Telegram-herald., 1889-06-06
ENGRAVING A "oREENeAck."

A Brief EXAMINATION of the Various Proc
esses by Which tho Work y Done.
So vague is the general idea rs 10 how a
bank note is made that we propose 70 explain
briefly the various processes IL goes through
before II is issued a a part OF TIE money OF
the realm" saying. by way Of Introduction
that this country leads the world in bank
= ~pote engraving. Unfortunately, the first
sonsideration in making a bank note is TO
prevent bad men from making a counterfeit
OF 1t, and therefore all the notes OF a certain
denomination or value must be exact dupl-
Gates Of each other. IL they were engraved
by hand this would not be the case; and, an
other thing, hand engraving Is more easily
counterieited than tho work done hy the proc
esses which we are going to describe
Every note is printed from a steel plate, in
the preparation of which many persons take
part. Ii you viii look at a five dcllar green
back" you viii see picture in the center: a
small portrait, called a viSnotte, On the left
and IN each OF the upper corners a net work
Of fine lines with dark ground oaie Of them
containing the letter Y and the other the iig-
ure ). These Hour parts arc made on sepa-
rateplates. To make a vignette it is noces-
sary first TO make large drawing on paper
with great care, and dagusrrcotype is then
taken OF the drawing the exact size Of the
engraving desired. The daguerreotype is
then given TO the cneraver, who uses "a steel
point TO mark on il all the outlines OF the
picture. The plate is linked and print
taken from it. While the ink is stin damp
tie print * laid face down on "a steel plate.
which has been softened 10y heating it rel
hot and letting it cool slowly IL is then put
IN press and an exact coHY Of the outline is
thus made on the steel plate. This the en-
graver finishes with his grGver, tool with
three cornered point, which cuts u clean
line without leaving a rough edge.
Now, this plate is used Tor making other
p!ates-it is never used 30 print from. 1t
must be made very hard, and this is done by
heating il and cooling II quickly. A little
roller of softeEed steel is thcn rolled over it
by powerful machine until its surface las
been forced into all the lines cut into the
plate. Tho outlines OF the vignette are thus
transferred to the roller in raised lines, and
after the roller Is hardened it is used TO roll
over plates Of softencd steel and thus make
in them sunken lines exactly Ike those ia the
plate originally engraved.
The center picture is engraved and trans
feITed 70 a roller like tue viguctte, but the
net work IN tho upper corners and also on
the back Of the note Is made by the lathe
This machine costs 5000, a price that puts it
beyond the reach of couuteIieItors. and its
work is so perfect that y cannot De initiated
by hand. The lathe engrayes the net work
on softeued steel. aud Tho figure in the middle
Of II is then engraved by hand II is now
hardened and transferred to Il roller like the
others.
The plates from which the notes are 70 be
printed arc Of softcned steel and large enough
TO print four notes at once. Four eneravings
of the note must, therefore, be made on II. AID
this Is done by rolling the hardened steel roll
ers containing the raised piG.ufcs over it in
their appropriate places Until the pictures are
presssl into ass surface 1he fine lettering
around the border II the h7ie is transferred
in the same way, but the other lettering i- put
On by hand. Thu process saves q great deaI
OF time and il secures absolute uniformity ju
TIC four engraving on tao plato
Tic blaCs parts &c TIE nole are printed f-s.
and waan tie ink j. dry the green tsok il,
printed. 70 be followed by tlie red stamps and
rumbers. II is then ss1Ge3 aua sssflai. Far
greater security one psrt II the uoso j. "a
lraverl aud printed at one plsco anI another
para at another place. When it f. ssut 70 Vash-
inEton % be fnisbea and aencd
But even after al tl-is care and sn thc=s
- eczusrd- many slI.ifs-ly executed counter
fens have hesu uaae and seued. some of trcm
So good as % deceive tae r1 So expert iua-es
of money New York World