New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-07
THE NEW PAPER MONEY.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BILLS THAT
WILL SOON BE IN CIRCULATION
Washington correspondence of The Providence

Washington correspondence of The Providence
Journal.
The new paper money. printed in different
colors will soon be in circulation. Some of the
designs have already been prepared. and others
are being executed at the Bureau Of Engray
ing. All of them will undergo criticism and
more or less alteration before final acceptance
President Mckinney has expressed his approval
OF the idea in general way. and Secretary
Gag" - ANXIOUS II issue the notes and certiii-
Gates as quickly as possible Being banker
himself. he fully appreciates the defects of the
currency now in the hands Of the people. 1t
may be artistic but the various denominations
are not easily distinguished from each other.
and even the numerals on them are obscure
and hard To make out This makes counting
troublesome, and person has to look sharp If
he would avoid giving a five-dollar note for a
dollar
Secretary Gage is Of the opinion that every
day usefulness is of more Importance in the
currency of the Nation than high art Pretty
pictures Of recumbent ladies and naked boys
are we'll enough IN their way but they cut no
particular ice. To speak. in connection with
hard and vulgar cash. The most important
point in n piece Of paper money is that it shall
be easily recognizable Its denomination must
De apparent at a glance. and its kind also,
whether Treasury note. bank note or certificate
Of course. safety against cOunterfeitlng Is not
80 be- lost sight of. 1t is believed that all OF
these requirements are met by the new designs.
Anybody who has handful of these bills VIII
be able To separate them in an instant into their
different classes 50 as 10 count thefn oIHdHu
and without scrutiny. At the same time, the
greater simplicity Of their patterns viii render
them actually more difficult To initiate success
fully. The very elaborateness of the notes now
in circulation confuses the eye.
For Illustration, take the dollar bill the
designs for this denomination are already fin
shed and are very handsome. There are only
Two one FOR the face and one for the back. be-
cause All onc-dOllar bills will have the same pat
terms whether certificates bank notes or Treas
ury notes When you see bill with a big
sprcading eagle in the middle Of the face. you
will recognize il a "A one-dolar blll, without
even looking At the large numeral beneath
How. then. are you to understand what kihd OF a
unr-dollar bill it is? The answer Is, SIMPLY by
the color in which the big numeral of denomina-
ton tho Treasury seal and the number of the
bill are printed. II it is "A Treasury note these
will be- in red. II silver certificate. they VIII he
in green: If 4 bank not" they VIII he IN biue
There will be NJ other differences except that
each kind Of bill will have its own legend. But
people do not want to stop and read the legend
in order 10 find out whether bI Is pans
rntc or a certificate. They do not nave to 90
so inasmuch AZ the color Sh iWS thal.
AZ present there are three different designs
ror one dollar bills Under the new arrange
mcnt there will he only ore design the sole
variation being in the colors As described II
will ha tn. same way with the two-dollar bill;
instead of three patterns there viii bc one. This
scheme. will Doe carried ont through all If the dc
nominations Of paper money. There are nm
denominations ia all. running from - Ia NI""
f.r,l.~ tb, present system there are twenty
seven patterns. Just think II u-twenty seven
SORTS If rlucr currency II l. enough to con
fura tho p.opl"-"sp", ally when IT Is considered
that duriu2 thu last frw years the designs hav"
boon uLd,r., ,iug radical changes win every
r..y administration. obviously. cnGntrrfeits
arr. much more likely to be- detected If the users
- IN. currency ar. thoroughly familiar win
its app.arancc So As to hc struck by anything
that is not exactly As il should be-