Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-06-28
a RARE sANK.NorE.
An Incident in the Career of Secret
Service Omclal.

Among the many incidents of my
fifteen years experience in hunting
down counterfeiters of United States
currency, the rarest find was made in
small town in Tennessee several
years ago. In country store one
day a man showed me q $40 bill-a
note on the Third National Bank of
Nashville, Tenn. and remarked that
that was very odd piece of paper
currency. | looked at it and saw
nothing wrong about it; but, on turn
ing the bill over, found that the de-
nomination was $40 on that side. !
then gave the bill the most careful
scrutiny, for had found rarity, sure
enough, but, much to my surprise, l
learned that it was genuine bill and
not q counterfeit, as the man supposed.
The fine lines in the lathe work in the
engraving showed that it was genu-
inc bill. After some reflection, /
solved the apparent mystery of how
the bill happened to have the denomi-
nation of $40 on one side and 500 on the
other, very satisfactorily to my own
mind. The riddle was explained in
this manner. One side of the bill had
been printed by the American Bank
Note Company and then it had been
sent to Washington City, where the
other side was printed by the Govern
ment. The custom Of the Government
has always been to have the paper
money printed in sheats composed of
four bills, three OF one denomination
and one of the next higher, and ar
ranged one below the other. Thus in
the $40 notes, sheet contains three
$40 bills and 500 bill at the bottom.
The Tennessee bank note had been one
of sheet containing three $40 bills
and one $40 bill, and they had been
printed all right at the establishment
of the American Bank Note Company.
But the particular sheet, in this in
stance, had by some accident been
turned upside down in running off the
other side at Washington. placing the
$40 impression at the top of the
sheet over the $40 end Of the plate,
= making bill with denomi-
nation of $40 on one side
and $40 on the other. OF course, the
other end of the plate struck off a bill
with $50 on one side and $40
denomination on the other, but the
sides reversed from the irst-named
bill. Only one of the bills has been
found, ana that is the one found by me.
The two $40 bills in the middle of the
sheet, of course, were not changed.
gave the old Tennesseean $40 for the
bill. 1t was worn from much usage,
and had evidently passed sometimes
for $40 and at other times for $40, but
nobody had discovered it before A
few days later | was in Nashville,
Tenn, and concluded | would have
some fun with the bill. stepped into
the Third National Bank, on which the
note was issued. and showed the bill,
with the so side up, through the
grating and asked for change in sill
yer. The cashier threw the bill down
quickly and gave me the proper
change for $40. said: "See here
: you haven't given me the proper
change; | gave you $40 bill" The
cashier replied: "Oh, we are too ole
in the business in this bank for any
, body to WORK us" He did not know
, that was an officer and tool
) me for crook presumably, who wa
trying to work him. Give me tina
bill and I'll show YOU" l said. H,
; gave me the same bill, and handed i
, back to him with the $50 side up. Blu
when he turned it over he saw that i
+ had two denominations. The banl
, president and all the clerks gathered
, about to see the twO-faced bill thel
= divulged my identity as United State
( officer and told the bank president tina
| | thought this was case that woult
bear investigation, as | believed tina
. the bank had been issuing spuriou
bills with $40 designated on one sid
: and $40 on the other, and had beef
passing them over the counter on tn
S $40 side, but would only take them il
S on the $40 side, thus making bi;
: profit annually. The bank presiden
s protested his innocence, but as he wa
4 at loss to explain the bill, he wa
i nonplused. After had worried Their
@ for some time by pretending to believ
o that something crooked had been goini
K on, / made myself known, and Their
: was a general explanation.-St. Loui
. Globe-Democrat