The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1898-01-14
COUNYERFEIY BILLS
Spurious 800 Silver Certificates in
Circulation.
THE GOVERNMENT IS ALRAMED
Every Precaution Being Taken to Pre-
vent Their Circulation - A New
Issue of the Bills to Be Made.

discovered has made its appearance
Mr.. John Cramer of the sub treasury
at Philadelphia, today brought to the
Secret Service five counterfeit 800 sill
yer certificates, head of President Mon
roe. Their general appearance is ex-
cellent, and after close examination
the officials of the treasury cash room
were undecided as to their genuineness
and only after the notes had been
soaked in hot water, when the two
pieces forming the front and back of the
note came apart, Mcre they convinced
of the fraud. On examination of the
days treasury cash another of the spu-
riOUs notes vas discovered.
The notes brought over by Mr.. Cra-
mer had been turned into the sub
treasury by two leading banks and the
Philadelphia custom house, which had
received them as genuine. Agents of
the secret service everywhere have
been wired a description of the notes
with instructions to be on tho lookout
foi ersOns attempting to pass them
Inquiries have also been sent to all
the leading cities as to whether any of
the notes have appeared other than in
Philadelphia and Washington, aud the
best men in the service viii be put on
the case. Following is description
Of the note. as furnished by the Secret
Service:
The note is of the series Of 1901,
check letter D; face plate, l; Tillman,
register; Morgan, treasurer portrait,
James Monroe. All numbers so far
seen begin with 345. The most marked
differences between this note aud the
genuine, however, are found in the
seal and the numbering, the former be-
ing shade lighter than in the genuine
and the latter slightly different in for
nation. Especially is this true Of the
3 and 4. In the figure 3 the lower loop
does not extend up as far toward the
center of the figure as in the genuine.
and in the figure the space between
the base and the center cross line is
narrower than in the genuine. One of
the principal points of difference, how
ever, is that the new counterfeit is Il
10th Of an inch or less shorter than the
genuine.
The chief engraver at the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing pronounced
the counterfeit very dangerous pro-
duction. 1t was engraved Oh steel and
printed on two pieces of paper. pasted
together after cOlOred silk fiber had
been distributed between them. The
work, he said, was that of very care
ful and excellent engraver, and while
there was no appreciablc difference
between the genuine and the counter.
felt note to the casual observer, under
glass many slight differences were
discerned. This, however, was ex-
tremely difficult of description.
In view Of the dangerous character
of the counterfeit, Secretary Gage to-
day decided to stop issuing and to call
in all 500 silver certificates, of which
there are $26, 900, 900 outstanding
These will be exchanged for silver
certificates of smaller denominations
and the plates will be destroyed As
soon rs new plates can be engraved
new series will be issued. Assistant
treasurers at all of the sub treasury
cities will be requested to send to the
Treasury in Washington 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, it was
unsafe for business men or others to
accept silver certificates of this denom-
nation. and, in case any were now on
hand, they should be sent to the banks
for transmission to Washington.
1t is said in Washington that there
is grave suspicion that the 500 silver
certificates. whose discovery led to
calling in Of the whole issue of $26-
900, 900 of certificates of thar denomin-
alton, are printed from genuine plates
though on imitation paper
The story of plates stolen from the
bureau of engraving and printing is an
old one and has come to be looked
upon as stock tale every time coun-
terfeit is discussed. But in the pres.
ent instance the spurious certificates
are pronounced by experts to have been
printed from plates. Yet the plates
are so perfect that the spurious char
acter of notes was determined. not
from any fault in plate work, but from
the fact that, after every other test
had been exhausted, an immersion in
a hot water bath showed that the note
was printed on split paper and after
wards pasted together. This is prac-
ticcally confession that the plate is
perfect one. Under the circumstances
experts are being forced to the unpleas-
ant conclusion that in this instance
the steel rolls from which the genuine
plates deceive their impression have
been used to furnish duplicates which
are in the hands of INSCRIPTIONS par
ties. To admit that duplicate plates
could be made from the scrutiny of
good bills would be to admit that the
whole fabric Of the paper money sys-
tenn was undermined.
About 100000 of he silver certif
Gates called in on account of the coul-
terfeits have reached the treasury de.
partment. So general is the alarm
that several subtreasurers have askt I
for permission to decline 20 receive all
500 silver certificates This has been
refused. but officers have received or
ders to take them. if they are so in.
cline0. Suhiact to inCpertjon at Wash.