Evening star., 1898-01-04
CALLED IN $26,ooo,o 900
Detection Of Dangerous Counterfeit Silver
Certificate.
Conflicting Opinion Among Treasury
Experts-Secretary Gage Warns
Business Men.

In view of the dangerous character of a
counterfeit $1OO silver certificate which
mas Just been detected, Secretary Gage has
oeclded to stop issuing and to call in all
SlO3 silver certificates, of which there are
about s26,C0O.OO0 outstanding These will
De exchanged for silver certificates of
smaller denominations and the plates de-
stroyed AS soon as new plates can he en-
graVed, a new series will be issued. Assist
ant treasurers at all of the subtrea surv
cities will be requested to send to the
treasury all 500 silver certificates in their
possession, and to request all banks. trust
companies and other moneyed institutions
TO do the same. Secretary Gage desired the
statement made that in his Judgment 1T
was unsafe for business men or others to
accept silver certificates of this denomina-
tlon, and In case any were now on hand
they should be sent to the banks for trans
mission to Washington.
Inc counterfeit was brought to the Treas
nry Department yesterday by George Gre
mer' connected with the subtreasury In
Philadelphia. Mr.. Cremer first detected 1t
last Wednesday. and held 1t, pending an
investigation. Four more Of the bills were
received at the subtreasury late last week
three from the custom house and one
from bank-showing how easily the bills
Cass. sN
Chief Hazen of the secret service SUBJ
)ected one of the five bills TO several tests,
ana pronounced them the cleyerest coun-
terfeits he has ever seen in mis- office. He
has no doubt on the subject.
Inc counterfeits are of the 500 silver
certihcate, bearing the portrait of Presi-
dent James Monroe. check letter D and Sc
rial number 3, with face plate No. 1 and
back plate No. 2.
Ihere was such conflicting opinion among
treasury experts to the bills that Chief
Hazen subjected one of them to a final test
This was In putting the bill over steam
ing pot to determine whether it would
split. After the bill had become thoroughly
stea med Chief Hazen began the test, and
the bill easily separated into two parts.
The genuine will not do this.
The bill is made by what is known as the
photo-mechanical process, being engraved
Oh steel. 1t Is printed in two sheets. Silk
THREADS to initiate the genuine, are then
shipped IN between the TWO pieces, which
are pasted together and pressed. Work of
this kind frequently reaches the secret SER
vice bureau, but it Is on smaller bills and
is not near as good.
Chief HaZen says 1t Is the most dangerous
counterfeit since Brockaway made the
countcrfeits of $500 bills in the COS. 1t is
impossible to say how many are in circu-
lation or the loss that will result. The
some time without detec ton. An investi-
CATION will follow at once, and every effort
will he put forth to detect those engaged
in making and circulating the notes.
1t is among the possibilities that thou
sands Of the notes are In circulation, and
treasury officials are alarmed.
The chief engraver at the bureau of en-
craving pronounced the counterfeit a very
dangerous production. The work. he said
was that of very careful and excellent
eIgraver, and while there was no appre-
ciable difference between the genuine note
and the counterfeit to the casual observer,
under glass many slight differences were
discovered These, however were ex-
tremely difficult Of description.