The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-12-30
MAKING MONEY.
Greenbacks Counted Twenty Times Before they
fire Issued-Where Our Paper Money Comes
From, and How It Is Made,
From the Philadelphia Times.


From, and How 1t Is Made.
From the Philadelphia Times.
The general public, while capable OF
recognizing any flaws in the impress OF
bank notes or fractional currency, know
very little of the care exercised by the
Government in protecting itself against
their fraudulent issue, or of the many
safeguards thrown around the various
stages which greenbacks undergo before
they are placed in circulation.
Every possible contingency is so sur
rounded with strict enactments, and SO
much red-tape is necessary, that the ex.
pense of printing Treasury notes Is
enormous. In the first place, the manu-
facture OF the peculiar paper used is su-
pervised by Government elnspectors,
against whose integrity numberless
checks and counterchecks have been de-
vised and are strictly enforced. In the
next stage, printing The backs of notes,
the closest supervision is exercised and
the strictest account required. For in
stance, in printing the backs OF fifty.
cent notes, which work is done by the
Philadelphia Bank Note Company, in
the United States Appraisers Building,
Second street, above Walnut, the sheets
are counted at least eight times, and a
TeSlSber lS kopt VI edCu COuUC.
In this establishment over forty
presses are continually employed in
printing the backs of notes required to
replace worn-out currency. The paper
is received in sheets of sufficient size tc
take an Impression from plates On which
sixteen engravings OF the note have been
made. The number sent in the package
from the paper factory is not stated. as
the box is sealed with the Government
stamp. A return is made by the party
furnishing and the party receiving the
paper OF the exact amount withoutshe
knowledge Of each others count, 80 that
the possibility of any fraud upon the
Treasury is prevented.
As soon as each sheet is accounted for
the paper is sent into the wetting-room.
The chief of that department., before he
acknowledges, the receipt of any pack.
age, requires that the number of sheets
be ascertained by one of his assist tants.
After the paper has undergone the soak
ing process, it is again Inspected, and an
account opened with each printer, who,
in turn, mnst furnish receipt for every
sheet thus given him. Then on hand.
press, with a girl adjusting the sheet to
the plate and to the press, the printer
strikes of the impressions one by one
until one hundred have been printed.
The sheets are then transferred to the
drying department and again counted
racks are arranged in warm room sc
as TO expedite this work, and in a few
hours the sheets are taken to the count
ing room, being twice counted in the
change. Then they are returned to the
superintendent OF the printing depart
ment, Mr.. John McGur, under whose
management all these intricate details
have been followed out and the notes
packed up for shipment to Washington
where the face is printed and the seal o
the United States Treasury affixed.
1t is, therefore, safe to calculate tha
before tifty-cent note reaches the pub
lie 1t will have been counted at leas
twenty-five times. So 1t is with all The
currency afoat. The appliances for car
rying on this work must be complete
and nothing but the best workmanshiI
is allowed by the Government in print
ing the circulating medium. The de
signing and engraving rooms, with theil
delicate machinery and skilled labor
are marvels, and the system of checks
employed throughout the variou.
branches is such as to render the con
summation of any frauds upon the com
pany or the Government an utter impos
sibility.