312 APPENDIX. [No. XXII. 



considered ; for although there can be hardly any such thing as absolute 

 identity or likeness between any two objects, yet any objects which do not 

 differ more than four seconds will appear alike to unaided vision, though 

 with the microscope great differences may be discernible. Whenever, then, 

 throughout this paper I speak of identity, I refer to the identity observ- 

 able by the unaided sight : and after all it is but a rough comparative 

 identity, a mere vision of identity when examined in a philosophical point 

 of view. As far as the public is concerned, nothing can exceed the value 

 of a uniform appearance : this the new note affords in the highest degree. 

 Day after day, and year after year, the character of the paper will not vary. 

 The same signature of " M. Marshall " which appears in the paper of one 

 note will be repeated in the next. The same wave lines, the same rough 

 edges on three sides, the same shadows in the water-mark will be brought 

 continually before the sight. The Britannia will have the same expression of 

 countenance, and will be repeated line for line, and dot for dot, for millions 

 of impressions unchanged and apparently unchangeable. The very weight 

 of the paper does not vary above two or three grains, unless damaged by 

 wear, and the colour of the ink will be maintained as far as possible. As 

 the stone is worn by water constantly dropping, so will the mind be 

 impressed with one uniform appearance. With these constant appear- 

 ances, the public should become familiar; and really in a country like 

 this, where the circulation of notes is so large, and the Bank has taken 

 such pains to secure identity, he that does not make himself acquainted 

 with the appearance of a genuine bank-note does not deserve to be its 

 possessor. 



To attempt to construct an unforgable or inimitable note would be a 

 mere delusion and snare. The public should know that everything which 

 has been made can be copied : and without due care, whether they are 

 numismatists, and look after Darics and Queen Anne's farthings, or 

 antiquarians, and collect old Bibles or ancient manuscripts ; whether they 

 seek to buy gold-dust or sell precious stones ; whether they transact their 

 business by bills, notes, cheques, or coins, they are in all cases liable to 

 fraud and deception, and ever will be liable so long as evil remains in 

 the world. 



Bank-notes are perhaps as little or less liable to be falsified than most 

 other human inventions, in consequence of the certainty of the eventual 

 detection of the fraud, and the great risk of punishment from the care and 

 vigilance employed to trace out delinquents. 



All questions of fraud are amenable to certain principles, which, on 

 this occasion, it is not my province to consider. Whatever knowledge may 

 have been obtained upon this subject has been obtained at the Bank, and 

 may be regarded as the property of the Bank, which I have neither the 

 liberty to communicate, nor am I granted permission to discuss. At the 

 desire of the Bank, many experiments have been conducted upon chemical 

 means of multiplication. Without entering into details, I am led to 

 adopt a principle for the prevention of chemical changes ; namely, to put 

 the paper in the same chemical relation as the ink which we desire to 

 protect, and in this way we obtain security against change in both writing 

 ink and printing ink. In these experiments new fields for investigation 

 were found, but it is not in my power in this paper to enter into their 

 consideration. 



