The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-05-15
ISSUING BANK NOTES.
EXHAUSTIVE mEAnszARE TAKEN TO
PREVENT FORGERY.


PREVENT FORGERY.
Notes Of the Bank Of England Arc Rarely
Coanterfeited = How the National Rank
Of Scotland Proceeds with . New Issue.
Great skin and Ingenuity.
Although coins are often counterfeited,
- the police records show, 1t is rare that
an attempt is made, in this country at least,
to forge a bank note. The invariable Gus
tom of the Bank Of England never to reis-
sue notes Is strong safeguard against
forgery, as detection would be speedy, but
even in Scotland, where they circulate year
in and year out until they become grimy
and greasy, counterfeits are seldom II ever
heard of. This immunity is no doubt
mainly due to the difficulty Of reproducing
an exact facsimile, even with all the ad.
vance which has been made in recent years
In photo processes, and to the fact that the
banks having daily exchanges the notes are
quickly returned to the issuing bank.
Those who produce bank notes, as well as
the banks who issue them, are Of course
fully alive to the opportunities which i'm
provements in the arts offer to o skillful
forger, and their energies are directed to
counteracting those possibilities. In every
part of the work of producing note the
highest technical skill and ingenuity are
employed, and its reproduction would not
only battle forger, hut even the same
craftsmen were they to start afresh with
other materials could not reproduce exact
imitation of given note. The difference
might be slight, but it would be sufficient
for an expert to detect
The fact that the National Bank of Scot
land is just now preparing for an issue Of
fresh notes has induced us to make some
inquiry as to the method of their produc-
ton. The work has been intrusted to
firm which has turned out not little OF
the paper currency of South American and
other states. In conversation with the head
OF the department, a representative learned
that the first thing to be done is Of course
to fix upon the design.
The bank managers stated that they want
ed on the face Of the note portrait of the
Marquis of Lothian, who is governor of the
bank, along with views of shipping on the
Clyde, Hollywood palace and Edinburgh cas-
tie, also the arms of Scotland and of the
bank On the back there was to be view
of Princes street, Edinburgh, from the Cal.
ton hill. The design was worked out By
the artists according to these directions,
and very artistic note is the result.
The object in view, however, was not
wholly artistic. The vignettss, md more
especially the portrait, were introduced in
order to make il &i9iHcult, If not impossible,
FOX scrgers to initiate the note Even the
most skilled engra1ers would be hard put
to it to reproduce the fine lines of the for
mer and the expression of the latter. AS
portrait and landscape engraving are as
much divided as the two branches of the
painters art, and coats of arms form an
other speciality, the work had to be in.
trusted to several hands, each according to
his vocation. Engraving on steel is a very
slow process indeed, and something like
two months were spent In producing the
portrait.
The engravers worked simultaneously ON
their special parts, and when finished these
were put together by a process which need
not be detailed, so as to form the complete
plate Another feature of the design is
the narrow border on the face of the note
and the broad border framing the view on
the back. These are formed Of geometric
lacework of extreme intricacy and delicacy,
which is produced by a machine of very ex-
pensive construction, and the movements
ator lost the register Of the wheels and in.
dices he would not be able to reproduce the
same design. Great reliance is therefore
placed upon this machine for outwitting
the ingenuity Of the counterfeiter.
The practice in good deal of so called
steel plate engraving is to transfer the de
sign from the plate to stone, and then print
from the latter. In the case of bank notes
however, the printing is done direct from
the plate, and the result is that the lines
are much more delicately reproduced on
the paper, and the difficulty of imitation is
thereby enhanced. The paper is made from
fine linen rags, which impart the qualities
of durability and softness, so that it can be
folded without cracking-almost like the
material from which it is manufactured.
The front OF the note is printed in blue
ink on two grounds-one of red and the
other Of yellow, while the back is blue on
pale ground Of yellow. The tints are fine
printed from relief blocks, and the printing
from the plate from the blue ink follows.
The colors were chosen with distinct view
to the possibilities Of photo TYPOGRAPHY.
The first proofs that were pulled when put
to the test were found not to be altogether
satisfactory, and after u series of expert
ments those colors were employed which
gave, it is believed, absolute security.
In the handling of the paper and the
printed notes there is an elaborate check
system. When the paper reaches the print
er from the paper maker, every sheet is care
fully counted, and at each stage the same
precaution is taken. At the termination of
the printing the notes are finally counted
and packed up for delivery. II there are
any "spoils," they are burned. The plates
are kept in a special box belonging to the
bank in the strong room. In the case of
foreign issue the consul puts his seal upon
the box. After the notes are sent to the
bank they have to be signed by an official
before they are finally ready for issue to the
nuhlic pail Mall Rul,at