The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-11-22
BEST BANKNOTES.
They Are Produced by American
Talent and Methods.
HARDEST TO COUNTERFEIT.
From tho Tina of Paul Revere, the
Firot American Banknoto Artist
Ours Have Boon More Cis;cult to
Initiate Than Those OF the Old World.

Firat American Banknota Artist,
Ours Have Boon More Oi:s.Tcult to
Initiate Than Those Of the Old World.
To say that Americans make tie besr
banknOtes in tie world may souud ut
first rather Ooastful, and Yet any MIS-
tory Of the art and industry of note
engraving which failed TO record that
fact would be incomplete. Paul Re-
we're was the first American banxnote
artist, and from the time of the char,
tering Of the Bank Of North America
under the direction of Robert Morris,
In 1871, up to the present American
engravers have excelled not only in the
artistic quality Of their designs, but in
their provisions against cOunterfeiting.
Marco Polo found banknOtes In Chi
M ages ago, printed on paper made
from the bark Of the mulberry tree.
One Of the notes upon which the great
Venetian traveller himself may have
gazed Is on exhibition at this day in
the Office Of an American company. 1t
Is one Of series issued by the Ming
dynasty about 1899 A. D.-"current
anywhere under heayen"-and seems
to have been printed from wooden
blocks on a sheet Of paper nine by
thirteen inches. bigger surface than
any man could cover with both hands
outstretched. 1t Is good for lone
string Of cash." The provision against
forgery is simple to the point Of sever
ity: "COunterfeiters hereof will be ex-
ecuted. Persons giving information of
counterfeiters will be rewarded with
taels $50 and In addition will receive
the property belonging to the crimi-
nal"
Another great government has placed
much dependence upon death as a de-
terent to imitators Of Its promises to
pay. When Jacob Perkins Of New
buryport, Mass, invented the method
OF transferring designs from hardened
steel plates to steel cylinders and re-
transferring to fiat plates. thus en-
abling the engraver to devote the time
necessary to accomplish his best work
In the original and reproduce 1t at will,
the new process aroused international
interest. Mr.. Perkins and his asso.
ciates went to London in 1919 at the
instance Of the British minister at
Washington to help the Bank Of Eng
land to Issue notes not easily counter.
feited. But the conservative old bank
refused to adopt the new method, pre-.
ferring, as one Of the Americans said,
to rely upon the hangman rather than
the engraver Nevertheless the Eng
lish began In time TO follow American
methods after the ceometric lathe had
been Invented by Asa Spencer Of Neg
London. Conn. and Improved by Cyrus
Durand
The governments or continental Eu-
rope depend exclusively upon color
work to protect their paper currency.
and several Of the large banks Of issue
have civil engineers in charge Of their
bureau OF engraving and printing.
though what connection there may be
between engineering and engraving IS
mystery. Many Italian banknotes
are easy to counterfeit. The Bank of
Spain has Of late abandoned its own
plant because its notes were initiated
so successfully that cOunterfeits were
accepted by the bank without ques-
don. A private concern now does the
work. The Bank Of Greece now uses
the American method, having had sad
experiences with notes Of Austrian.
German and English fashiOning.
A myth that probably will never die
tells us that the notes Of the Bank OF
England cannot be cOunterfeited. AZ
a matter Of fact, they can he imita ted
readily enough. for little attempt is
made to protect the notes beyond tho
use OF watermark paper. The wa.
ter1mark can be easily copied.
One practical safeguard Of great eff.
fectivcness is the custom Of the Bank
OF England to cancel every note that Is
returned to the bank and issue anoth-
er In It's place. This and the practice
OF keeping Il record Of the numbers OF
all bank notes used in every business
establishment keep alive keen sense
or responsibility witch adds to secu-
rity. The custom "a circulating soiled
banknotes, OF course. gives the coun-
terfeiter his best opportunity. Forgery
Is much more readily detected in a
crisp, stiff. new bill than In rumpled
and dirty one.
The American style Of banknote has
become the standard in the countries
OF Central and South America. The
experience Of the Brazilian government
led the way In this after various dis
appointments. First the much vaunt-
Ell Austrian system was tried, the
noNc5 being engraved and printed in
Ereand under that system. They
prov cd complete failure. Counter
fel RS f"urished. The Brazilians tried
hai.'no,,s made in France, and these
W'' promptly and extensively imitat.