On the Preventio7i of Forgery. 145 



part of the subject, we wish to suggest, for the consideration 9f those hy 

 whose judgment such a question may be properly decided, whether it 

 might not be expedient to offer a very large reward for the apprehension 

 and conviction of a person actually engaged in forging bank notes. We are 

 aware of the objections which exist against the system of pecuniary rewards, 

 and are fully impressed with a sense of the evils that may arise from a too 

 general adoption of it. But the circumstances under which the crime of 

 forgery exists in this country are peculiar ; and it appears to us hardly pos- 

 sible that those evils, which might be anticipated from the offer of a reward 

 in the case of some other crimes, could follow from such an offer in this 

 case ; and knowing how many individuals must be saved from punishment 

 by the conviction of one actual forger, we venture to recommend the adop- 

 tion of this measure, to be concurrent with such an improvement in the form 

 of the note as we hope to see effected. 



Having been furnished with such information as was within our reach, 

 relative to the subject of our inquiry, we, in the ^next place, proceeded to 

 examine more in detail the several projects submitted to us. In pursuing 

 this examination, we have not indulged the vain expectation of finding any 

 plan for a bank note, which shall not be imitable by the skill of English 

 artists, and we have considered that it would be utterly unsafe to rely for 

 security against forgery, upon the employment of any process, the chief 

 merit of which was to consist in its being kept secret; of which several 

 have been communicated to us. Our object lias been, to select some plan, 

 of which the process, when the principles of it are understood, and the 

 machinery and implements provided, should be simple enough to be applied 

 without interruption to the extended operations of the Bank ; and should 

 at the same time comprise so much of superior art, as may oppose tlie 

 greatest possible difficulties to the attempts of the forger, and may present 

 such points of accuracy and excellence in workmanship to the eye of any 

 individual using ordinary caution, as shall enable him to detect a fraud by 

 observing the absence of those points in a fabricated note. In the mass of 

 the schemes before us, there are, of course, very various degrees of merit ; 

 and we endeavoured to class them as well as circumstances" would permit. 

 From a very large portion of them it was obvious, upon a first inspection, 

 that no beneficial result could be expected. Of the whole number, we find 

 about twelve of superior skill and ingenuity, but anticipated by others of 

 higher merit ; or merely ingenious, but inapplicable in practice. And we 

 consider nine others to be either of such originality or ingenious combi- 

 nation of existing means, as to have required our more particular attention ; 

 and with respect to these, much consideration has been had, and, in some 

 instances, improvements and experiments suggested and tried. 



We have not considered, as decisive against tlie merit of any particular 

 plan, tiie single fact, that it may be imitated by superior art and expensive 

 means. But when we have found, in the (-ase of specimens submitted to 

 us, apparently of great excellence, and (he result of a combination of talent 

 or machinery, that a very good imitation lias been produced in a short time^ 

 Vol. IX. L 



