14G lieporl of the Commissioners 



witliout any peculiar expense, and by tlie appUcatimi of means only, which are 

 within the reach of very many artists and engravers in England ; and when 

 we reflect, to how very few hands the business of forgery appears to be at 

 present confined, we cannot doubt that in the event of bank notes being 

 formed from any of such specimens, a;i equal number at least of persons 

 would very soon indeed be found capable of fabricating lliose notes to a 

 considerable extent, and with a degree of skill quite sufficient to deceive 

 the public. Another consideration has also had weight in inducing us to 

 hesitate much, before we venture to recommend any specific plan. The 

 adoption of any new form of note presenting peculiar and characteristic 

 marks, but the imitation of which we could not confidently feel to be 

 extremely diflicult, would not only not do good, but would produce much 

 evil ; and would induce a false security, by accustoming the public to rely 

 upon the appearance of such marks and peculiar character, rather than upon 

 a cautious and general observation of the whole note. 



Our remarks however, as to imitation, do not apply to all the specimens 

 which have been offered to us. There are a few of singular and superior 

 merit, produced by means which it is very improbable should over come 

 within the reach of any sinale forger, and the imitation of which, except by 

 those means, appears in a high degree difficult. 



Safety, or rather comparative safety, is to be sought, to a certain extent, 

 in a combination of excellence in various particulars ; but chiefly, as we 

 conceive, in the application of a principle beyond the reach of the art of the 

 copper-plate engraver, which in its different processes is possessed of the 

 most formidable power of imitation. One plan, before alluded to, as appa- 

 rently alfording this advantage, has been, with the most liberal assistance 

 from the Bank, for some time past in a course of trial for its greater per- 

 fection, and with a view to combination with other improvements, satisfac- 

 tory experiments of which have already been effected. The result, if our 

 expectations be not disappointed, will afford a specimen of great ingenuity 

 in the fabric of the paper, of great excellence in the worlunanship, and of a 

 very peculiar invention, and difficult machinery in the art of printing. We 

 confidently hope, that no long time will elapse, before we are enabled to lay 

 before your Royal Highness that result; and we have every reason to 

 know, that the Bank Directors are sincerely anxious to adopt any plan 

 which sliall be found, after patient examination, to be worthy of adoption. 

 In the mean time, we have thought it right not to delay informing your 

 Royal Highness of the course of our proceedings. The investigation in 

 which we have been engaged, has strengthened rather than removed our 

 feeling of the difficulties with which the whole subject is surrounded. We 

 do not wish to represent those difficulties as precluding the propriety of an 

 attempt to remove the existing evils, by a change in the form of the notes 

 issued by the Bank of England ; but we do feel them to be such, as make 

 it imperative upon those with whom the responsibility rests, to be fully 

 satisfied that they shall produce an improvement, before they venture to 

 effect a change. 



