The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-26
SIMPLER TREASURY NOTES.
ADMINIsTRITION TO SEND OUT THE
"ISSUE or 1889" SOON.

| 1"o'fS VIZ foO0 cVONs
| Greenbacks. Silver Certificates and Trsa-
sury Notes of Each Denomination to Have
the Same General Appoarance-Deaign ms
| Proposed for Some of the Denominn atoms.
| WASHINGTON. Aug. 25.-An entire series Of
new notes is to be issued by the Treasury De-
partment and called the Issue OF 1890 The
new notes will replace the old ones OF the de-
nominations OF 81. So. So. $40. $50. $50. 500
and $500. While It has become customary for
| every Administration to leave its imprint>on
| the currency OF the nation by making q new
/ issue OF notes. which custom 10 being adhered
to by the presentd Administration. It Ia intended
| In this case that the currency shall be greatly
| simplilied by the issue OF 1890. Prior TO this
year ench one OF the three kinds Of notes. legal
tenders or greenbacks. silver certificates and
treasury or coin notes. had a separate plate
and design for each demon lnation. As a result
Tor the denominations from 81 to $500 there
were eight different notes for the Rreenbacks.
eight for the silver certificates and eight for
the Treasury notes.
1t Is now proposed to simplify the currency
by having but eight designs. one for each de-
nomination. and differentiating between the
silver certificate and the Greenback. or between
the ereenback AMI the Treasury note. by the
printing on the note. All that the public is at
present interested in Is the denomination Of
the note. 1t wants to be sure that hote pur-
porting to be f1ve-dollar note 10 really a 6ve-
dollar note and not one raised from one-dol-
lar note. With twenty four different notes. or
three for each denomination. the average man
hnds 1t very hard to remember the general
appearance OF . note Of any one demon n alton.
and thus II 10 that by skilfully raising tho fig
ures on note IL can be passed successfully for
q note OF higher denomination. as most per-
sons are unfamiliar with the character OF the
notes OF any specific denomination. And when
these twenty four notes are multiplied by the
different Administrations il Eivss q bewildering
variety.
Secretary Gage therefore hopes by replacing
the present issue by new one. with only
eight different forms Of notes instead OF
twenty-four. that the currency will be simpli-
fed to that extent and the people protected to
further degree against counterfeters. One
dollar notes OF the new issue are now being
printed and plates for the new two-d dollar notes
are being prepared. Designs for the new fives
were submitted to the department to-day by
the Bureau Of Engraving and Printing. At tho
department such designs are carefully ex-
amined. not only from a standpoint Of beauty.
but also from that OF utility.
The question ofthe beauty OF the design Is de-
eded by Secretary Gage, and as to the desirable
ity OF the design by the secret service officials.
Experts In the secret service give their opin-
ions as to whether the proposed design Is or Is
not easy to counterfeit and changes are often
made on their recommendation. Two designs
for the Ave dollar silver certificates were be-
fore the department to-day. One bearing the
head of Hamilton was rejected. The design
which will be taken bears the head Of Wash
ington. which. however. will be replaced by
another portrait in the finished design. az the
head OF Washington has appeared on one-dol-
lar notes 30 long that 1t has become Identified
with that denomination It's presence on tho
new flves would also be an aid to the counter
feters In raising one-dollar notes to fives.
In the new issue the engraving contains
moro open work than in any OF the old notes.
1t was argued that there was no reason for the
Government to adopt a distinctive paper for
its money. and then cover It with engraving to
such an extent as to hide tho character OF the
paper. The designs for the new notes will
therefore be prepared 80 as to leave open spaces
at each end Of the note where the lines OF silk
thread In the paper can be seen distinctly.
While this Ia not Al absolute precaution against
oounterfeiting. II helps very materially to pro-
tect the public. for although counterfeiters
will take the risk OF manufacturing this paper
they can mako only very small quantities at q
time. and the paper manufacturers will have
nothing to do with it. as having such paper in
ones possession. even though perfectly plain.
makes the possessor liable to a sentence Of If
teen years in the penitentiary.
On the face Of the new flve dollar note will
appear q portrait. fanked on other side by an
allegorical figure. To the right of the present
design appears the figure Of q man. nude but
for the cloth about his loins. partly reclining
and apparently engaged in reading q SCROLL
To the left Ia the figure Of another man. also
semi-reoumbent. with his right hand at his
left side as though in the act OF drawing a
sword. This figure. which is supposed to rep
recent an old frontiersman. shows a man
naked to the waist. and his legs clothed In
deer-skin trousers. fringed to the knee. ana
bound with thongs from the knee to the foot.
On his head is a oon-skin cap. An incongru-
fly lies In the fact that the old frontlersman is
wearing pair OF Roman sandals; but this part
OF the design will probably be altered. The
figures are supposed to typify the warrior and
the student.
Under the picture will be printed the char
acter OF the note. silver certificate legal tender
&C. In each of the upper corners ia figure
and In each OF the lower corners a smaller
figure 5. each one being surrounded with lathe
work. To the right OF the centre the Trea-
sury's scolloped seal will appear and to the
left large V. The character of tho notes Of
che new issues are to be told from the color
OF the seal. OF the number and Of tho figure,
Y.X. L. &c.
In order to render the character Of the notes
easily dstinguishable. the numbers. the seal
and the Roman numeral. v. x L. &c. will be
printed in a different color for each class of
notes. For instance the silver certificates will
have the mum Der and seal in red the Treasury
notes In blue and the greenbacks in brown or
black. The colors have not been fixed as yet
By this means bank cashiers will he able to
separate the notes rapidly into Rreenbacks,
silver certificates and Treasury notes. without
looking at the wording OF the notes.