The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-04-16
SOME BAD BILLS
Photographs Of Notes Are Found
in Honolulu.
DENOMINATIONS OF 10 AND 20
Find of Five Raised to a Twen-
ty-Opinions of Experts.
From the Orient.
DENOMINATIONS OF 10 AND 20

A counterfeit SO Hawaiian Treasury
silver note was discovered by ]. F. c.
Abel at Hyman Bros store yesterday
morning. Mr.. Abel stopped on his
way to the police station with the
bill at Davies & Co. and Bishop & Co.
| Senior Captain Parker, of the MarshaTs
force, went out at once with the bad
bill and exhibited it to the leading
| business houses, including all the
banks.
So soon as the word has passed
around there was a general examina-
tion Of paper money on hand. In the
count Mr.. Spaldtng at the Spreckels'
Bank, found a counterfeit $40 note
and Clarence Cooke at the Bank of Ha-
waii found a S. bill that had been
raised" to a $50. There were no other
reports of counterfeits or changes.
The $40 note is a poor and cheap
piece of work. The reverse is inverted
The numbers are in black instead of
red. The signature of Registrar Ash
ley, which on the genuine money is
stamped in purple, is black on the
bad bill. The signature of Mr.. Damon,
Minister of Finance, is made with
quill on the real money and on the
copy is too smooth. Much Of the de-
tail of the engraving is blurred and
the blue of the reverse is badly faded. !
The $40 note is a much better coun- !
terfeit than the $40, and Mr.. J. o. Car |
ter, Jr., Of Bishops and others were
10th to believe that it was not genuine. |
There is no turning of the reverse and |
the numbering is in red. The red is
made by stamping over the black of |
the reproduction with a numbering
machine or tracing with a pen. The
red is too bright and the figures are
made too heavy. The fine detail lines
particularly about the large 20 at the
on the reverse are indiStinot
With both the $40 and the $40 the
paper is Of a quality softer than the
genuine. With moistened fingers the
difference can be felt Most Of the
printing in both of the notes shows
very we'll and the job lot figures of
he designs stand out little less boldly
han in the originals.
The counterfeit notes are nothing I
more nor less than photographs, and (
J. ). Williams pronOunces the work !
excellent. Mr.. Williams, as we'll as ]
Mr.. Abel say at once that the work is
rom the Orient. Mr.. Abel believes it I
S Japanese. Some chemical tests were
made by Operator Weatherwax at Will
iamT' studio. After this it was the
opinion Of the experts that the paper
vas not from the United States. There
re various theories as to the amount I
+ the bad money in the country and i
he length Of time it has been in cir t
ulatiOn. Marshal Brown will investi-
ate carefully. G
A Chinese merchant brought the $40 1
ounterfeit to Hyman Bros. The Chi @
ese said, after looking the matter g
p, that his partner had only the day
efore given a haole silver for the
Ote. This is believed, as the Chinese
re both reliable and honest men.
Mr.. Spalding, at Spreckels' bank, L
aid that the $50 photograph could not c
ave been on hand more than a week. t
Ie Thought that it had been accepted r
-ithin a day or two and was under i
ne impression that it came in with f
quantity Of other currency. a
The raised" bill at the Bank of Ha- I
ali is doubtless from the camp Of the d
notOgrahing counterfeiters, but is an
rticle that in the spurious money line
lands by itself. A good So note was
lie ground work and the chief piece
the structure. Eleven changes had r
cen made in it. There were seven n
astings on the diverse and four on n
le reverse. The figures and words :,
II the p3sting were cut from a $40 y
milar to the one at the Spreckels' o.
ank. The work would be called by ct
le secret service in the States very h
ude, but really would not be detected
the ordinary course Cf business un-
IS cOunterfeits or raised" pieces
ere expected or known to be in cir or
llatiOn. ar
1t is the judgment Of some of the so
lthOrities and money men that the Ike
curious bills are from the other isl bi
Ids where they might circulate for he