The representative., 1899-11-23

couple OF mOntnS ALREADY Few specimens
of it have been printed in Washington. but
the treasury will not be prepared to issue it
for while yet. because 1t takes q good
many millions Of notes and certificates to
NIL the demand, and, after they have gone
through the presses. they have to dry for
weeks very slowly. SO that the ink on them
may not blur in the handling, says the Phil
delphia Press
Besides, only the 81 and 81 silver certif-
Gates are finished; the first design for the
% mas been rejected by the secretary Of the
treasury and the other denominations are
to come.
The reason for preparing these new de-
signs for the paper currency Is simply that
tnose which adOrn the bills now in circu-
lation are not considered satisfactory.
couple of years ago the government
bureau OF engraving decided that what the
country really wanted was artistic money,
ana 1t hired some we'll known artists to
execute designs for the various denomi-
nations OF certificates and notes. 1t was
beautiful idea, but somehow 1t has not
proved a success.
A money note is piece OF work pure
~ technical said the treasury official above
quoted, "and the purpose Of its design is
as 1ar as possible away from the idea which
an artist has in mind when he sits down to
make pretty picture"
Inc design on bill requires, first Of all,
the quality of enduring wear with least
possible injury. 1t has to pass through the
greasy hands of the butcher and across
the sloppy counter of the beer seller: II is
crumpled in the pocket of the car conduc
tor. ana there is no sort of abuse that it is
nol laDle to undergo. Accordingly every
element in the makeup of the pattern ought
~ ~ nave special reference to durableness
ihe principal lettering should be bold and
Diack' SO as not to be easily obiterated and
d good strong portrait is not only hard to
obscure, but it is the best safeguard against
cOunterfeiting
ABOUT 90 per cent of the surface of the
new DlliS on both sides will be left blank
firstly, in order to show the fibres of the
paper better and secondly because this
arrangement brings out the engraved de-
signs more clearly
One trouble With the "art notes" is that
their designs confuse the eye, making it
more easy actually for counterfeit to
pass. ~
Ihe paper money about to he issued. on
the other hand. is almost severely plain
An eagle with outspread wings is the prin-
cipai ornament of the face of the 81 silver
certlncate, portrait of Lincoln being en-
graved beneath it. The figue l and the
treasury seal are in bright blue and both
sea- ana denomlnational number will be
OF TINS color on all of the new certificates
SO that the latter may be distineuisha ble
al glance from United States notes and
bank notes. The 50 certificate has head
OF Washington
The treasury people say that the value
ol tne portrait as safeguard against
counterfeiting lies in the fact that we are
al OF us more familiar with human faces
tnan with any other objects IN the world
we are accustomed to recognize our friends
anu very soon we become so well acuuaint ed
with face as to notice the smallest al
teratiOn in it's expression
A steel engraved portrait cannot be per-
fectly initiated and the difference of a line
VIII produce change in the expression
which anyone will perceive at glance
The art notes have portraits on their
Dacks. but there, being printed in green
are comparatively obscure, and the face of
Dill, any way, is the side usually exam
ined.
Experts admit that a note can be made
handsomer by engraving 1t all over. but
they say that few scattered fragments
OF design. very elaborate, are most difficult
to counterfeit.
The new bills have comparatively sim
pie patterns on their backs. but the ge-
Onetrical lathework used, is at the same
time very compli ated in its traceries, so
as almost defy imitation.
All denOminatiOnal figures are made large
and plain, especially at the corners of the
face. so as to render counting easy In
some Of the art notes" these all-mport-
ant figures are actually obscured in an at
tempt to make them decorative.
The fibre paper will be retained in the
new bills, notwithstanding objections made
to 1t by some experts, who urge that it is
practically worthless perfection against
counterfeiting. 1t was used long ago for
a considerable time by the government hut
was discontinued because the people who
owned the patent for it demanded an ex-
Ortitant royalty for the privilege of en-
ploying it.
In the issue Of United States notes of 1869
the ingenious scheme was originated of
placing band of colored fbers on the left
hand side of the denominations under $50
and on the right hand side of the higher de-
nominations. the object Of this being to
ocat that enterprising gentleman. Pete Nc
Carthy, who had developed a fad for wash
ing the ink off OF small bills and printing
big ones on the blanks thus obtained. In
this way. obviously, he could get the real
treasury paper, fiber and ALL at relatively
cheap rate.
Indeed the practicableness of this process
constitutes one objection to the fiber paper
and it is serious one, inasmuch as false
notes produced on the Mccarthy plan ac-
Quire a superior verisimlitude through the
help of the fiber.
However, the fbers can be initiated mite
perfectly by making few irregular scratch
es on steel plate and printing from the
latter with colored inks upon the otherwise
complete counterfeit bill
/ 1t used to be supposed that the brown
ink with which the backs of the national
bank notes are printed could not be washed
out. but this notion was rudely Disturbed
nt long ago Dy the appearance at the treas
ury of nearly new IS bank note with the
back perfectly blank. Some chemist with a
taste for practical joking had done it.
The patent on fibre paper ran out in 1890
and then the treasury took it UP again All
Oa it is made at a factory in Dalton. Mass
where 1t is turned out under the eyes of the
government agents. Every sheet is counted
By a machine as 1t is produced, and the
utmost imaginable care is taken that not a
scrap of the paper shall get away; it is
considered as precious as it were SO much
money. Defective sheets are DESTROYED and
every perfect one sent to Washington is ac-
counted for by number. The fbres are
simply silk threads bought from New York
Importing hrm. cut into Quarter-inch lengths
and FED into the paper making apparatus.
The production Of new set of notes and
certificates running through all the denomi-
nations. is not SO difficult as one might
Imagine.
At the bureau of engraving. where the
paper money is printed, the chief artist and
his assistant designers use their odd mo-
snents in making drawings of parts ~ hills
bits of border, vignettes, etc These are
reproduced on steel by the engrayers and
little proofs representing them are nas+od
into large scrapbook.
! If a design for a note is wanted in q
hurry the head man looks over the scran-
book to see what he has in stock He draws
On sheet of paper parallelogram precise
| ~ the size and shape of the bill that is to be-
and inside of this he pastes a section or two
Of border an ornamental bit for each corner.
| n mort rait-ho has nlonty Of nnrf roitc ~ hi.