Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-04-30
Counterfeit Notes MOI to be- De.
tccted by Touch
OFFICIAL. lxoGkT A woman
Mrs. Leonard Has Been in Treasury
More Than Forty Ycars-Mlnutc De-
fecto Which, octray Bogus Money
Myths About Genuine Plates.


the feel" said Mrs. VILLA A. Leon
ard. expert money counter anu the
authority on countcrfcts In the re-
demption division of the United States
treasury department.
every counterfeit has some imper-
fections, however slight it may be.
This is an acknowledged fact. No
matter how skillful the engraver of
the counterfeit, no matter what pro
cess has been used In order to defrald
tho government, there Is always i'm the
counterfeit some departure from the
genuine note, which, rs soon as it
comes TO our hands, strikes us as Il
blnnder. hut which passes without
question the eyes Of some of the most
experienced business men of the
country.
1--WE have heard much of the dctec-
tion-by-touch theory, but there is little
truth in it.%'Of course. bad money has
come into the Office which was detect
ed rs counterfeit as soon as VIC touch
ed II. but the feel of the note is by no
means decisive, for many of the co,ln-
tcrfeits We have received have been
made OF genuine +naper. made Mt the
bureau of engraving and printing,
which has hecn obtained hy bleaching
notes of small denomination. Other
countcrfcits have become very much
worn, flannel rags as VIC say ut the
Office. ami when notes are worn it Is
extremely difficult 10 tell the genuine
from counterfeit. No, the feel theory
is not reliable
Eye Alone Trustworthy.
"Thc only thing To he relied upon
Is the eye. Tho coloring of the note.
It's size, and The work of the engravcr
arc the points which usually give
away the counterfeit. The ink may be
fairly good imitation of that used on
the genuine note. but the note may. be
found to he a thirty-second of an inch
shorter or longer, wider or narrower,
than it should be. Or 1t may be perfect
almost in both of these two respects
and tho fa"lt lie In tho engraving
No ono has ever seen perfectly en-
graved counterfeit note. There havc,
ncwevcr, been some very sllillful en-
gravers among the counterfeiters,
who. IL they had followed their trade
legitimatclye would have made for
tunes
1.-THE $500 note. series of 1869, was
probably the best. This note was
made of genuine paper, which must
Y
note of smaller denomination and
was made by one of the best cngravers
In the world. This note had only two
small dcfects-the figure of goddess
ornamenting It's face had badly
drawn foot, and In vignettc OF man,
the genuine note showed perfectly
round buttons on his coat, but In the
counterfeit the buttons had slight cor
ncrs on them.
Counterfeit $1,000 Note.
"The $1,000 note, series Of 1868,
which was the first issue of green
backs. was also notable counterfeit,
In fact, one was accepted at the treas
ury. The notes of that issue were us.
ually passed in Texas between cattle
dealers. 1t took long time for them
TO reach oar Office, for they had first
10 go 10 the subtreasury at Chicago.
THE only bad point of this note was
In the spacing of the letter In America.
The genuine note had a space between
two Of the letters. It would not have
so easy to pass such a note today,
however, when we use the fiber paper.
You nave probably heard" con-
timed Mrs. Leonard, "of the 500 and
$50 counterfeits In pen and ink. These
were made by German in New Jer-
sey, and the pen work ON them was
marvellous. The fellow worked secret
ly in room which WINS closed 10
every one, even his wife and family
He became reckless With his money.
was suspected and caught by the
secret service men. This happened in
1893"
Myths About Plates.
"Is il true that genuine plates have
ever been stolen from the bureau of
engraving and printing, and counter
3feits made thcrefrom?"
No, oil stories to that effect are
myths. Those plates have always
been guarded the same as an emper-
or's jewels. It. is not possible to make
away with genuine plate"
Have wrong decisions ever been
made upon doubtful note?"
We'll, only one case has come to
nv Immediate notice. In 1894 d ten.
dollar note was brought to mo to be
stamped good ] pronounced II to be
counterfeit, but the sender not agree
ing with my opinion, tho note was TAX
en- through the redemption division,
the cash room, and the secret service
division. where, with few exceptions,
II was declared genuine by tho OK
perts. II was then sent to the bureau
Of engraving and printing AMI returned
from there with a typcwrtten certln-
: cate Of its genuineness. These de.
cisions did not influence me, however,
and maintained by position SO firm.
~ that my chief took 1t once more on
q round of inspection5 and finally found
in the cash room It's exact duplicate
among the counterfeits there When
the note In question was again brought
to the notice Of the man in charge of
the bureau. he offered to lnY III and