Improvements in or Appertaining to Cheques, Drafts, Letters of Credit, Receipts for Money, and other Documents where it is Desirable to Guard the Figures or Written Amounts against Fraudulent Alteration.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in or Appertaining to Cheques, Drafts, Letters of
Credit, Receipts for Money, and other Documents where it is
Desirable to Guard the Figures or Written Amounts against
Fraudulent Alteration.
I GEORGE RAE of 11 Devonshire Place, Claughton, in the County of Chester,
Banker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
This invention is designed to protect from fraudulent alteration the sum or quantity
expressed in figures or in writing in the body of any cheque drawn upon a Bank or
Banker, or of other document as hereinafter specified and to de this without complexity
of design, obscurity of method, loss of time, or difficulty of execution.
In respect of cheques, I carry out my invention by means of a scale of fixed and
limiting sums in Pounds Sterling or if for foreign countries, in dollars, Francs,
or other denominations engraved, impressed or printed on the face or on the back of
the cheque, or partly on both, on a plain or prepared surface, in printer's ink or any
other medium, and in any colour. Each limiting sum has a space in line with it to
receive the figure or figures representing the sum for which the cheque is drawn,
whereby the drawer of the cheque is enabled to indicate and verify the sum in the
scale which is next in excess of the sum of the cheque, and thus render any enlarge-
ment of the cheque by the description of fraud hereafter mentioned, impossible in
any
case (beyond the amount hereafter stated), without the absolute effacement of such
figure or figures and their fraudulent insertion at some other point.
In applying any invention to cheques for ordinary banking purposes, I place
preferably on the face of the document, a column having at its top the word "Under"
or its equivalent. Below this word, I place the series of amounts such as £30, £130,
£230, £330, £1300, £2300, £3300, and £23000, with a blank space for any higher
sum and limit.
If found desirable, the value in words of each of these limiting suns, may also be
printed in the aforesaid spaces. For foreign money, I give limiting suins to suit the
necessities of the language employed.
The column of limiting sums and their corresponding column of spaces are pre-
ferably placed vertically on the left hand side of the cheque face, the sums increasing
in magnitude from the top to the bottom of the column.

page_text: In drawing a cheque of this description, the numerical amount of the cheque
is preferably, first written in its proper space as herein described, on the left hand side
of the cheque, and the written amount, date, name of payee, and signature, are then
written on the right hand side thereof.
In a cheque, such as the above, the mode of procedure and the amount of writing
required in drawing the cheque are exactly the same as in an ordinary cheque, the
sole difference between the two cheques being in the position of the numerical
value.
A cheque thus desigued, will enable the drawer or signatory thereof to protect its
amount from fraudulent enlargement in any case, except to the extent hereafter
staved, provided the cheque has been drawn for any amount under the greatest limiting
sum thereon.
22
A self-protective cheque of this description will render it impossible to "raise" the
amount of the cheque to higher figures, by the fraudulent addition of a "y" or "ty
to certain units, turning Two into Five, Twenty into Seventy, or One into Four (by
the prefixion of an F) especially when such units stand as the initial figures of
larger sums.
"
"
Cheques for £3, 4, 5,
£20, 21.
etcetera up to £9
€29
"
"
"
27.
£100, 101
£199
"
33
"
"3
£200, 201
£299
"
"
23
"
£1000, 1001
£1999
"
";
"
£2000, 2001
£2999
"
"
"
"
£21000, 2.100.1.
£21999
17
"
"1
£22000, 22001
79
"
£22999
These virtually comprise the whole range of sums which require protection, against
this description of fraud, and the protective portion of the Cheque boing based on a
recognition of this fact, a range of Limits is found to suffice which reaches the
minimum in point of Scale, and the maximum, in amount of protection afforded
which have been attained thus far in a practicable form on the face of any one
cheque.
The act of protection involves no loss of time, as the drawer of the cheque has
merely to insert the numerical amount of the chequo in the cash column on the
margin of the cheque, instead of in the usual corner to the left of his signature.
For example
:-

