The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-01-30
MONEY IN MANY LANDS
pEcULIARITIEs IN BANKNoTEs OF
FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Picturesque Currcncies OF France
Russia, Austria and ltaiy-China's
Gilt-Etchcd Bank Bills.


Gilt-Etchcd Bank Bills.
1t was quaint little old man whom |
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, sis 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,lincd 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.
1.-THE showiest currency to be found
outside of China are the notes issued by
the Banque de Franc" he continued, as
he picked out piece Of paper that resem-
bled 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 a variety of Italian notes Of
all shapes, sizes and colors The smaller
bills-fvc aud ten lire notes--are about
the size and shape of our own old twenty
five cent 'shin- plaster" fractional cur
rency, aud printed on white paper in
pink, blue and carmne inks, and orna-
mented with finely engraved vignctte
of King Humbert The larger notes are
about the size of our "greenbacks, and
are deliberately 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, u
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
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 well
done in dark and light brown and black
inks
1.-THE Russians look upon that as the
height OF artistic work, - said Shylock
''and it has one merit. The paper i;
made by 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, art
about one third smaller and not as gor.
geously colored. The smallest denomina
ton in Russian currency is five rubles,
about 50. so in United States currency
''Here 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 hi:
Majesty Francis Josephs currency, is il
two languages. On one side ii is Austrian
and on the other Hungarian, for the
benefit of the Maygars."
The bill was printed on light-coloreo
thick paper, which showed none Of the
silk. fibre marks or ge omctric lines used il
our own currency, as protection against
counterfeiting, But, like the German
currency, each bill bears upon it terri
bic 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 O
this bill The engraving is profust
with angel heads and artistic scroll work
The lowest denomination in currency il
the one form, worth about forty cent
of our money. The highest bill is thu
one thousand form note.
The German currency is rather artistic
The bills are printed in green and blacl
upon paper lighter than our own golt
certificates, and about an inch wider
They run in denominations from fly,
marks to 1000 marks. Their later bill
are being printed on the silk-fiber paper
The Norwegians have curious cur
rency, but it is rarely seen here, for tn
reason that it circulates very little anon!
the common people and the class tina
comes here as immigrants. These sticl
to their copper and silver coins and shul
the little cinnamon brown bills of thei
Government, which are about the size o
our old tshin- plasters."
The Chinese paper currency is in red
white and yellow paper, with gilt letter
tering and gorgeous little hand-drawi
devices. The bills, to the ordinar
financier, might pass for wash checks o
prayer papers in a joss House, but the
are worth good money in the Flower
Kingdom. South American currency, il
most countries, is about the size an,
general appearance of our own bills, ex
cept that cinnamon brown and slate blu
are the prevailing colors, and the Span
ish and Portuguese languages the preva
lent languages engraved on the face
Neao York Star.