New-York tribune., 1905-07-16
FORGED BANKNOTES.
4nlouaat IN England Increasing, as
Design Is Easily Reproduced.

O0SSo % 10 LtSStCI nc pI OUDCCDs
Is the English banknote safe? The number of
forgeries which have taken place IN recent years
snggest that It not nearly so safe from the tricks
OF the rorger as it once thought TO be and Wa
have the statement OF the counsel for the Bank Of
england to confirm the complaint OF those who de-
nna1d that Il should be changed.
A4r Mathews sand. a few weeks ago. at the Old
BAILEY that the circulation Of spurious notes on
the Continent has become so extensive IN some
districts that now even genuine notes Of e and
@io are most difficult TO negotiate. Time was when
a Bank Of England note would carry one most
where's and saw one through most things; but n
some places that is no longer possible
Forgers are, Of course. becoming more expert
every year. They are better educated They have
scientific knowledge and the aid Of photography
ana me instruments Of the criminal enterprise are
comparatively cheap. The Bank Of England note
Is the most easily forged Of all for IT is the sim
plest consisting as II does Of black printing on q
"IAle paper The great safeguard lies in the ouaI-
ity OF the paDer and the quality Of the printing
aI44 the Walernark on the paper
81, i1aAe lLe actual paper beyond the skill of
near London but so vel Ias b9s al be small small town
s1aToeq lha the most ekilfu note printers in the
most Of the other secrets A0"
Note printing is one of the highly skilled trades
|hleh SUI Is virtual monopoly OF the city az
bo---o4, b9 IL mas always been So and the great
printers Of London to have their notes or their
p,a.ts MADE Ihey turn out the most beautiful
sompllcated description. and in this fact lies its
The steel plate itself is the work of many hands
5nd many brains When the main design has been
-eclded Upon the parts of the picture have to be
skilled in one branch Of Eis art ard ooTii 9'i nos -
an architectural engraver. and with hne needle,
ne Labors Tor weeks in the effort convey to the
metal a perfect picture OF a building Another.
WI s2li o quite dlTIeTent sort makes portraits
letters. Still others contrive corner pieces; and
then there Is the machine engraver which is more
wonderful still, for the machine does work so tine
that no human eye can initiate IT,
Tfa1% y,F~r F,aohE
is so minute thar the camera ca1not effectively
copy it. To reproduce with photography zinc IL
is necessary TO employ acid, and The acid would eat
chine which is made on the principle of the panto.
grapn It seems 20 consist on q h1IIituue s m %, %
and checking the needle and sending It in new d.
rections at all sorts OF unexpected angles ana
After the design has been worked out on the ma
chine in accordance with the secret code which is
kept by the proprietor locked in the safe, the ma
chine does the work Itself. Il the operator VIII go
on turning the driving crank slowly and steadily.
The plan IS taken out with nun 6ers which @ repre-
sent the wheels ana the code OF EgQres showing
the work which Is 10 be done oy each wheel ano
know thar secret. The machine simply goes on IL
its own way, and the least siackenlag or any OF
repair the error for he does not know the code,
and the whole work wiz DO spoiled until the mas
ter comes along and resets the wheels and other
parts IN their proper order
this delicate machine-just enough 70 give COM
ton is stamped on soft steel which IS hardened by
another secret process and made into sort of die
the fun border is thus completed, or band made
to 90 across the whole face or back Of the note.
In the best Of the colOrec notes three four
tints are used and generally you find that one Of
coIors are put on with different piates. and eacP
! means a separate printing. Tic result is that #
you hoid one OF the notes up 10 the Hght you VIII
find that the lines Of the different coloTs into
a9a % tnFogg9 ] one n on1ths, nf he II lnp9sipIe , 70
catch them all. which Il cannot
neat device IS employed at the United
States Treasury in te rnarufac4re Of the paper Of
It's notes which re,gers me copy ng o. the rutng
r.
German While II is being nut on the ma
S1lnf n me ne form o. puI3 me & SIX thre2d7 are
10 the iFht 70 he photographed these threads come
snoiIs the plate forFer who lately tried 70
%onHr9te % on this paper took Japanese material
nIscine silk fibre between sheets of IT. and
COW of the 7ecu1,er INES NOUS -1-'
To cow tl-e rrn-t7y OF coIored notes Is newt 70
! rn1oss'1le The f0rFer O0lv do r the %
I'+FogT7nh s+orAs ard thev win not give So Ane
work - n deud~ anv bt the most sirorja eonIe
II vyo,s NOT he tA3cio,S m 5es.-.he IN ata,I how,
the on~-a+as or4er make re=arnbIsree
s9a"that he ra-ro+ talre God COW ~ he s+4ai i
god steel printing on notes you accept you VIII not
the F11s-an notes were occp EfoTrI1v forged snd
cleverlv cone; eIr " Von,9 ne exf"N7Hlv a'"ut to
which now sSorns these notes. and the delicate
No eo-ver ca1 ret the t-=ee-v done bv hand
because eugrsver could DO f. and ne cannot got
t-ke vc-~s 70 vro-ll out the zec~et ton Of
are orlv t'--r4 Or for- ~ these rrHch'n4s IN the
world. Then fo- he desi9n. IN 'he shane ~ nor
he would want a coordination Of four or more en-
/ Rr7vars ~ hiph ability and bad character which
cs@t a r s a. o5s nsrd TO come 0S as the machine II
& t to- ,s EHTs M t. Ects Is gG gGoe5 Se- ~ g. 9S1s Of
/ he copied cutie easily by TIE eansra, and Enod
r7hotoerarhed on stone. and the printing re%9v
| sort.-Csondou Answers