page_text: And similar examples might be multiplied. In each of the above examples, the
written amount could also be readily altered as aforesaid to correspond with the
altered numerical amount.
And it has specially to be noted, that the printing of Cheques on paper elaborately
engraved, or on paper rendered keenly sonsitive to the slightest touch of chemicals,
although invaluable as against all other forms of attack, affords no protection against
the class of frauds in question, whereas the self-protective cheque such as described
would render them impracticable to any serious amount, that is to say :-
•
Cheques from £1 to £419, (and these constitute more than Ninety per cent. in
number of all cheques drawn) could not, in any case, ho raised beyond £3; whilst
cheques for larger amounts up to £3300, could in no caso be raised beyond £72.
When £3,300 is passed, the danger of "raising" by the method of fraud in
question, becomes limited, in any caso to £372, until £21,000 and other raisable
amounts are reached; but these could be protected to any amount against enlarge
mont beyond £372 in any case, by the addition of £23,000, £83,000, etcetera, to
tho scale of limits.
The spaces for receiving the numerical amounts may be distinguished from each
other by different forms of shading, or by a line or lines passing through each space
diagonally at different points, or by both combined, or by forming any picture or
diagram so arranged that no transposition of any two parts could take place without
its being at once discernible, my object being to render impossible without detection
the alteration and cutting out of the amount and its re-insertion in the line of some
other limiting sum.
The principle of my self-protective cheque is applicable, subject to variation in
details, to Letters of Credit, forms of Bills of Exchange, drafts after date or on
demand, receipts for money, warehouse warrants, bills of lading, or any other
documents whereon it is desirable to guard the figures or written amounts whether
relating to money, weights, measures or quantities, against fraudulent alteration.
Also, the principle is equally applicable to cheques payable to order or to bearer.
In those cases where a foreign language is used as already stated the limiting
sums used must be those best adapted for that language. Thus, in French the only
numerals, which are easily altered are "six" and "dix and the principal frauds are
the addition of a figure.
The following figures would, therefore, suffice :-
as these are in almost every case differing in the number of figures in a line, I may
space the spaces out in a graduated scale so that each line shall only contain spaces
for limiting sum, and these spaces can be placed at the latter end of the cheque instead
of at the beginning if preferred, a plan which will suit the United States System. It
will then be impossible to extend the sum by the pre-fixture or addition of any other
figure or figures.

page_text: İmprovements in or Appertaining to Cheques, Drafts, Letters of
Credit, Receipts for Money, and other Documents where it is
Desirable to Guard the Figures or Written Amounts against
Fraudulent Alteration.
I, GEORGE RAE, of 11, Devonshire Place Birkenhead in the County of Chester
Banker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention is for improvements on or variations of my invention as set forth in
my previous patent No. 14985 of 1886.
The present invention is also designed to protect from fraudulent alteration, the
sum or quantity expressed in figures or in writing in the body of any cheque drawn
upon a Bank or Banker, or of other document as hereinafter specified, and to do this
without complexity of design, obscurity of method, loss of time, or difficulty of
execution.
In respect of cheques, I carry out my invention by means of a scale of fixed and
limiting sums in Pounds Sterling, or if for foreign countries, in dollars, francs, or other
denominations engraved, impressed or printed on the face or on the back of the
cheque, or partly on both, on a plane or prepared surface, in printer's ink or any
other medium, and in any colour. Each limiting sun has a space in line with it to
receive the figure or figures representing the sum for which the cheque is drawn,
whereby the drawer of the cheque is enabled to indicate and verify the sum in the
scale which is next in excess of the sum of the check, and thus render any enlarge-
ment of the cheque by the description of fraud hereafter mentioned, impossible in any
case (beyond the amount hereafter stated), without detection.
The drawing annexed hereto, illustrates my invention.
In applying my invention to cheques for ordinary banking purposes, 1 place
preferably on the face of the document, a column having at its top the word "Under"
or its equivalent. Below this word, I place the series of amounts such as £30, £130,
£230, £330, £1300, £2,300, £3,300, £23,000, £33,000, £43,000, £53,000, between
any or all of which amounts, I may insert intermediate limiting suns, if I see fit.
The scale, with cash column attached, could be continued on the back or other part of
the cheque to any higher range of limiting figures.
If found desirable, the value in words of each of these limiting sums, may also be
printed in the aforesaid spaces. For foreign money, I give limiting suns to suit the
necessities of the language employed.
The column of limiting sums and their corresponding column of spaces, are
preferably placed vertically on the left hand side of the cheque face, the sums
increasing in magnitude from the top to the bottom of the column.
In a cheque, such as the above, the mode of procedure and the amount of writing
required in drawing the cheque are exactly the same as in an ordinary cheque,
the sole difference between the two cheques being in the position of the numerical
value.
A cheque thus designed will enable the drawer or signatory thereof to protect. its
amount from fraudulent enlargement in any case, except to the extent hereafter stated,
provided the cheque has been drawn for any amount under the greatest limiting sum
$liereon.

