166 MR. J. C. DYER ON THE ORIGIN 0¥ 



that " the invention of Perkins " was merely the substitu- 

 tion of steel in place of copper for engraving upon. In 

 fact^ such a bare substitution of the one metal for the 

 other would be no invention in any fair sense of the word. 

 But the methods of obtaining the soft iron surfaces to 

 receive the work on them^ the converting of these sur- 

 faces back into steel, and the transferring the engrav- 

 ings to other plates for printing, comprise together a 

 series of novel processes, which will confer lasting honour 

 upon the name of Jacob Perkins as the original author of 

 them. 



It was some years before the troubles of the " transition 

 period ^^ had so far subsided that public attention could 

 again be drawn to the growing evils attending the circula- 

 tion of a paper currency, so easily and extensively imitated 

 by the bank-note forgers. In the meantime Mr. Perkins 

 had removed to Philadelphia, and formed a company there 

 for carrying on the engraving and printing business upon 

 his patent system on a large scale. 



Having made known to him the better prospect then 

 apparently opening for the adoption of his plans for pre- 

 venting forgery in England, I recommended his coming 

 over himself to explain them, and aid the artist here in 

 putting the system into working order. Accordingly, in 

 the year 1820, Mr. Perkins came to England, and, being 

 over sanguine of success, brought with him a large staff of 

 able artists, mechanics, &c. ; but unluckily he could not 

 bring any money to aid in commencing the intended Lon- 

 don works on his new system. He and his partners had 

 assumed that in England capital could always be obtained 

 for conducting any really useful works, if proved to be 

 safe and profitable in practice. Now this matter of proof 

 was the question, and proved to be a bar to success 

 with the monied class; so that to me alone (not of that 

 class) they had to look for the current expenses of their 



