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1868, and " On the Goderich Salt Eegion and Iron Ores in 

 1870." But apart from such work growing out of his official 

 duties, he was consulted frequently on points, generally very 

 trivial, but sometimes the reverse, requiring technical knowl- 

 edge and betimes protracted and tedious experiments. As 

 the result of the inquiries of Mr. Workman, of the City Bank 

 of Montreal, for an ink to be used in banknote printing which 

 would be proof against photographic reproduction, Hunt 

 invented the greenback. He suggested the use of sesquioxide 

 of chromium and made the experiments necessary to prove 

 its resistance to all ordinary chemical reagents ; but Mr. 

 George Mathews, in whose name the patent was taken, and 

 his partner, Mr. Burland, used their practical knowledge, as 

 banknote printers, in making a suitable ink with this color- 

 ing substance. Hunt read a paper on the subject before the 

 A. A. at their Montreal meeting in August, 1857. He 

 received a small sum for the use of his invention in the 

 United States, and continued for years to draw royalty from 

 Burland & Co., in Canada. The United States patent was 

 bought by Mr. Tracy K. Edson, as member of the firm of 

 Kawden, Wright, Hutch and -Edson, by whom it was trans- 

 ferred to the American Banknote Company. The United 

 States patent became very valuable on the breaking out of 

 the war, due to the issue of the immense volume of green- 

 backs. Hunt, however, derived but little benefit from his 

 invention, and even his name is now forgotten in connection 

 with the subject. 



Writing to a friend August 4, 1857 : " I have perhaps 

 told you that I have made a fortunate discovery of a process 

 for printing banknotes which is likely to yield me a good 

 deal of money. It is a green ink which cannot be effaced 

 nor copied by photography. I got a small sum for it in the 

 United States, but a permanent right and interest in the 

 patent in Canada. The invention is not, however, in my 

 name, but as ' Mathews Banknote Trust.' ' 



But in the following year he has to tell the same friend the 

 usual inventor's story of disappointment : *' You ask 



