The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-01-10
BANK OF ENGLAND NOTES
How Thoy Are Numbered and FL
nally Crematad.

All Bank of England notes are printed
IN the bank itself. Six printing presses
are in constant operation, the same
machine printing the first particulars
OF value, signature, etc, and then the
number of the note in consecutive or
der. The paper used is Of very peculiar
texture, being at once Thin, tough and
crisp; and tue combination of thest
qualities. together with the PECULIAR.
ties Of the watermark, which is distrib-
uted over the Shole surface of the
paper, forms one of the principal guar
antees against imitation. The paper,
which is manufactured exclusively al
one particular mill, is made in oblOng
slips, allowing just enough space for
the printing of two notes, side by side.
The edges of the paper are left un,
trimmed. but. after printing, the two
notes are divided By a 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, th6
other three being comparatively
ragged. The printing presses are SO
constructed as to register each nota
printed, so that the machine itself in
dictates automatically how many notes
have passed through it. The average
production of notes is fifty thousand
3 day, and about the same number
are p1asented In the same time for pay
ment
No note IS ever issued q 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 i've or
six days The returned notes, average
ing. as we have stated. about fifty thou
sand day, aud representing, one day
with another. about one million pounds
in value, are brought into what is
known as the Accountants Sorting
Office. Here they are examined bv in
spectors, who reject any which may be
found to be counterfeit. In such
case the paying-in bank is dehited with
the amount The notes come in from
various banks in parcels, each parcel
&c Ompanied by a memorandum stat
ing the number and amount of the
notes contained in it, This memoran-
DUN 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
n t,4r
deficiency in the number of notes as
compared with that stated in the mem
orandum. This done, the notes are
sorted according tonumber and date.
and after being defaced by punching
out Che numbers indicating value, and
tearing of the corner bearing.the sig-
nature, arc 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 aud twenty
clerks employed in this one depart
ment; and SO perfect is the system of
registration that if the number of a 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 it
was presented; and if within the period
OF five years, can produce the note it.
self for inspection. As to the mum
Der" of bank-note, BY the way. there
rs sometimes little misconception.
many people imagining that by quoting
hse bare figures on the face OF q note
they have done all that is requisite for
its identification. This is not she case
Bank-notes are not numbered
tconseeutively al infHauna. but in
series Of one to one hundred thou
sand. the different series being
distinguished rs between themselves
BY the date, which appears in full in
the body OF the note, and is further in
dictated, TO the initiated, by the letter
and numerals preiixed to the actual
number Thus 9075S on the face of a
note indicates that the note in question
- No. S075S of the series printed on
May 2t' 1883, which date appears in
fun in the body of the note. in like
manner indicates that the note forms
part OF a series printed on February 10,
1858 In taking the NUMBER of a
note. therefore, either this prefix or the
full 1lste, as stated in the body of the
note. should always be included.
The Library" of Cancelled notes
not to be confounded with the Bank
Library proper-is situated in the bank
vaults. and we are indebted to the
courtesy of the bank-note Librarian
for the following curious and interest
ing statistics respecting his stock. The
stock of paid notes for five years-the
peFiosl during which. as before stated.
TIE notss are preserved for reference
is about sevensY-seven million seven
hundred and forty-five thousand in
Number. They fill thirteen thousand
four hundred boxes. about eighteen
inches long,: ten wide and nine deep.
II the notes could be placed in a pile
enc upon another. they would reach to
. beight OF five and two-third miles.
Ianed end to end they would form a