The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-10-21
RANK OF ENGLAND NOTES.
.1ov They Are Numbered and FL
nally Cremated.

hIlBank of England notes are printed
4, the bank itself. Six printing presses
.rs in constant operation, the same
machine printing the first particulars
a value, signature, etc, and then the
.umber Of the note in consecutive or
dsr. The paper used is of very peculiar
nxture, being at once thin, tough and
y;sp: and the combination of these
uualities, together with the peculiari-
ties of the watermark, which is distrib.
nted over the whole surface of the
usper, forms one of the principal guar.
sntees against imitation. The paper,
vhich is manufactured exclusively al
one particular mill. is made in oblong
slips, allowing just enough space for
she printing of two notes, side by side.
The edges of the paper are left I'm,
arimmed, but, after printing, the two
notes are divided by straight cut be. :
tween them. This accounts for the
fact which many of our readers will
doubtless have noticed, that only one
edge of bank note is smooth, the
other three being comparatively
ragged. The printing presses are so
constructed as to register each note
printed, so that the machine itself in
dicates automatically how many notes
have passed through it. The average
production of notes is fifty thousand
. day, and about the same number
are presented in the same time for pay
ment.
No note is ever issued second time.
When once it finds its way back to the
bank to be exchanged for coin, it is
Immediately Cancelled, and the reader
will probably be surprised to hear that
the average life of bank note, or the
time during which it is in actual
circulation, is not more than five or
six DAYS. The returned notes, average
ing. as we have stated. about fifty thou
sand day. and representing, one day
with another, about one million pounds
in value, are brought into what is
knewn as the Accountants Sorting
Office. Here they are examined by in
spectors, who reject any which may be
found to be counterfeit. In such a
case the paying-in bank is debited with
the amount. The notes come in from
various banks in parcels, each parcel
accompanied bv memorandum stat
ing the number and amount of the
notes contained in it. This memoran-
dunn is marked with certain number,
and then each note in the parcel is
stamped to correspond, the stamping
machine automatically registering how
many are stamped, and consequently
drawing immediate attention to any
deficiency in the number of notes as
compared with that stated in the men,
orandum. This done, the notes are
sorted according to number and date,
and after being defaced by punching
out the numbers indicating value, and
tearing off the corner bearing the sig
nature, are passed on to the "Bank-note
Library" where they are packed in
boxes and preserved for possible future
reference during period of five years.
There are one hundred and twenty
clerks employed in this one depart
ment; and so perfect is the system oil
registration that if the number of re.
turned note be known the head of this
department., by referring to his books
can ascertain in few minutes the date
when and the banker through whom il
was presented; and if within the period
Of FIVE years. can produce the note it
self for inspection As to the s'num.
Der" of a bank-note, by the way, there
b sometimes q little misconception
many people imagining that by quoting
the bare figures on the face of a nott
they have done all that is requisite fol
- identification. This is not the case
Bank-notes are not numbered
consecutively ad infnituna. but il
series of one to one hundred thou
sand, the different series being
distinguished as between themselves
BY the date. which appears in full il
the body of the note, and is further in
dicated, to the initiated, by the lettel
and numerals pp Pr to the actua
number. Thus-9o75s on the face of
note indicates that the note in question
= No. 9075S of the series printed OF
day 81, 1883, which date appears il
iull in the body of the note. = in lik
manner indicates that the note form
part of a series printed on February 10
1858. In taking the number" of
Aotn. therefore, either this prefix or tn
yaA date, as stated in the body Of tn
sote. should always be inclnded.
The Library" of Cancelled notes
not to be COMPOUNDED with the Banl
Library proper-is situated in the banl
n1t6. and we are indebted to tn
csurtasy of the bank-note Librarian
TOT the following curious and interest
ng satisfies respecting his stock. TIL
kock OF paid notes for five years-th
PERIOD during which, as before stated
Ne notes are preserved for reference
aoout seventy-seven million seve
hundred and forty-five thousand i
number. They fill thirteen thousan
nur hundred boxes. about eightee
,lrcaes long, ten wide and nine deer
ne notes could be placed in pill
ons upon another. they would reach {
eeigAt of five and two-third mile.
nj \ A. ~ r