Prevention of Forgery, 65 



No. II. 



London, 6th July 1797- 

 AVe whose names are hereunto subscribed do hereby certify, 

 that we were called, on the 4th July instant, to examine an at- 

 tempt, made at the Bank of England, to produce afac simile of 

 Mr. Tilloch's Specimen of an Art invented by him to prevent 

 Forgery; that two Imitations, the one from a Wood-cut, the 

 other from a Copper-plate, were then produced by Mr. Terrv, 

 the Bank Engraver; that the one from the wood-cut was so to- 

 tally unlike Mr. Tilloch's Specimen, that Mr. Terrv did not en- 

 deavour to make it be received as a likeness, but withdrew it ; 

 and that the one from the copper-plate which was produced as 

 a Copy, was so far from being an exact Copy, that it was not 

 even executed in the same manner; Mr. Tilloch's being printed 

 from the surface of his work, by means of the letter-press ; but 

 Mr. Terry's from the bottom of his, by means of the rolling-press. 



We declare besides, that, in other respects, the imitation was 

 so unlike the original, that we believe it by no means probable 

 that any person, in the habit of taking Bank Notes, would ever 

 take the one for the other. We believe that one of Mr. Terry's 

 Imitations would be easily detected among a thousand of Mr. 

 Tilloch's Specimens ; and that one of the latter, put among the 

 same number of the former, might, from its singularly peculiar 

 effect, and very superior execution, with equal facility be taken 

 from among them by any person of common discernment — Mr. 

 Terry's being not more like to the Specimen, than a brass coun- 

 ter, with the king's head upon it, is to a guinea. 



We think it but justice to Mr. Tilloch's Invention to add, that 

 if once the public eye were habituated to Bank Notes executed 

 by his Art, the security against Forgery would be infinitely greater 

 than the Bank Directors, with whom we were at the examina- 

 tion, seemed to have any idea of. This declaration we make, 

 not from any personal acquaintance with Mr. Tilloch, or from 

 that bias which may soniCtimes be supposed to result from habits 

 of intimacy, (for the greater part of us never were in his com- 

 pany, or knew any thing of him, till the moment we were desired 

 to give our opinion of his Art,) but we do it as a duty which we 

 believe in our conscience we owe to the community, who ought 

 to be secured, as far as possible, against the losses to whicii they 

 arc subjected, by the facility with which all the Bank Notes now 

 in circulation may be, and, as the Directors themselves con- 

 fessed, are, frequently forged. James Hf.ath. 



James Fittler. 



Wli.I.IAM BVKNE. 



William Shari'. 

 Wilson Lowrv. 

 Vol. 56. No. 267. July 1 ^20. I No. 



