IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF BANKERS' CHEQUES AND OTHER PRINTED FORMS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Frederick Hodges, M.D., of Queen's Uni-
versity, Belfast, Ireland, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF BANKERS'
CHEQUES AND OTHER PRINTED FORMS."
Scaled the 26th November 1872, and dated the 29th June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Frederick
Hodges at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th June 1872.
I, JOHN FREDERICK HODGES, M.D., of Queen's University, Belfast,
Ireland, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF
BANKERS' CHEQUES AND OTHER PRINTED FORMS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to prevent the fraudulent alteration of
bankers' cheques and other documents by shewing distinctly when a
fraudulent alteration has been attempted. To this end I use, say for
bankers' cheques, any ordinary tinted paper, and I substitute for the
common printing ink employed in printing such forms common writing

page_text: ink rendered sufficiently stiff for printing by the addition thereto of
starch, paste, or flour. On the reverse of the cheque I print a figured
band with the same kind of ink, and this band I so perforate as not to
offer any impediment to the pen when writing on the cheque, but suffi-
ciently to allow of any chemical solution used to obliterate the writing
passing through the paper, and thereby acting upon the ink both on the
front and back of the cheque. I thus render it impossible to discharge
the writing on the cheque without producing such alterations of color
on the printed portion as will at once attract attention thereto. As the
pattern or device printed on the cheque is readily discharged by any
chemical agent which will remove writing it will be manifest that great
security will be given against the perpetration of fraud by the dishonest
holder of cheques prepared according to my Invention.
This Invention it will be understood applies equally to the preparation
of other forms, the filling in of which it is desired to protect from being
tampered with
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Frederick Hodges in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FREDERICK HODGES, Doctor of Medicine, of Queen's University, Belfast,
Ireland, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Frederick Hodges, Her special licence
that I, the said John Frederick Hodges, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Frederick Hodges, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed,.should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-

page_text: Frederick Hodges, my executors or administrators, by an instrument.
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar monthis next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Frederick Hodges, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner:
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained:
in and by the following statement (that is to say) :—
-
The object of this Invention is to prevent the fraudulent alteration of
bankers' cheques, bills, promissory notes, and other documents by
shewing distinctly when a fraudulent alteration has been attempted to
be made. Bankers' cheques, bills, promissory notes, and other forms of
an analogous character are usually printed with common printer's ink,
which contains oily matter. Instead of using this or any other ink
containing oily or greasy matter I use an ink compounded of the
materials usually employed in making common writing ink, such, for.
instance, as infusions of logwood and nut galls, solution of sulphate of:
iron and alum; and in order to render such ink sufficiently stiff for.
printing I use only as much water as will be sufficient to hold the .
chemical matters in solution, the proportions of the other ingredients.
remaining the same as usual. I add thereto from one to five per cent. -
of starch, flour, gum, or other analogous substance; but I prefer to use
starch, as when acted on by such chemical substance as bromides or
iodides with acids it gives characteristic colours. To these ingredients
I add a small quantity of sugar, molasses, or treacle, which will make
the compound work smoothly. On the back of the cheque, bill, or
other form, and which may be made of any ordinary tinted paper, I
print a figured band with the same kind of non-oleaginous ink, and this
band I perforate with minute holes, which will not offer any impediment
to the pen when writing on the cheque, but should any chemical.
solution be used for the purpose of obliterating the writing the per-
forations will allow the chemical liquid to pass through the paper, and
act upon the ink both on the front and back of the cheque or other
.
•

page_text: form. I thus render it impossible to discharge the writing on the
cheque without producing such alterations of color or discoloration of
the printed portion as will at once attract attention thereto.
In place of perforating the paper as above mentioned I sometimes use
a paper which is slightly porous, or more absorbent than the paper
usually employed, so that the ink and also any chemicals (should any
be used for fraudulent purposes) will to a certain extent pass through the
paper, and will thus more readily act upon the back of the form.
Sometimes cheques are printed in two colours, that is to say, the
name of the banker or banking company is printed in one colour, and
the ornamental or pattern band or bands on which the amount of the
cheque and the name of the drawer are intended to be written are printed
in another colour. In such cases the name of the banker or banking
company, and such other parts of the cheque as are not likely to be
tampered with, may be printed in ordinary printer's ink, while the
pattern bands above referred to may be printed in the prepared ink,
which will be discolored by any chemical agents that may be used to
obliterate or alter what has been written thereon.
As the pattern or device printed in the cheque will be readily dis-
charged by any chemical agent which will remove writing it will be
manifest that greater security will be given against the perpetration of
fraud by the dishonest holder of any cheques, bills, promissory notes,
or other analogous forms that have been prepared according to my
Invention than when the formal part or pattern on these documents or
forms is printed in ordinary printers' ink or other oleaginous preparation.
The Invention it will be understood, although principally intended to
be employed for printing bankers' cheques, is equally applicable for the
preparation of other forms, such as bills, drafts, transfers of shares, scrip,
or share certificates, and other forms which are usually filled in with
writing, and which it is desired to protect from being tampered with.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Pre-
paration of Bankers' Cheques and other Printed Forms," and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, printing cheques,
bills, drafts, promissory notes, transfers of shares, share or scrip certifi-
cates, and other forms, in the mauner above set forth, upon porous paper

page_text: or paper which is afterwards perforated. I claim particularly printing
the ornamental bands or parts of such forms as are intended to receive
writing with an ink or preparation, such as that above set forth, and
also perforating such parts, so that any fraudulent attempt to alter or
obliterate any of the written parts of the cheque, bill, promissory note,
or other form will be at once apparent, and may therefore readily be
detected
In witness whereof, I, the said John Frederick Hodges, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-two.
JOHN F. HODGES. (L.S.)