The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-08-29
NEW ISSUE OF NOTES.
The Series OF 1899 VIII Not be 80 Easy to
Counterfeit.

The Series OF 1899 VIII Not be so Easy to
Counterfeit
An entire series Of new notes is to be
issued by the Treasury Department. TO
be designated the issue Of 1889. The
new notes will replace the old ones Of
the denominations Of 81 81 50, $40. $40,
$50 500 aud $500 While it is Gus
tomary for each Administration 10 leave
its imprint on the currency Of the
nation by making an issue Of notes, in
this instance il isintendcd the currency
shall be greatly simplifled by the issue
Of 1899
Prior TO this year each one Of the
three kinds e notes-legal tenders, or
greenbacks. silver certificates and Treas
ury, or coin, notes-had separate plate
and design for each denomination. As
a result for the denominations from 81
10 5000 there were eight different notes
for the greenbacks. eight for the silver
certificates and eight for the Treasury
notes 1t is now proposed to have only
eight designs one for each denomina.
ton, distinguishing between the silver
certificate and the greenback, or be
tween the greenback and the Treasury
note, by the printing on the note aud
the color Of the Treasury seal.
All that the public is at present in.
terested in is the denomination Of the
note 1t wants to be sure that a note
purporting to be a s. note is really g.
note, and not one raised from 81 note.
With - different notes. or three for
each denomination, the average man
may find it somewhat hard to remem-
Der the general appearance Of note Of
any denomination, and thus IL Is that
by skillfully raising the figures on
note it is frequently pissed for one OF
higher denomination When these "a
notes are multiplied by the different
Administration it gives a bewilderiDg
variety Secretary Gage hopes by re-
placing the present issue with new
one, with only eight different forms Of
notes instead Of p. the currency will
be simpiled to that extent and the
people protected TO a greater degree
against counterfeiters.
One.dollar notes Of the new issue are
now being printed and the plates for
the new 80 notes are being prepared.
Designs for the new s. notes were sub
mitted to the Department Friday by
the Bureau Of Engraving and Printing,
At the Department such designs are
carefully examined. not only from the
standpoint Of beauty, but also from that
Of utility. The question Of the beauty
Of the design is decided by Secretary
Gage and the desirability Of the design
by the Secret Service officials Experts
in the Secret Service give their opinion
as TO whether the proposed design is or
is not easy to counterfeit and changes
are often made on their recommended
ton.
Two designs for the 8 silver certif-
Gates were before the Department
Friday. One. bearing the head
Of Hamilton, was rejected. The head
Of Washington has appeared on 81 notes
so long that it has become identified
with that denomination. Its presence
on the new fyes would also be an aid
to the counterfeiters in raising 81 notes
toss.
In the new issue the engraving con.
tains more open work than in any Of
the old notes II was argued there was
no reason for the Government to adopt
distinctive paper for its money and
then cover it with engraving to such
An extent as to hide the character of
the paper The designs for the new
notes will be prepared so as leave open
spaces at each end Of the note, where
the lines Of silk thread in the paper
can bo distinctly seen. While this is
not an absolute precaution against
counterfeiting, it helps very materially
in that direction, for, although c'un-
terfeiters will take the risk OF manu-
featuring this paper. they can make
only very small quantities at a tine,
and the manufacturers will have moth
ing to do with il, as having such paper
in ones possession, even though per
fectly plain, renders the possessor La
BILE to sentence Of 10 years in the
penitentiary.
On the face of the new s. note will
appear a portrait yet to be chosen.
lanked on either side by an allegorical
figure. To the right Of the present de-
sign appears a figure Of man nude
but for the cloth about his loins, re-
clining and apparently engaged in
reading q scroll. To the left is the
figure Of another man, also reclining in
an easy sitting posture, with MS tlRhI
hand at his left side, as though in the
act of drawing a knife or sword.
This picture is peculiar, in that the
figure, INTENDED, it is believed, to rep
resent an old frontiersman, shows a
man naked to the waist and his legs
clothed in deerskin trousers, fringed to
the knee and bound with thongs from
the knee to the foot On his head is a
coonskin cap. and his bearded face
needs only a pipe to make it a fine
picture Of the old frontiersman. The |
incongruity lies in the fact that the old |
frontiersman is wearing pair Of Ro-
man sandals. 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 |
III