Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-03
HISTORIC NOTES
Curious Bits of Paper Preserved by
Bank of Enuland.

Bank OF England.
If the bank notes which have been
issued by the "Old Lady Of Thread
needle Street" had been gifted with the
power of speech, with what innunler-
able tales Of romance, tragedy and
adventure they could have enriched
the world! says London Tit-Bits. For
instance, there is preserved in the
Bank of England library five-pound
note with these words written upon 1t:
IF this note gets into the hands Of
John Dear Of Ionghill, near Carlisle,
his brother Andrew is prisoner in
Algiers."
This notification was copied into
Carlisle newspaper and John Dear thus
became aware Of the whereabouts Of
his long-lost brother.
Among other curiosities in the bank
library there Is a bank note, dated
18th Xber, 1699," for 555 pounds. This
is the oldest bank note known to be in
existence. In appearance and design
1t is very similar to the present day
notes.
Another interesting note Is one for
1000 pounds which Lord Cochraue
paid as a fine, imposed upon him for
his enormously supposed connection
with fraud for raising public funds.
1t is endorsed with these words:
my health having suffered by long
and close confinement, and my orpres-
sors having resolved to deprive Inc Of
property and. life, submit to robbery
to protect myself from murder, in the
hope that 1 shall live to bring the de-
linquents to justice.-Cochrane, Grat-
ed Chamber, Kings Bench Prison, 8
July, 1875"
One Of the most unique notes in the
bank collection Is one for 25 pounds
which was presented and honored Ill
years after it had been issued.
The greatest amount for which a
Bank Of England note has been issued
is 100000 pounds. There are only
four Of these million-pound notes in
existence. One Is preserved in the Ii
brary Of the bank, another is in the
possession Of the Rothschild family, a
third is owned by Messrs. Coutts, the
famous bankers, and the fourth is in
the hands Of the descendants Of Sam
uel Rogers, the poet.
In the production Of their notes the
Bank Of England authorities first aim
is to issue a note which is impossible
for anybody to counterfeit. Toward
the end, all the parts Of the note-the
paper, the water-mark, the ink, the
engraving, the printing-are prepared
and done in a special, and as far as
possible, secret manner. At the mills
where the paper is ma..ufactured the
most stringent precautions ere taken
to prevent any Of the paper being
stolen. OF course, there have been
many attempted robber!es, but only
once, in the year 1852, were thieves
successful in obtaining any Of the pa
per. Very shortly afterward forged
notes were in circulation The thieves
did not enjoy their triumph long, for
d
ed.
The printing is done on the bank
premises. The notes are printed In
pairs and come off the machine press
ed and dried.
Stock notes Of different values from
S pounds to 1000 pounds, are kept in
iron safes in one large room, and the
average value of the stock is between
eighty and ninety million pounds. Over
80, 900 notes Of various values are paid
into the bank every day. On their re-
turn the notes are sorted, first into
their respective values, then according
20 their dates, and finally into their
numerical order. Every note has a
place of it's own in the bank registers,
and Immediately the notes are sorted
their return Is registered.
A special staff Of examining clerks
devote their attention to detecting for
geries. OF late years there have not
been many cases Of forged notes, but
during the eighteenth and early part
of the nineteenth centuries the bank
suffered severe losses from counterfeit
notes. The story Of the first recorded
forgery forms a unique chapter in the
book of romance. A certain linen
draper named Vaughan, was passion
ately in love with fair maiden whose
father was a man Of considerable
wealth. The love-sick swain knew that
the quickest way to win the girl was
to give some proof that he was man
of means To this end he employed
several men to engrave for him
Bank of England note for 20 pounds.
When twelve Of the notes had been
worked off he presented them to his
lady fair Unluckily the imposition
was soon discovered, and poor Waugh
an was hanged.
One Of the cleverest and most won
derful note forgeries was committed
by a schoolrnaster, who manufactured
the counterfeit entirely with pen and
ink. He also was unfortunate enough
to live in the hanging days. and, the
crime being brought home to. him, he