The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28
FOREIGN FLTMsIEs.
A study or Bank Notes sees IN the Nonsy
Brokers' Windows.

rOker Wtndows.
II any one lie inclined 10 grumble at the size
and design, and at the multiplied confgu-
rations on our paper money-and there are
such fastidious souls-let such spend an hour or
two looking in the money exchangers' windows
at the foot Of Broadway. Or, better still, let
him scrape a passing acquaintance with the
many-tongued dealers in strange specimens OF
paper promises to pay, 10 wit, European bank
notes. These form n constantly luctuating
stock, not only in value, but in kind and ma
tlOnality. To-day the window lodges are heaped
with piles of rustling currency pulled out by
nervous fingers from their carefully protected
hiding places and nuttoringly exchanged for the
green goods" VI the new %countrv: while to-
morrow every foreign note may DO bought up by
strong-nanncrcd, important American citizens,
going home TO bring Nina out or ID see IL the
Mutter still knits under the Nussbaum.
European bank notes range In size from
that OF the defunct shinplaster to a huge fimsy
sheet as big as n United States bond. and they
vary In design from the simple printing of 80
many words on q sheet of common paper to the
most intricate examples Of the engraver's art
on multi-tinted fiber. The value of the issue
does not all seem to be the standard for increas-
ing ornateness OF design. Thus the Italian
"State note for 100 lire is a plain large sheet Of
pink paper, with It's purpose and denomination
set down in good easy type, while the notes for
ten lire are not half as big, 1t is true, but they
are covered with deal OF delicate tracery in
mauve and brown. and have quite a picture gall
lery to carry.
This plan OF using different colored bills for
different denominations seems to be the accepted
scheme for all the European countries save
Great Britain. The most brilliant Of all paper
money is the Russian, for that is not only Of
different culOrs for each number OF rublcs, but
some of the notes are printed ON variegated
paper, and look as though they had been run
through a chromatic press. The colors Of the
plain sheet are striking, too. being a cheerful
blue or n golden yellow, or n good bright purple;
and altogether. what with their size and SPLEEN
dor of imperial crowns, and their indecipher-
able inscription in what looks like the upper
case Roman set backward and upside down,
these Russian bills are very imposing affairs. In
Russia "A man with a few hundred rubles' worth
OF paper money in his wallet would be very apt
TO think that he owned a considerable part of
this planet.
The best-looking Russian bill is that for
twenty-five rublcs, which bears n splendid
water-mRrk picture of the Gar. The use of
water-mark portraits or medalions. by the by.
is very common in European paper money. In
the big purple l00-franc note issued by the
Bank VI France there are two blank escutch-
cons. but when the document is held up to the
light in these escutcheOns will be seen the heads
Of Mercury and Liberty, which some time orna-
mented the French postage stamps. They are
whole bill; although. perhaps, with too much
classic symbolism for the American Canons OF
good taste, which seem to be guided chiefly by
tho mechanical lathe.
There are good wsater-mark medallions. too,
apparently blank ribbon across the sheet in
which. has been impressed the Danish legend
for ~" National Bank ~ Copenhagen"
But the most elaborate water marks. after
all, ART. those 20 be found on the white Octavos
issued by the Bank OF E.giand. They cover the
terfeiter and n praise to them that do them SO
well. IL is curious to remark while looking at
IT. May, Cashier 1t is but u short time since
his downfall. but all OF the May notes seem TO
have been mysterionsly, gathered in, and OF the
hundreds seen on Broadway there was not one
but had the new signature, III. G., Bowen, Chief
stump pen Which Mr. May used to affect. ''
y 1t may be chance or II may be an indication Of
nati3nal, finance. hut 1t is a fact that the Eng
lish bank notes seen were all for five pounds,
while all the Irish bank notes seen were Tor one
pound. This Irish note is quite n good specimen
the English note. and bears a very cleverly exc
cuted engraving OF n diminishing row Of gor-
Rank OF Ireland, which Is established In what
was for q 'riGf, bright. noisy season tho Irish
II Is another curious fact that tho travelling
Engltshman who comes Ia or leaves this coun-
try, begins and ends his faith ia paper money
with the, Bank " England note, II i to him ~
safe and sacred rs the Magma Charta. and
nothing else approaches 1t either for beauty OF
design, convenience Of handling, or undertaking
security. on the other hand, the lrishmnn brings
TO this country specimens ~ provincial bank
notes from Ulster TO Kerry. and buys them. too,
when he goes back to be merry and magnificent
Most OF the Austrian notes that arc brought TO
New York are bi-liuISual. being printed In SClav
on one side and German on the other. They are
vivid affairs Of every color, are PARTICULARLY oli-
atll in ii fatr pa nnA uHaA fHT fITtn and
and are not drawn out on the decimal system.
oddly enough there are not many of the mot
tied German notes brought Ia this country, IL
being FritZ's fashion To get grecnbaCks Tor his
"Zwanzig Mark ut his sailing port or on the
steamer, or at any rate while he lis still sure of
his CON patriots,
or scandinavian paper, money. on the other
wegian and Swedish notes are issued by what
may be called national banks. They are brill
liant IN color and varied in size; The ten.crOwn
five gulden Is purple. the swedish hve-crown
note is a little, yellow affair that for 500 crowns
Is like Il big, blue poster. And 80 on:
The rarest note that comes, to this market Is
the Fen mark" a. II Is called, that Is, the spot
rarest, after ali the note that is most seldom
seen. that Is never seen at all, in fact, Is the
spanish greenback. Time was when the five
died, but there have been so many counterfelts
why. no one seems, Ia, know exactly-t that the
brokers will not touch them now.
All this and much more is To be learned within
the confines OF a Broadway block, and IL would
take u very tAttnrlNt tour anu u very Iht wallet
10 make so comprehensive an acquaintance with
the paper money Of Europe. Whether the in
slant recognition of the value of a note because
OF its size and color compensates for the loss of
convenience in handling that comes from uni
formity OF size; whether water marks are a bet
ter deterrent to the counterfeiter than lathe
lines and peculiarities OF hbre, and whether a
big note demands a big piece OF paper as secur-
ity To the possessor. are points that will appeal 10
the argumentatiye inspector OF these hundreds
OF curious examples Of what has been thought
the best thing In paper money. But nothing will
alter the facts that the American greenback,
especially for a large figure, Is \ thing Of beauty.
and that he is indeed unpatriOtic who does not
sing " With all its faults we love our Bill"
HARVARD'S ELEVEN AT WORE.