The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-08-13
NEW FACE ON BILL
REDESIGNING PLANNED BY THE
TREASURY OFFICIALS.
Likeness of Former President Cleve-
land to Be on Ten Dollar Note;
May Abolish All Twos; Less Gin
gerbread Work on Uncle Sans
Money; Cut Down the Size of
the Currency.

the paper money of the country are to
take place soon.
Secretary MacVeagh, Assistant Sec
rotary Norton and Director Ralph of
the bureau of engraving and printing
have under consideration general
scheme for systematizing the designs
of all issues of paper money in such
a manner that the same portraits and
emblems will appear on all notes OF
the same denomination.
1t also is proposed that each of the
designs shall be so distinctive that
no confusion as to the denomination
signified shall occur. A change in the
size of the governments paper currency
also is under contemplation.
Cleveland's Picture on $40 Bill
1t can be stated authoritatively that
a portrait of the late Grover Cleveland
soon is to appear on all ten dollar bills.
This plan has been in contemplation
before and practically was ordered by
George b. COrtelyou, formerly secre-
tary of the treasury Secretary Mac
Veagh upon entering office, held the
order up, not on account of political
considerations, but in order to permit
the question of a general redesigning
of the paper money of the country to
be taken up.
The director of the bureau of engrav
ing and printing has completed tenta
tive new designs to go upon all the
paper money of national issue, such
as silver certificates, gold certificates,
and treasury notes, and they now are
up for approval by Assistant Secretary
IN charge.
He already has definitely decided to
recommend Cortelyou's order relating
to the imprint of the portrait of ex-
President Cleveland upon all ten dollar
bills
May Abolish Two Dollar Note.
Distinctive designs for one dollar,
five dollar, twenty dollar, and fifty
dollar bills, and perhaps those of even
higher denominations, have been pre-
pared The two dollar bill may be
abolished, it is reported. It's fate now
hangs in the balance, there having been
many complaints directed against it,
owing to its tendency to stealthily
slip i'm with its one dollar brothers and
cause woe. If the two dollar bill is
retained, it is certain that its design
will be such as to make it flash out
from a pile of one dollar or five dollar
bills with a prominence that will per-
NIT of no mistake in its handling
The treasury officials are seeking
suggestions from artists of the bureau
of engraving and printing, and from
artists and experts outside the govern
ment service. They even have sent to
Europe for new ideas by which the
paper money may be improved in APP
pearance.
to favor even more radical change,
and recommend that paper money be
reduced to about the size of French
and Italian notes of smaller denomina-
tions. These notes are about three
fifths the size of the American kind,
and are more convenient to handle.
Would Cut Down Expense.
By reducing the size of the notes
a considerable saving could be effected
in the expense of getting them out,
and this is a consideration with the
present administration, which has
adopted a policy of small economies
in all departments with the view of
bringing the government expenses down
to the revenues and thus wiping out
the present deficit.
In general it is the purpose of the
treasury officials to adopt new designs
for different denominations and classes
of paper money that are simpler and
more artistic than the present ones.
1t is the feeling of the officials and
of the artists that the present designs
are altogether too elaborate, with too
much scroll work, ETC. More plain
surface, they believe, would greatly
improve the appearance of the bills.
Many new precautions are to be taken
against counterfeiting.
ExPresident McKinley's portrait al
ready is carried on bank notes of GER
tain denominations and therefore will
hardly be used to decorate the govern
ment issues. The portraits of other
deceased presidents and prominent
Americans, however, may be looked for,
bearing in mind that they will appear
upon all classes of currency of an
equal denomination, whether treasury
note, silver certificate, gold certificate,
or greenback.
Change in Size Causes Concern.
The matter of change in the size Of
the notes is giving the most concern,
for it is realized that if this takes
place the issues of bank notes event
ually will have to conform. Inasmuch
as $500,000,000 in bank notes have
been printed recently and slowed away,
the change in the size is somewhat of
a question to consider.