The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-02
BANK OF ENGLAND NOTES.
Commercials Even More Clever Than
 Those Detected Here.

London Mail.
 Five-pound Bank of England notes were carefully scrutinized yesterday.
 The reported forgery on an extensive scale of notes of this denomination cansed all receivers of them first to feel the pa per- then to examine the printing and finally to hold it up to the light to see if the familiar water mark was there.
 The forgers have done their work with extraordinary skill. The notes cannot be distinguished from the real ones except by those who are familiar in every detail with the issue, The only things that lend suspicion are the paper, which differs slightly from the regular sort in texture and color and the printing, which is in- different in spots. for instance. the me- dallion at the top left-hand corner is dim and not so. distinct as that of the real note. and the signature. "F. G. Bowen" is lighter and thinner. The water mark, Five Pounds is perfect.
 The first discovery of the forgeries was made in the London and Westminster bank. Victoria Street branch, about five weeks ago. The note had been deposited iil the ordinary course, among many gem uine ones. by the cashier oN the army and navy stores. It had been received by post from u well known customer, and accepted as good. The cashier of the bank. who happened to note the peculiar color of the forged note. made closer examination. and at once declared 1t to be a counterfeit. He said that 1t was an ClcFtI Copys Dul tHdl c8- perienced man could not fail to detect the forgery on closer examination.
 The .note was sent to the Bank of Eng land. and the officials of that institution immediately placed 1t in the hands of the police, who began to look for the forgers
 couple of weeks later another coun- terfeit ive-pound note or the same de- scription was passed over the fish coun- in Westminster They too, do their bank ing business with the Victoria Street branch of the London and Westminster. and again the cashier placed an en- bargo on the forgery. The note was traced to a bakers shop. but its previous history is unknown. the bakers explana- ton being satisfactory.
 Since then d cOnsiderabl ble number of the spurious notes have been circulated. 1t ie, of course, difficult to say how many age at present in the hands of people who do not know the character of the paper they are holding. Whenever one of them comes into a bank it naturally reaches the end of it's career, for the to the Bank of England, from which they are never reissued.
 It is believed that the forgers have not changed their plates frequently. and that the notes contain only a few numbers Those already known to be in circulation are:
 E59 75.2sl. Nov l. 1899.
 E59. 73,455. Nov. 3. 1899
 
 on the case. following with infinite care every possible clew that may lead to the discovery of the forgers. are inclined /to the belief that the commercials have been printed abroad. There are many reasons to give color to this conclusion, the prin- cipal one being that it would be almost impossible for number of men to assem- ble the tools. paper. ink and other ma terial in this country without leaving some trace of their work behind. and tiY to now it has not been possible to find an indication of their working oE this side of the channel. Moreover gang of Brit ish counterfeiters could pursue their busi- ness with far greater immunity from in- terruption in France or Germany than they could here
 A series of forged notes almost identical in many characteristics with those Just discovered caused much annoyance to the Bank of England few years ago. Five | ana ten-uound notes were circulated broadcast. apparently from abroad. and | 1t was absolutely impossible to trace th' | criminals The police were certain tha | the notes were issued in Vienna and otheI Austrian cites and that they found theil