The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1894-05-10
BOGUS CURRENCY.
It is Difficult to Detect Modern
Counterfeits.
The Annoyance Caused the Gov
ernment by "Flash" Money.

! appeared of the dangerous two-dollar
silver certificate with the head of
Hancock, which first saw the light in
1890. At that time it alarmed the
treasury considerably. 1t was the
most successful counterfeit that had
turned up in many years. An expert
might detect it, but no ordinary per-
son would suspect it's want of gen
uineness. The general effect" was
admirable. Its worst defect was that
in one place on the margin the word
"Two" was spelled Govt" This has
been corrected in the new edition.
The secret service would feel very
happy if it could secure the plates of
this forgery, which will be a danger to
the National finances SO long as they
are in criminal hands.
Unfortunately, to get hold of them
is q problem SO difficult as to puzzle
even such skilled detectives as are en-
ployed by the goverement. To cap
! ture man in the act of Showing"
the bogus certificates does not accom-
| plish much. He does not know who
manufactures them, but is only ac-
| quainted with the dealer from whom
he bought them at sixty cents on the
dollar, which is the customary price.
If he 'squeals on" the dealer, the lat
ter, who is likely to be some keeper of
saloon or hotel denies, the charge,
which is difficult to prove. He has
purchased the false money from the
manufacturer, who has all evidences
of his fraudulent industry safely
buried. Evidence that will convict is
hard to get. To punish the guilty
persons accomplishes nothing of i'm
portance, so long as the engraved
plates remain extant.
One of the most recent counterfeits,
| appearing within the last year, was of
S. note on a bank in Springfield,
Ohio. 1t was produced by photog-
raphy, supplemented by colors applied
with brush. One specimen cap
tured had the back printed upside
down. The general appearance was
good, but it would not bear scrutiny.
Photographic processes, on the whole,
have disappointed the criminal imita-
tors. They have attained such perfec-
ton in recent years that the Treasury
was afraid that their employment
would imperil the safety of the cur
rency. But they cannot be made to
reproduce steel engraving successfully.
Best of all protection is the mechani-
cal lathe work, which cannot be imi-
tated. The effect of fibre paper has
been fairly well copied by printing
from steel plates, irregular curliques
representing the hairs upon plain
white paper.
In S22, 500 worth of false notes and
certificates captured during the last
year $402 was fractional paper cur
rency of the old style. This currency
is not initiated nowadays. but the bo-
gus pieces referred to were ancient
counterfeits, boarded since the days
when the little shinplasters were in
general circulation and were counter
feited on great scale. Their very
shabbiness gives them a more genuine
look. 1t is on this account that the
forger stains the paper money of his
own manufacture with oil, soaks them
in various decoctions, crumples and
tears them. Thus they get the ap-
pearance of respectable age and OBJ
tain the credit of long circulation,
while at the same time it is rendered
more difficult to perceive their defects.
The use of limitations of United
States money without criminal inten-
tional for advertising purposes is still
prevalent, notwithstanding the efforts
of the government to put stop to it.
Shopkeepers and manufacturers know
that devices of this kind attract atten-
tion. During the last year nearly
$4,000, 900 worth of such limitations
of the national currency has been con-
fiscated. The specimens thus secured
ran all the way from greenbacks is
sued by cheap eating houses to supposi-
titious wallets with bills sticking out
at the ends, which are scattered along
the street. People pick them up, find
that they are made of paper, and read
the advertisements inside. The fiat
currency issued by business colleges
used to make an immense amount of
trouble, much of it being worked off