Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-12
FORGERS ARE DEFIED.
Counterfeiting Soon to Be a Lost Art
in the United States.
GREAT SKILL AND PLUCK,
What Counterfeiters Have Done to Assail the
Finances Of the Nation-A Wonderful Scrap
Book Kept in q Safe at the Bureau Of En-
craving and Printing.


one has ever seen it save high officials of the
department. Its shabby outside gives no sug-
gestion of the precious contents, yet pasted on
the yellow pages are proofs" taken from all
the important counterfeit plates for paper
money that have ever been captured by the
government.
In looking over the bulky volume and ex-
aiming the vast number of designs for bogus
cash between It's covers a STAR reporter was
impressed with the tremendous extent and
dangerous character of this couuterfeiting in
dustry, which has been until recently a
formidable menace to the financial safety of
the nation. employing the highest order OF
mechanical talent and inventive genius.
THE PROOFS
referred to were made in every case prelimi-
nariiy to the destruction of the plates one
copy of each being turned off in the govern
ment press for the scrap book. There is not
one OF them which has not its strange and
often thrilling history. On the first page is a
counterfeit 50-cent fractional currency note
with a head OF Washington. Both back and
face are shown and are admirably executed. 1t
Is known that many thousand copies OF it were
put into circulation up to the autumn of 1865,
when fire occurred in a dwelling at Williams
burg, NY. mattress thrown from window
broke open and was found TO be literally
stuffed with such j0-cent pieces. The plates
were captured, but the forger, an Englishman
named Leverson, escaped.
DURING THE WAR.
There was no end OF such fractional counter
feits during the rebellion. and proofs of them
fill many pages of the scrap book. In those
days any sort Of paper money would go with
out scrutiny; the country was flooded with
imitation currency. and the forgers reaped q
harvest. The Recent piece had vignette on
the face representing Justice with her scales;
but when reproductions of il OF various de-
Srees OF merit had been circulated by millions
Treasurer Spinner--he of the amazing sigma
ture-suggested that the vignettc should be re-
placed with a portrait OF himself. which was
done. Unfortunately. the precaUtion ayaied
very little against the counterfeIter, who simply
cut the vigenette off his plate and put Mr..
Spinner in.
Spinner was very proud of his peculiar au-
tograph. For some time he signed it with his
own hand ON every bit of fractional currency
Issued by the government but of this he finally
grew tired. The imitators Of this sort Of
money would multiply their plates by simple
mechanical process, so as to run of the stuff
by sheets, and thus millions upon millions of
dollars worth Of it were distributed within a
very short time. showers bought from the
manufacturers not only the scrip itself. but du-
pllcate plates, SO that they could do their own
printing.
TOM BALLARD AND HIS GANG.
Vast quantities of this fraudulent currency
were issued by a combination in New York
city which was the most dangerous association
of counterfeiters that had ever existed mn IN
that time Its inspiring cepius was a man
named Tom Ballard thoroughly scientific
forSer with knowledge of chemistry as well as
of engraving He was backed by two capital
ists-One Broadway carriage dealer and the
other a politician and contract named Miner
The position of all three of these men in the
business world was most respectable. Ballard
being associated in the ownership of
Tue carriage factory, anu IL was with.
the I'm e,araiIv o. 'usp, la
the treasury in the Imitation of the currency.
As fast as the government multiplied its issues
of legal tenders and other securities to meet
the necessities of the war Ballard turned out
fresh plates. and the presses at No. 25G Riving-
ton street ran off limitations for circulation all
over the country.
Operations were by no means limited to frac-
tional money. notes of all denominations us 10
500 and even 500 each being produced i'm
great numbers and in such a stvle of art az
almost to DEFY detection. When the distinctive
fiber paper was adopted in 1869 it was supposed
to be perfect safeguard against counterfeit
ing; pu' Daiiard, VINO was an expert III paper
tn. and nnrnos,'s Tho "v rsnil. 80 ~ an ,n-
finally exposed in 1871. being given awn1 INV
shower. Among the property captured at
the same time were plates not vet finished
for new 2IOJO treasury note. proofs
from which adorn one of the pages OF the