The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-02-26
MONEY In MANY LANDS.
PFCULIARITIES IN BANKNoTEs OF
FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Picturesque Currencies of France,
Russia, Austria and Italy-China's
GiIt.Efched Bank BiIIs.

met some days ago in a little foreign
looking money changers shop near
Bowling Green. found him peculiarly
apt in the information / asked. He had
handled money in nearly every Capital in
Europe.
"This, he said, as he picked up
Bank of England note, 'His the plainest
Of currency to be found in any country in
The world, and it is good for gold in any
land under the sun where white men or
yellow live"
The Bank of England note is about
FIVE inches by eight in dimensions, and
is printed in black ink on Irish linen
water lined paper, plain white and with
ragged edges, which lacks the oily
smoothness of our own bank notes.
at looks easy enough to counterfeit"
remarked my ancient guard, "but, in
fact, the Bank of England suffers as little
from counterfeiters as any similar institu-
ton in the world. The notes are never
reissued but are burned as soon as they
come back to the bank, and the paper is
made for that sole purpose, and that is
the greatest safeguard. In sending a.
note by mail or express, the note is al
ways cut in two and the halves sent sep
arately.
''The showiest currency to be found
outside of China are the notes issued by
the Banque de Frame" he continued, as
he picked out piece of paper that resem-
bled a small show bill. The paper itself
is white water-lined, printed in blue and
black, with numerous NEUROLOGICAL and
allegorical pictures, and running in de-
nominations from the twenty-franc note
to the 1000 franc.
"Not easy to counterfeit, but far from
artistic, was the remark of the man, as
he pulled out variety of Italian notes of
all shapes, sizes and colors. The smaller
bills-five and ten lire notes-are about
the size and shape of our own old twenty
five cent "shin-plaster" fractional cur
rency, and printed on white paper in
pink, blue and carmine inks, and orna-
mented with finely engraved vignette
of King Humbert. The larger notes are
about the size of our ''greenbacks," and
are elaborately engraved, but to my eye
they are neither beautiful nor artistic
They are worth more away from home
than they were few years ago, though,
owing to King Humbert's wise rule.
"But here is your elaborate bank note, "
continued the old man, as he brought to
light gorgeous piece of paper about four
inches by ten. 1t was the hundred. ruble
note of Russia. The note was barred from
top to bottom with all the colors of the
rainbow, blended as when thrown through
a prism. In the centre, in bold relief,
stood large, finely executed vignette of
the Empress Catherine l. This was in
black. The other engraving was not at
all intricate or elaborate, but was we'll
done in dark and light brown and black
inks.
''The Russians look upon that as the
height OF artistic work, +" said Shylock,
"and it has one merit. The paper is
made bya secret process and the note has
never been counterfeited. It's also worth
its face value in every capital in Europe
and Asia. The smaller Russian notes,
the twenty-five and fifty ruble bills, are
about one-third smaller and not as gor-
geously colored. The smallest denomina-
ton in Russian currency is five rubles,
about 81. so in United States currency.
"ITere is peculiar bill, but very
good idea, think, continued the money
changer, as he showed me another bill.
''This is from Austria, and, like all his
Majesty Francis Joseph's currency, is in
two languages. On one side it is Austrian
and on the other Hungarian, for the
benefit of the Maygars.
The bill was printed on light colored
thick paper, which showed none of the
silk fibre marks or geometric lines used in
our own currency, as protection against
counterfeiting. But, like the German
currency, each bill bears upon it terri
BILE warning to counterfeiters, threaten
ing penitentiary confinement "to any one
who shall make, sell or have in his pos
session any counterfeit or fac-simile of
this bill" The engraving is profuse
with angel heads and artistic scroll work.
The lowest denomination in currency is
the one form, worth about forty cents
of our money. The highest bill is the
one-thousand- -forin note.
The German currency is rather artistic.
The bills are printed in green and black
upon paper lighter than our own gold
certificates, and about an inch wider.
They run in denominations from five
marks to 1000 marks. Their later bills
are being printed on the silk-fiber paper.
The Norwegians have a curious cur
rency, but it is rarely seen here, for the
reason that it circulates very little among
the common people and the class that
comes here as immigrants. These stick
to their copper and silver coins and shun
the little cinnamon-brown bills of their
Government, which are about the size of
our old "shin- -plasters."
The Chinese paper currency is in red,
white and yellow paper, with gilt letter
tering aud gorgeous little hand-drawn
devices. The bills, to the ordinary
fnancier, might pass for wash checks or
prayer papers in Joss House, but they
are worth good money in the Flowery
Kingdom. South American currency, in
most countries, is about the size and
general appearance Of our own bills, ex-
cept that cinnamon brown and slate blue
are the prevailing colors, and the Span
ish and Portuguese languages the preya-
lent languages engraved on the face
NelO York star.
The Citizens Committee, of Chicago,