The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1902-07-25
REDEEMING MUT1LATED BILLS.
Regulations Governing the Action of
the Treasury.

New York Evening Post: Inquiries
are received daily at the United States
subtreasury in this city respecting the
redemption of mutilated or burned cur
rency. 1t often happens that portions
of United States notes are destroyed,
or become so disfigured as to render
them unfit for circulation. These are
always redeemed when accompanied by
proper afidavits accepted by the gov
eminent authorities. But the most diff
ficult cases with which the officials have
to deal concern instances where the en-
tire note has been destroyed or lost.
In these cases the government can do
nothing but reject the application,
there being no warrant in law for the
redemption of currency except in in
stances where portions, however small,
of mutilated bills are returned.
Treasury officials have the right to
return the entire face value of a multi
ated note to it's owner if he presents
satisfactory evidence of the loss. In
such cases the circumstances have to be
reported to the treasurer of the United
States at Washington for action. But
where three-ffths or more of a bill
is presented at a subtreasury the Off
Gals are permitted to redeem in full
without reference to Washington. In
cases where only half the bill has been
preserved, the owner is reimbursed for
half the face value.
Government officials are governed in
their action by these sections of treas
ury circular No. 80, promulgated March
90. 1900:
United States notes, treasury notes
of 1890, gold certificates and silver GER
tificates, unfit for circulation, when not
mutilated so that less than three-ffths
OF the original proportions remains,
may be presented to the treasurer or
any assistant treasurer for exchange
at face value for new United States pa
per currency. Fractional currency notes
are redeemable in lawful money.
United States notes. treasury notes
of 1890, fractional currency notes, gold
certificates, silver certificates and ma
tional bank notes, when mutilated sc
that less than three-fifths, but clearly
more than two-fifths of the original
proportions remains. are redeemable by
the treasurer only at one-half the face
value of the whole note or certificate,
Fragments not clearly more than two
ffths are not redeemed, unless accom-
panied by the evidence required in
paragraph 10 (below).
Fragments less than three-fifths are
redeemed at the face value of the
whole note when accompanied by an af-
fidavit of the owner Or other persons
having knowledge of the facts that the
missing portions have been totally de-
stroyed. The affidavit must state the
cause and name of the mutilation
and must be sworn and subscribed tc
before an officer qualified 20 administer
oaths, who must affiX his official sea
thereto. and the character of the af'
fant must be certified to be good by
such officer or some Il having an of
fetal seal. Signatures by mark OK,
must be witnessed by two persons who
car write. and who must give theil
places of residence. The treasurer will
exercise such discretion under this reg
ulation as may seem to him needful tc
protect the United States from fraud
Fragments not redeemable are rejected
and returned. Paper currency which
has been totally destroyed cannot bt
redeemed. The department does no
furnish blank forms for a~ffidavits.