1856.] on the Security and Manufacture of Bank Notes. 27^ 



the white paper ; and then the Note itself to be printed over this iu 

 black — we should have a mixture of black print over red. In 

 attempting to take an Anastatic or Photographic copy of this 

 compound note, we shall have one printing-plate as the result : that 

 is to say, that which was printed first in red, and that which was 

 printed afterwards in black upon that red, is produced intermixed 

 upon one plate, and whatever printing colour you apply to that 

 plate for the purpose of producing an impression, you have the 

 result of the two impressions in one colour ; and the point, wherein 

 lies the difficulty, is that the separation of the two printings first 

 referred to, in diiferent colours, cannot be effected without destroying 

 the combined transfer. The more elaborate and artistic the second 

 working in colour is rendered, the more the difficulty of dissection 

 is increased. Again, another reason for employing artistic and 

 elaborate work, is to thwart the efforts of the forger, supposing him 

 to make use of the transfer for the purpose of engraving by hand, 

 instead of using the chemical transfer. Also : if instead of taking 

 those colours that are copyable by the agency of Hght, colours 

 are selected that are not copyable, we shall have a result, which, 

 though not precisely the same, presents difficulties equally insu- 

 perable ; provided the work be of that character which is produced 

 by the rose-engine-work : for, if these colours are not copyable by 

 this agency, and those colours represent work which cannot be copied 

 on the score of mechanical imitation, the forger stands in the same 

 difficult predicament as before. To these points the attention of 

 Banking authorities has been already awakened, as the adoption 

 of it, in whole or in part, has become a prominent feature in 

 commercial securities. 



With regard to these processes, admitting that they are, as they 

 really are, — the latter especially, — dangerous where the execution is 

 indifferent in character ; or, on the other hand, that they are not, 

 or that they are merely put forward to subserve a business purpose, 

 — in either case they should not be disregarded. If no notice be 

 taken of them by bankers, if forgers perceive that increased facilities 

 for copying are not met by increased efforts to defeat them, such 

 indifference only gives encouragement for cultivating forgery as 

 a science. 



Casual mention only has been made of the water-mark, not 

 regarding it as unimportant, but secondary to the main consideration ; 

 for a successful copy of a good engraving upon a spurious water- 

 mark is more likely to impose upon the ignorant, than an inferior 

 engraving upon the genuine water-mark. If then the water-mark 

 were backed by the excellence of Art and engraving, it might 

 safely be asserted that the Bank Note was unforgcable. But it may be 

 said, the paper thus alone furnishes an absolute security, why make 

 so great a parade of Art, design, engraving, &c., in its manufacture? — 

 Because, whatever internal security exists in the paper, tends rather 



