The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-29

same color as the face of the note, al- though pen and blue ink has been used to hide this defect.
 The back of the bill is blue-gray colored green, the latter being applied sparingly with a brush. The best point by which to detect this counter felt is the blurred appearance of the winged figure of the woman represent ing America" The woman stands on a globe holding aloft in one hand an electric lamp, fed by ribbon floating in graceful curves to a bursting thun- der cloud, The words United States" on either side of the winged figure are blurred and do not stand out as on the genuine note. The electric lamp can be only partly seen when it should be dis tinct, while the lathe work is all very poor.
 The most interesting thing about this bill is that it Illustrates better than any of the recent commercials, except ing the new one hundred dollar silver certificate, the progress made by coun- terfeiters in initiating the paper used by the Treasury Department in the making of notes and certificates For yCdlo lilC IillSl ODSldClS tO lllG fGuSSSoS of counterfeiters was their inability to initiate the fibre paper, the geometrical lathe work and the paper known as the Crane patent, with the threads running lengthwise through it.
 The lathe work was mastered long ago, but it is only recently that the counterfeiters have succeeded in pro- curing paper that would pass for the genuine. For long time they initiated the silk thread with little pen scratches in red and blue. Now they use genu- inc thread.
 The new one hundred dollar counter toned are both made in the same way. Two pieces of paper made only in Ja- pan are used. They are printed sepa- | rately, one being used for the black, the other for the front. Bits of fine i spool silk are scattered on the blank side of one piece, the other piece is l carefully placed over it, and then the whole is subjected to very heavy pres sure. When taken out and trimmed the notes make, so far as the paper is con- cerned, very dangerous counterfeits
 The principal man in the gang which was turning out the five dollar silver certificates was captured short time ago, and with him the lithographing stones which were used to print the commercials. The rest of the plant was destroyed before the secret service men could seize it, and the rest of the gang | escaped.
 | Mr. Holler has in his collection one of 1 a number of counterfeit two dollar sill yer certificates recently discovered, which have been pronounced by the Treasury Department among the most dangerous commercials ever used. The commercials are on the issue authorized | by the act of August 4, 1886, series of 1891, check letter c, plate No. 19. Here is what warning letter sent out by the | Treasury Department says about it:
 '"The counterfeit appears to have been made by the same parties who executed the counterfeit on the two dollar silver certificate of same act and series, check letter B, plate No. IA. the work manship, however, is much better than on the older counterfeit, and even ex- pert handlers of money must exercise great care to avoid being deceived"
 In this counterfeit, as in most en- graved ones, the chief fault is with the portrait. The pronounced white circles around the pupils of the eyes of Will liam Windom are absent the lapel of the coat on the left side is faulty, and I a plain circle is made to represent the stud in the shirt bosom. The geomet- rical lathe work is so well done that the closest examination will not reveal any difference between 1t and that on the genuine James F. Hunt, receiving teller of the Bank of Buffalo, first dis covered this counterfeit in circulation.
 The most interesting commercials ever discovered in this country were the ten dollar, twenty dollar, fifty dollar and one hundred dollar treasury notes turned out with pen and ink by Eman- uel Ringer. These notes are marvels of skill, and for a long time the secret service officers were unable to get the slightest clue to the maker of the bills Mir. Holler has a complete set of these sketched bills. AS counterfeits go they are not very good, because, being made entirely by hand, it was not possible to keep defects out. They have the advan tage of looking as good as genuine bills at a casual glance, but they will not bear close inspection. Ringer passed { great many of these bills but never made much money out of it, because il took him so long to make them.
 It has always been mystery why Ringer devoted himself to counterfeit. ing. The work he did was of a remark. able character but with the greatest industry he couldn't turn out more than one bill every two weeks. He was living almost in poverty at Flagtown N. J., when his skill might have made z good living for him in an honest busi ness.
 The Ringer commercials were all dont on poor paper. Ringer wasn't up tC date in the matter of paper, as were other counterfeiters. He hadn't heard i of the process of initiating Cranes pat ent fibre paper with silk thread an( Japanese paper. He made scratches 1T blue and red ink in imitation of silk
 The commercials mentioned above art all of comparatively recent productions Some of the older commercials are jus as good so far as workmanship is con. cerned but they are done on an inferi or quality of paper. No finer piece O engraving was ever turned out thar the one hundred dollar national banI note which the veteran William D | RrockwaV and his nal Charles Smit h