page_text: A solf protective cheque of this description will render it impossible to "raiso" the
actual amount of a cheque, however carelessly drawn to higher figures, by the
fraudulent addition of a "y" or "ty" to certain units or by turning Twenty into
Seventy or One into Four or Two into Five, in all cases where such units stands as
the initial figures of larger sums, without immediate detection.
The figures exposed to this method of attack are those of
"
And unless thus safeguarded, it would often be an easy fraud, owing to the loose
way in which many cheques are drawn, to "raise" the written amount of the above
cheques by a skilful use of the pen as follows,
A cheque for
Eight Pounds
Twenty Pounds
One hundred Pounds
Two hundred Pounds
One thousand Pounds
One thousand one hundred Pounds
Two thousand Pounds
might be raised to
Eighty Pounds
Seventy Pounds
Four hundred Pounds
Five hundred Pounds
Four thousand Pounds
Four thousand four hundred Pounds
Five thousand Pounds
And similar examples might be multiplied.
In the above and similar examples, the numerical amount could be altered in the
majority or cases to correspond with the altered written amount without detection.
And it has specially to be noted, that the printing of cheques on paper elaborately
engraved, or on paper rendered keenly sensitive to the slightest touch of chemicals,
although invaluable as against all other forms of attack, affords no protection against
he class of frauds in question, whereas a self-protective cheque such as herein
lescribed would render them impracticable to any serious amount, that is to
ay:-
:
Cheques for amounts ranging from £1 to £329 could not in any case be raised
beyond £3 without detection.

page_text: Cheques for amounts ranging from £330 to £3,299 could not in the extremest case
be raised beyond £72, that is to say; the written amount of cheques loosely drawn
for £408, £508 etc. might be raisable to £480, £580 etc., but the figures of such
cheques would have to be raised at the same time, from 08 to 80, a process hardly
possible without detection.
Cheques for £3300 up to £53,000 could in no case be raised beyond £372.
The spaces for receiving the numerical amounts may be distinguished from each
other by different forms of shading, or by a line or lines passing through each space
diagonally at different points, or by both combined, or by forming any picture or
diagram so arranged that no transposition of any two parts could take place without
its being at once discernable, my object being to render impossible without detection,
the alteration and cutting out of the amount, and its re-insertion in the line of some
other limiting sum.
The principle of my self protective cheque is applicable, subject to variation in
details, to Letters of Credit, forms of Bills of Exchange, drafts after date or on
demand, receipts for money, warehouse warrants, bills of lading, or any other
documents whereon it is desirable to guard the figures or written amounts, whether
relating to money, weights, measures or quantities, against fraudulent alteration.
Also, the principle is equally applicable to cheques payable to order or to
bearer.
In those cases where a foreign language is used, as already stated, the limiting
sums used must be those best adapted for that language.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improvements upon or variations of my former invention No. 14985 of 1886,
taken as a whole, substantially set forth and illustrated, also the following points as
far as they differ from my former invention taken separately:
(a) The special scale of limiting sums, substantially as described, by virtue of
which no cheque for any amount from £1 to £329 could be fraudulently raised
without detection beyond £3, nor any cheque from £330 to £3299 beyond £72, nor
any cheque from £3,300 to £52,999 beyond £372, by the addition of a y or ty to
certain units, or by turning Twenty into Seventy, or one into Four, or Two into Five,
a class of frauds against which the paper on which a cheque is engraved, however
chemically sensitive, or elaborately engraved affords no protection whatsoever.
(b) In a choque or other like document, a column of engine turned or other spaces
for cash figures forming preferably the only place for writing in figures the amount
to be drawn for, and on one side of this cash column (preferably the left), the
progressive scale of limiting sums, as above described, headed and governed by the
word "under" or its equivalent, by which arrangement the numerical amount of a
cheque can be inserted in line with a limiting sum, the said scale of limiting sums
being so chosen or arranged as to prevent the figures of the cheque or other
document, or their written amount from being fraudulently raised beyond the amounts
above written, without immediate detection, whereby effective protection is afforded
against such frauds, without imposing any more labour on the drawer than that
required in the filling up of a cheque of ordinary form.
2000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.