The Colorado statesman., 1916-03-04
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In other form of printing can the beautiful
soft and yet strong effects in black and white be
obtained in steel engraving. The ntroduc.
ton of cheap mechanical process work has super
seeded the beautiful creations of our master en-,
graver commercially, and find the
limited to the engraving of securities as applied
in the governments bureau of engraving and
printing"
In the engraving division of the big shop the
work is divided and classified that the engray-
individually become skilled in some particular
branch of the art. Therefore it is that they are
classified as portrait, script, square letter and
ornamental engravers. When the classification
and division have been made each workman is
made to conine himself to his specially, and
it is that he becomes extraordinarily expert
The result of this system is that not only better
execution is secured, but much greater amount
is turned out in given time and what, of course,
is of much greater Importance, increased safety
for Uncle Sans belongings is obtained,
Everything which is issued from the engraving
department of Uncle SIMS bureau combines evil
dences of the individual skill and characteristics of
a number of men. Inasmuch the handwork
of several men appears upon each plate, 1t readily
can be understood how difficult a thing 1t is for
any engraver to make perfect reproduction
of of these plates. The combination of differ.
ent styles of Workmanship, all excellent, on a
single plate makes counterfeiting one of the most
difficult things possible.
In the halls of the bureau specimens of the
work to be and examples of the money
shown in different stages of the progress of
the work. No is allowed to the engravers at
their work 1t is absolutely necessary that the
plates should be guarded against theft and so 1t
is that they under watch all through daylight
hours, and at night they are safely placed within
great vaults. One curious thing is to be- noted
the government prints from the original
plate duplicate of it is made and this is used
for the printing. If this were not done and some
thing should happen to the plate first made. IT'S
place would have to be taken by a new one and
even if the skill of the engraver should produce
one almost exactly like the original, it would at
best be only a copy of 1t, and anything that was
printed from the plate would in way be a
counterfeit provided, of course. the original plate
had been used for printing purposes.
Visitors to the bureau shown the printing of
the notes. There six hundred en-
ployees engaged in this work The paper is silk
fibered material and the process of it's manu-
is safeguarded, because it must be kept as
a trade secret. Anyone who is found with paper
of this kind in his possession. an imitation of it,
is a violater of the law.
All of the printing is done on hand presses. A
man with a woman assistant are at each press
There four notes to each sheet. and each
pressman turns out about five hundred sheets
day printed side only. most careful
count is kept of the sheets. The counting is done
by several persons and after it is done the notes
sent to numbering machines, where blue ink
is used to mark the series letter and each notes
number
Every day in the year except Sunday steel
conveyance goes from the bureau of engraving and
printing to tn treasury department, carrying its