The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-05-25
MrsPRINTED BANK NOTES.
Imperfect or misprinted banknc


sometimes, though rarely, slip past
the eyes of the inspectors in the Uni
ted States. Bureau of Engraving. 1t
is said that fifty dollar national bank
note was the most remarkable mis-
print that ever escaped the Govern
ment employees and found its way in
to circulation.
Itwas discovered in peculiar way.
A clerk in Chicago hotel in max
ing up his accounts one day found a
discrepancy he couldn't explain. He
placed the pile of bills on his left hand
side, and as he counted each one turn
ed the note over and deposited it on
pile at his right.
He found that when he counted
from left to right his cash exactly
balanced, but when he counted it back
again a shortage of $50 was shown.
After spending two hours in vain
endeavor to find out what was the
matter, he called on the manager for
assistance.
The manager had no better success.
Backward and forward he counted
the bills, but always with the same
result-one time the cash balanced
and the next the shortage was devel-
oped. Finally each bill was examined
separately, both diverse and reverse.
And then the mystifed men dis
covered the cause of their trouble.
One of the bills had the design of
$50 on the diverse and that of $Ioo
on the reverse.
The clerk had received the bill as
$Ioo.
The United States Treasury was
communicated with, and it was ad-
mited that such bill was out and
that the Department had record of
it. 1t was discoved in 1890 that one
sheet of banknotes of the denomina-
ton of $50 and 500, printed for the
Etra National Bank of Kansas City,
Mo-, had been reversed in the press.
One plate bore the diverse of $50
bill at the top and the diverse of a
hundred dollar bill at the bottom.
The other plate bore the reverses OF
the two notes.
After each sheet was printed it was
laid aside to dry before being run
through for the diverse printing. In
some way the pressman turned one
sheet upside down, with the result
that two misprinted bills came forth
one with fifty dollar diverse and
hundred dollar reverse, the other with
a hundred dollar diverse and fifty
dollar reverse.
The cashier of the bank was the
first to become aware ofthe error. He
found that something was wrong af-
ter he had paid out the note with the
fifty dollar face and the hundred dol
lar back by coming across the one
with the hundred dollar face and the
fifty dollar back. The note held by
the cashier was returned to the Treas
ury and destroyed, perfect note be-
ing issued in its place. The error
note is now in the possession of col
lector of paper money, who values it
at several thousand dollars.
In the Cos an error of similar ma
ture occurred in which banknote was
printed with the ten dollar diverse
and twenty dollar reverse. While
this bill is not as great rarity as the
other, still its owner would not part
with it for sum much less than that
at which the fifty one hundred dollar
bill is valued.
The reason why it is less valuable
than the other in the eyes of the col
lectors is the belief that more bills
like it were issued, and probably
some of them are still in existence.
Of the former denomination the own
er is absolutely certain that his speci-
men is unique, its companion error
having been destroyed, but there is
no known record of the redemption
of the error with the ten dollar face.
1t is reasonably certain that at least
four of them got into circulation.
Errors were found in the design OF
the 1880 silver certificates. These
were rather the fault of the engraver
than the printer.
On the 1880 notes is found Treas
ury seal entirely different from any
other ever used by the Government.
The kew, which is one of the most
important symbols of the seal, shows
a handle at the left hand side instead
of to the right, as on all others.
The shield is of different shape and
the stars are larger. The two ends
of the band surrounding the symbols
are fastened with buckle, which in
no other instance plays part in the
design of Treasury seal. This is
the only issue of notes on which the
peculiar seal wasused, and paper mon
ey include them among the errors or
freaks.
The one, two, and five dollar silver
certificates and the ten dollar legal
tender bills of the present issue occur
with what is known as inverted backs.
As a matter of fact this is wrong
description, as they are really inver-
ted fronts, for the backs of all bills are
printed first. These bills are sought
by collectors, who pay premium for
them when in fine condition
Another curiosity is one dollar
note of the Second National Bank OF
Ravenna, Ohio. This lacks the sig.
natures of both the president and the
cashier, although it was circulated
and never challenged.
A one dollar national banknote OF
the First National Bank of Fall Riv-
er, Mass, also lacks both signatures,
which seems not to have interfered
with its being offered and accepted as
money. Still another one dollar note
of the First National Bank of Indian
apolis, Ind, lacks the signature oi
the president only.
Slight as are these errors or omis
sions they give additional value Il