Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-01-25
FINE ART IN BANK NOTES.
DEVICES SOUGHT TO PREVENT


Familiar Finely Engraved Paper Cur.
rency Due to the invention Of Jacob
Perkins, Of Observation-Disclosures
ing 10 Work Of Ingenious Machine.
Bank or Treasury note printing is
carried to greater perfection in this
country than in any other. Indeed,
the industry originated in the United
States, whence IL was spread to Eng.
land and most other civilized coun-
tries.
Jacob Perkins. of Massachusetts.
struck the keynote of series Of great
advances in printing early In the nine.
teenth century when he substituted
steel for copper plates, and devised q
method of making transfers of the
original engraving to soft steel. which
by being afterward hardened could
be printed from. Through his exer-
tions in conjunction with other Ameri.
can bank.note printers, the bank notes
Of this country many years ago at.
tanned that superiority in artistic and
mechanical execution over those Of all
other nations which they have always
since maintained and the improve.
ments abroad are mainly due to the
fact that Perkins went to London in
1918 and by his labors there with an
eminent London engraver, Mr.. Heath,
gradually disseminated knowledge
of what was, in its inception, an
American art in Great Britain and on
the Continent of Europe.
Important improvements have been
effected in this country in the max.
ing Of the notes. notably. to use me.
chanical term, in the lathe work, by
which the portions Of the note design.
ing its denomination are usually ex.
ecuted, and various new devices have
been tried from time to time to bafile
the counterfeiters. The latest and
probably the most effective is that
now used by the Government. where.
by notes, bonds, ETC.. are printed ex.
clusively on what is termed spider
legged paper. or paper which has small
fibres Of silk of various colors incor.
porated in it's texture.
The American Bank Note Company,
which is consolidation of various
banknOte establishments, and the
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing.
have. of late years. done nearly all
the bank.note printing in the country.
After the plates are prepared. ex.
IRENE care is required in every pro.
cess. The best ink. nicely ground and
mixed, must be used. and the paper
wetted with exact regularity. The
best workmen can hardly print more
than six hundred impressions In O day.
After printing. the sheets are left to
dry for several weeks. and they are
then subjected to heavy pressure
in pressing machines. When high
polish Is required. II is impaired by
pressing the notes between the hot
metal plates. but this is said to weak.
en- the paper.
The Bank of England after using
steel plate notes for a time, adopted
in 1853 an improved form of letter
press printing. which Is thus describ.
ed: An original Is first engraved in
metal relief. This Is submitted to
several processes resulting in the oh.
tanning Of perfect fac-simile of the
original engraved plate. from which
the bank notes are printed. The
metal Of which these plates are form
ed is extremely hard. frequently yield.
ing nearly one million impressions
without being worn out. The original
engraving Is never used for printing
but only for the production Of mat.
rices; consequently 1t always remains
unimpaired, and thus perfect identity
is maintained In the appearance Of
tie notes.
The notes are printed on platen ma.
chimes. possessing great advantages
over the ordinary printing machines.
more particularly In the distribution
Of the ink. A telltale, or register. is
attached to each machine, which
marks the number Of impressions.
These registers are set by q clerk
before the printing commences and
are checked by him at the close of
the day. when the printer must. either
in bank notes or spells. hand over tho
number Of impressions registered by
the dial. Tho notes are printed upon
dry paper.