IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INKS OR WRITING FLUIDS TO BE USED WITH CERTAIN KINDS OF PAPER FOR THE PREVENTION OF FRAUDULENT ALTERATIONS IN BANKERS' DRAUGHTS, NOTES, CHEQUES, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS IN WHICH IT IS IMPORTANT TO AVOID ALTERATION OR ERASURE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Craven Baildon, of Edinburgh, Chemist, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INKS OR WRITING
FLUIDS TO BE USED WITH CERTAIN KINDS OF PAPER FOR THE PREVENTION OF
FRAUDULENT ALTERATIONS IN BANKERS' DRAUGHTS, NOTES, CHEQUES, AND
OTHER DOCUMENTS IN WHICH IT IS IMPORTANT TO AVOID ALTERATION OR
ERASURE."
Sealed the 18th November 1864, and dated the 12th September 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Craven Baildon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th September 1864.
I, HENRY CRAVEN BAILDON, of Edinburgh, Chemist, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INKS
OR WRITING FLUIDS TO BE USED WITH CERTAIN KINDS OF PAPER FOR THE PRE-
VENTION OF FRAUDULENT ALTERATIONS IN BANKERS' DRAUGHTS, NOTES, CHEQUES,
AND OTHER DOCUMENTS IN WHICH IT IS IMPORTANT TO AVOID ALTERATION OR
ERASURE," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the prevention of fraudulent alterations in
bankers' drafts, notes, cheques, and other documents in which it is important
to avoid alteration or erasure. And my Invention consists in the use of an
ink or writing fluid composed of an acid and a colouring matter that can be
combined therewith; also of a paper the colour in which may be discharged
by such acid and the texture changed by the action thereof in those parts that

page_text: are written upon. By this means the writing will be seen on both sides of
the paper, and the texture thereof in the parts affected by the neid will be so
changed as to provent the possibility of erasure or alteration. Tho ink or
writing fluid above referred to is or may be composed of diluted sulphuric
acid, made according to the British Pharmacopoeia, and indigo pasto as a
colouring matter, in the proportions of a quarter of an ounce of indigo paste
to three quarters of an ounce of diluted sulphuric acid. And the paper
intended to be used is blue-wove paper, or other paper tinted or coloured with
any colouring matter which will be acted upon by the acid so as to discharge
the colour at the back of the document. The above proportions of acid and
colouring matter used in the composition of the ink or writing fluid may be
varied to suit different kinds of paper, and other acids besides sulphuric acid
may be employed for the purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Craven Baildon in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CRAVEN BAILDON, of Edinburgh, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Craven Baildon, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Craven Baildon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Henry Craven Baildon, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INES OR WRITING FLUIDS TO BE USED
WITH CERTAIN KINDS OF PAPER FOR THE PREVENTION OF FRAUDULENT ALTERATIONS
IN BANKERS' DRAUGHTS, NOTES, CHEQUES, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS IN WHICH IT IS
IMPORTANT TO AVOID ALTERATION OB ERASURE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Craven Baildon, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Craven Baildon, 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):
My Invention has for its object the prevention of fraudulent alterations in
bankers' draughts, notes, cheques, and other documents in which it is important
to avoid alteration or erasure. And my Invention consists in the use of an
ink or writing fluid composed of an acid and coloring matter that can be
combined therewith; also of a paper the colour in which may be discharged
and changed by such acid, and the texture of the paper also changed and
weakened by the action thereof in those parts that are written upon. By this
means the texture of the paper in the parts affected by the acid will be so
changed and weakened as to prevent the possibility of alteration or erasure,
and the ink or writing fluid, by penetrating through the paper, will be seen
on both sides thereof. The ink or writing fluid above referred to is or may
be composed of diluted sulphuric acid, made according to the British Phar-
macopoeia, and indigo paste as a coloring matter, in the proportions of a quarter
of an ounce of indigo paste to three quarters of an ounce of diluted sulphuric
acid; but I prefer adding to the indigo paste a small proportion of magenta
crystals or other aniline colouring matter. And the paper intended to bo
used is blue tinted paper, or paper tinted or colored with any coloring matter
which will be acted upon by the acid so as to discharge and change the color
at the back of the paper and weaken the texture of the
paper. The paper
preferred is a paper tinted or colored with ultramarine (which may be of a
deeper tint than usual), but paper colored green, or otherwise colored, may
also be used. The above proportions of acid and coloring matter used in
the composition of the ink or writing fluid may be varied to suit different
kinds of paper; that is to say, the strength of the acid used with the indigo
paste (or sulphate of indigo) in preparing the ink may be increased according
to the texture of the paper to be acted upon, and other acids besides sulphuric
acid may be employed for the purpose.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I do not claim as of this
Invention the use of an ink or writing fluid for only discharging color from
paper; but what I claim as of my Invention is, the use, for the purpose
described, of paper tinted or colored with a coloring matter susceptible of

page_text: being acted upon by sulphuric or other destructive acid combined with the
use of an ink composed of sulphuric or other destructive acid and a coloring
matter, such ink being capable of discharging and changing the color of the
paper, and changing and weakening the texture thereof in those parts
written upon, in such a manner as to prevent alteration in or crasure of tho
writing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Craven Baildon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lanc.
H. C. BAILDON. (L.B.)