The times., 1901-06-16
FORGERY MADE DIFFICULT
Various Ways Suggested by Which
1t May BE Prevented.
An Experts views on How Counter
feiting May he Guarded Against
Idens From Nature for Surfaces
which Cannot BE Initiated.

feiting May he Guarded Against
Idens From Nature for Surfaces
Which Cannot BE Inflated
An expert plate printer Of this city was
discussing few evenings ago with some
friends a plan by which forgery of bank
notes. bonds, tickets. eating-house checks
perfumery, and patent-medicine labels
etc, may be effectually prevented.
In the first place" said the expert,
works designed for safety are seldom
attempted in simple letter-press of one
color There is, however, plan by which
copying of this, as in the case of the car
tickets which have recently engaged the
attention of forgers, may be rendered very
difficult Get W a light tint, in some
fancy small border, somewhat larger than
one Of the leading lines Of the job. Put
it under the press used for taking cleo
trotype molds, with a sheet of wax over
it made hard with black-load; ana have
bearers so arranged as to allow only a
very slight impression on the wax. Hav-
| ing obtained a shallow mold, let the line
previously chosen be placed under the
! same place. and impressed to just the
! same extent. The object Of having the
mold hard and shallow, is TO prevent this
| second impression spreading out the wax
| so as to distort or spoil the first; heavy
! blanks may be easily chiseled Jut after
ward.
You now have a mold of the line of
| type set in a tint, and from this plate
may be taken which viii print both at
! once If anyone tries to do this again he
! cannot, for he cannot bring the type line,
| in each stroke, to exactly the same part
of the covered ground; and if he tries 10
oh
| seems the easiest thing in the world. he
will simply find that, what with spacing
his type line exactly like the first, and
then getting exact register it cannot be
done; for a hairs variation in any part
can Ii. at once seen and detected.
Mature furnishes an infinite variety Of
products and processes from and by
which printing surfaces. which cannot he
cOunterfeited may be obtained; each kind
repeating itself somewhat in general ap-
pearance, but never in detail; each be
yond the ordinary power Of man TO imi-
tate; and most Of them exceedingly beau
tiful, so as to admit of being used in or
dinary ornamental work. Take, for in
stance, a little sulphate Of magnesia,
commonly called EPSON salts; make a
strong solution, cover the face Of a piece
of pIateglass, and let it evaporate very
slowly. The glass will be covered with a
foliated network of crystals, somewhat
like windowglass on a frosty day, except
that, properly done, the crystals viii be
separate, and not connected at the edges.
"A mold may be taken by pressure in
wax, from which the salts can be washed
out by water; then take an electrotype
from this, which, in turn. is to be used as
the mold from which to obtain the plate
80, h.. nd Elgr q me
beautiful picture of capitalization,
which cannot be reproduced by the same
process, for the crystals Will not dispose
themselves alike twice, any more than the !
glasses in a kaleidoscope viii; nor by |
hand, for it is too complicated to draw; |
nor by transferring nor photography, If |
it has been partly printed over with black |
lettering. Oxalic acid, similarly treated. |
gives much finer crystal and a plate |
which must be worked with the best black |
ink Coarser but still exquisite crystals |
may be obtained by soaking a slab of /
marble in water all night and in the
morning wiping the top dry and packing
it in a freezing mixture. The water fore
ed up TO the top. will freeze in beautiful 4
foliated shapes. The mold for this might
perhaps. be taken in plaster; if wax is
used, it must be quite cold
Again. make a solution Of gum traga-
canth. as is done in the marbling Of pa
per Have one oily solution, and one So
luton of ox-gaH. which sprinkle precisely
as for paper; if you like, you can add a
few iron filings TO one or both solutions.
The solutions will spread just as colors
dc. Having got surface to your taste,
take it upon a piece Of zinc instead of
paper; expose the zines to acids. as
In the anastatic process, and the oil-cov-
cred parts viii not be affected. You will
then have a beautiful marble ground,
which, if well executed, it win be practi-
cally impossible TO copy.
If pane Of glass be firmly held by one
point and sprinkled with fine sand or
ycopodium seed, and then if a violin bow
be drawn across the edge so as TO pro
luce a musical note. the seed or sand
grains viii arrange themselves into very
curious fgures-stars, squares, triangles
md so on. These cannot be reproduced
.xactly by the same process, without get
ing the same pane Of glass, or at least, !
me Of the same size, shape, thickness,
md density, holding it at the same point,
lrawing the bow at the same place, and /
laving the same quantity Of seed or sand |
prinkled IN the same manner The fig
ires, however, may be taken in wax
mold, and the seed eaten out Of it by acid
,efore taking an electrotype plate.
But the most valuable method Of pro-
ucing Impressions Of natural objects /
which cannot be initiated, is that known
s nature printing. The principle Of this ,
s extremely simple. If a soft object is
ressed powerfully between two plates of
METAL it viii leave a full impression on
hem which may be used for printing.
'hus, if the leaf of a tree be placed be- !
ween two plates OF lead or copper, and
assed through a rolling mill, each plate
,ill receive a perfect impression of the
aaf. which may be used as an engraving.
rinting the leaf in white on a tinted I
round. II may, indeed, generally be used a
fter the copper-plate fashion. Numbers {
( natural objects which never exactly I
uplicate themselves, may be used in this c
manner to obtain tint grounds Of great
eauty; such as feathers. the inner bark q
T trees, skeletons Of leaves, leaves Of the :
rbor vitae, and so on, very few Of a
'hich could be initiated. and all of which il
-Ould be beautiful. A large feather with G
very alternate vane cut out carefully and t
emoyed by combing, would form a splcn- O
id ground; for the barbs and hooks on a
be remaining vanes would appear finer
han the finest engraving" b
SACRIFICING THEIR TAILS. 8