made was OF the 81 900 $50 notes issued
under the act OF March Sd, 1866, of which about
one hundred were put out by the gang before
detection. So well was IL counterfeited that the
banks and even the Treasury officials took them
as genuine, and it was not until two OF the same
number were discovered in the Treasury that
any suspicion was excited. This dangerous
counterfeit was discovered about four years
ago, shortly after its appearance, and the plates
were captured. 1t was the work of the cele-
brated Brockaway gang of New York, and en-
graved by an Englishman named Everson. So
well was the counterfeit executed that the en-
graver who executed the vignette for the origi-
raj note testified that the vignette on the coun-
terfeit was genuine, believing that it was
his own work, but when the whole note was
carefully examined under powerful glasses its
spurious character was established. At first il
WAS held by some that the counterfeit was from
plates made from lead impressions of the orig
nal plates in the department, but it was soon as
certaiDed that the entire plates were engraved
by the counteIfeite<s. These captured plates
are now in possession of the department. The
counterfeiters ''shOved" the issue by going To
the banks with ten or a dozen of them, stating
that they wanted TO raise money for day or
two but did not desire to sell the bonds as they
were drawing interest, and the bank officials
not doubling that they were genuine, advanced
the money as asked, taking the counterfeits as
security, which were never redeemed, OF
course, by those who hypothetical them. The
offenders, however, after being caught, man
aged to get clear by some techncalites in the
law, or statue of limitations. AT the same time
that the $1,000 7-3o plates were captured, an un-
finished 5-20 bond plate was secured which was
being prepared by the same parties, and would
have been fully as dangerous counterfeit had
10 been completed.
ANOTHER VERY DANGEROUS COUNTERFEIT
was of the $780, three year, interest notes, issued
under the act of June 3Oth, lsG4. This counter
felt appeared about one year after the issue of
the genuine note, and was the work Of the
HANK HOLMES GANG,
in New York, the engraving upon it being the
work OF the LancktOns. Some OF the gang turned
states evidence, and others of them were pun
ished. The plates were captured and destroyed,
though not until many OF the notes had been
put in circulation.
The $50 legal tender, old issue of greenbacks,
20 successfully counterfeited in 1865 that the
Issue had to be called in by the government.
This counterfeit was taken freely by the banks,
the only thing by which IL could be distinguished
from the genuine being the buttons on the coat
of the vignette (Hamilton). This note, also
was the work of the Brockaway gang.
Another notorious gang is that known as the
BEN BOYD GANG.
the operations OF which are principally in the
west. One of the best counterfeits of this gang
was of the 800 national bank currency, and had
an extensive circulation, being one of the most
successful connterfeits ever made. y SD
national bank note, counterfeited by the same
gang some five years ago, has an extensive cir
a
being able to distinguish 1t from the genuine.
500 national bank note, eXecutedby an engraver
named Ulrick, in New York, a few years ago
was another of the most successful cOunterfets
ever made. Fortunately the plates were cap
tured with the spurious money before il was
entirely finished, and Ulrck was sent to prison
He boasted that if his work had been completed
he would have made an immense fortune I'm a
short time and left the country, aud in this
boast he was probably correct, as the note could
| not have been detected easily by an experienced
IL aEl.. -
vignette of Lincoln, issued under the act OF
February 18th, 1862, was very successfully c0un
terfeited, about two years ater its issue by the
Ben BOYD gang and man. of these notes are
STILL IN CIRCULATION.
These notes Grtentimes make their appear
ance IN the treasury, where they are promptly
detected by the vigiirnt eyes brought to bear
upon Ihem, and they are stamped counterfeit
| quite q large number OF the SIS greenbacks OF
l the various Issues have been Autographed, but
they make poor counterfeits. In rural sections
| however, Trey pass readily, and are not detect
| ed until they reach the banks. COuntcrfeIts OF
the rs, 2s and SIS of the ole issue of ereenback,
are yet IN circulation. The work OF counter
1 Lelung the national currency-greenbacks anC
| fractional currency-began soon after its issue
| by TIE government, some ten Years ago, and OF
| the many counte rfeit specimens in the Depart
| ment are the foliowing:-Five cent notes. pOsta
Currency. 1; 10 cent notes, same issue, /; Is cen
notes OF the various issues 10 5O SO cent notes
1 over ~, many of them quite as we'll executed a.
4
backs, 10 or u; 50 national bank notes, 8 or s
50 green!acks, or 10; So national bsnL
notes, Il; SIC greenbacks, s; SO national oanl
notes, at least Is or 20; go greenbscks, s
$50 greenbacks, se; 500 greenbacks, /. Thi.
Is an excellent counterfeit, but the histor,
OF 1t IL not known: 800 greenback, l, INCOMPLETE
that engraved by Ulrich above mentioned
1000 9-S0 note 1, that engraved by the Brock
away gang. The counterfeits of SO. $40 80
ana $50 national bank notes were quite mn.
merous, the back and face of each denomina
uon being the same, with only the name of the
bank and state from whence issued heips
changed. These the counterfeiters changed II
| their pleasure. As soon as fraudulent note or
one Ct the banks was detected, they would stor
"shcV1Dg" that, and insert the name of some
/ other bank, which altered counterfeit they
You'd run until detected and again change
quite number Of the plates have been can
tured, however, and there are not many of tbesx
SPURIOUS notes In circulation now.
" tne fractional currency, one of the mos
s1cceeeful counterfeits was of the fifty cen
notee, with the vignette of Lincoln issued ab0u
Iour years ago, just prior to the present AFT,
oeTnote, vtgnette OF Stanton, and counterfeite5
| 2on after, in appearance. This counterfeit wa,
eAe~eck of
/ THE MINBR GANG y