Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-08
THE DADDIES OF
DOLLARS
By Frederic J. Haskin
" ASHINGTON, D. c., May s.
~ Filed away in pigeon-holes in

w a vault OF government bulld-
ing in Washington are certain
metallic plates, which, if they could
be dexterously removed from their
resting places by a master crook,
would probably constitute the richest
haul that it would be possible for
such an individual to make in all the
world.
These objects are the steel plates
from which the currency of the
United States government is printed
The possessor Of the master plate for
the ten thousand dollar bill, for ex-
ample, should be in a better position
to enrich himself than if he could
steal the largest package of those
bills already in existence. He would
be confronted with the mere task Of
counterfeiting paper and ink, where
upon he would become privately
operated United States Treasury.
These plates from which the money
of the United States is made are in
a huge vault in the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing in Washington.
That bureau some years ago built
for itself a factory which is con-
sidered a model. One of it's pur-
poses was, of course, security, and
in the interest of this security. it
took great pains in the construction
of the holy of holes in which should
rest plates from which its money
was made.
There is probably no vault in the
world that is more scientifically built
or more thoroughly protected from
robbery than is this plate-vault of
the governments money factory. 1t
is located in the basement. of the
great building, and it's doors are so
stupendous that, but for their deli
cate Ringing, it would require team
of horses to open them. Once closed
T. 411 - Il e. I.
Explosive Division of the Ordnance
Department to work it's way through
the highly tempered steel and into
this vault if it were given a week to
perform the task. When this door
is closed for the night. there is no
man in the world who can open it
until the time lock has licked off the
hours to the time set for it's release.
Despite this virtual impenetrability
many other safeguards are thrown
around this plate vault of the Treas
ways heavily guarded. A Waterman
may stand upon the bridge which is
in front of the great door to this
vault and watch all sides of it with
out changing his position. He can
look down the aisle in one direction
and, because of an ARRANGEMENT of
mirrors at each corner, his vision
will run entirely around the vault
and he will see himself at his post.
Likewise he can look over the top
of the vault and around it in that
direction. So this single Waterman,
throughout the night, is able to as
sure himself by mere glance that
no one is near this mausoleum of
money.
Every master plate from which
every piece of currency that the gov
eminent has ever printed since it's
beginning is deposited in this great
vault. There one may see the master
plate from which came the first dol
lar bill that the United States ever
master plate for every piece of paper
money of every denomination that
this government has ever issued
There may be seen the plates from
which the stamps are made and those
that have produced the Liberty and
Victory Loan Bonds that have called
forth the billions from the pockets
of America.
This business of making plates
from which to print the money of
the government is in itself an in
dustry of no mean proportion. 1t is
housed in the wing of the great
building beneath which is to be
found the plate vault. The best
artists of America compete in max
of the bills that the government
prints for use as money. Engravers
transfer these paintings to the steel
from which the sacred plates are to
be made. Weeks are spent in cut
ting given picture into a piece of
spent life time upon the speciality
of letter upon this steel. Another
may do nothing but scroll work,
while still another .specializes on the
heads of individuals whose pictures
appear on the. money. The soft steel
plate moves from one to another of
these artists until it eventually
energies in perfect form. From it is
made master plate and from the
master plates are made the requisite
number for use On the presses in
printing the governments money.
Since there is no other agency in
the nation which is authorized to
print money, there is no private in
dustry from which this money fac
lessons that are to it's advantage.
1t has been necessary that it should
stand alone and develop it's own
methods and it's own devices. In this
way it has produced many industrial
n9velties which Iao are to be seen aee1an no
a. device for measuring the hardness;
of these steel plates, for they must
be very hard to stand long runs and
give the clear printing which is
necessary. One would suppose that
the hardness Of this steel would have
to be tested by attempting to cut it
with a file or some such tool. AS a
matter of fact such method would
be crude and ineffective. There is a
method of accurately measuring its
hardness without so much as scratch
ing it.
The device which does this work is
glass tube some two feet long,
upon which is etched scale of inches
like that on ruler. At the top of
the form of a cartridge. 1t is about
the size of the cartridge of a
twenty-five rifle. This little metal
cartridge has a diamond at it's tip.
This tube with it's cartridge is
he Sar IPsn of over whth steer to
tested. A spring is touched which
releases the little cartridge which
drops upon its diamond nose upon
the steel plate. When this diamond
hits the steel it rebounds. The dis
lance it will leap back up the tube
the steel: Upon striking the hardest
of the plates that are to be manu-
featured here the cartridge will jump
four times as high as it will when
striking the soft plates that are just
from the engraver. The quick eye
of the tester watches the little cart
ridge to see how high it climbs and
instantly knows the degree of hard
ness of his plate. Unless it is just
right for the delicate task of print
ing the nations money it is sent
back to the furnace rooms where it
is heated and tempered and retem-
pered until its consistency is what it
should be.
sary to make considerable number of
the printing. plates, which are soon
worn out in the printing of money.
These duplicate plates must be
checked in and out with infinite cars,
SO that it is impossible for anyone
to spirit one of them away for the
purpose of counterfeiting. When
these duplicates show any degrees
of wear they are loaded on a truck