The Universal Counterfeit and Altered Bank Note Detector, at Sight

by Henry C. Foote

RULES.

RULE I.
THE GEOMETRIC LATHE.
(Infallible when imitated.)

The “Geometric Lathe” is a very perfect and costly Engraving Engine, which produces very fine and beautiful ornamental patterns of geometric circles of such complication, uniformity, and exquisite perfection, that it cannot possibly be imitated in any manner. It engraves or turns the circular or oval patterns on the dies, on which the figures representing the denomination of the note are placed. A sketch of this engine is quoted from “Nicholson’s Operative Mechanic.”

“One of the most important securities to the paper currency of nearly the whole commercial world at the present time arises from the invention of transferring engravings, and the work produced by the Geometric Lathe, invented by Mr. Asa Spencer, while a resident of New London, in the State of Connecticut. The application of this Lathe-work for the security of Bank Notes was first made by Messrs. Fairman, Draper & Co., of Philadelphia, in 1816, and from its great beauty and difficulty of imitation, Mr. Spencer was induced to repair to England in 1819, for the purpose of securing the paper currency of that country. As had been expected, this work was put to the severest test which the combined talent of its great metropolis could invent, and having passed this trial in a very satisfactory manner, it was subsequently adopted very generally by the Banks and Bankers of England and Scotland.

“The Geometric Lathe differs materially from any other turning engine hitherto invented. The only one which has any similarity in the work produced, is the “Rose Engine;” but that is only capable of copying patterns previously made upon guides, while the Geometric Lathe forms its own patterns, which are all originals, and as various and unlimited as the ‘Kaleidoscope.’…

“The impossibility of successfully imitating this work by any process of hand-work within the reach of the whole combined talent of counterfeiters will not be doubted when the severe test to which it has been submitted is recollected: and even supposing any combination of counterfeiters to be in possession of the different machines and appendages necessary to effect their object, they would soon find that the time which would be required to learn the use of these implements in secret, could be more profitably employed in any honest occupation.”

The patterns produced by the Geometric Lathe are concentric, eccentric, or geometric circles, radiating from a common centre, and beautifully interwoven into each other, forming a perfectly regular and uniform ‘fancy’ pattern, so exactly true and uniform in its radiations, that there never is the slightest possible irregularity or imperfection. It is because the patterns are of such exquisite beauty and perfection, and at the same time extremely fine and complicated, that it is utterly impossible to imitate it by hand or by any process whatever. The Geometric Lathe does not engrave the patterns immediately upon the plate itself, but the patterns are transferred to the plate from roller dies or cylinders, generally in two places, as a majority of bills contain two dies alike, sometimes four, one in each corner. Being single-transferred the patterns are reversed, and are then white circles or lines upon a black ground. Of course whenever there are two or four dies that pretend to be alike in a genuine bill, they will all be exactly alike, being all transferred from the same one die. See the two transfers of the die in the [steel plate] containing the ‘3.’ In imitations of Lathe-work in counterfeit bills there will be a failure in two ways: first, in imitating regularity of the pattern, which is attempted to be done by hand, and also it is cut directly on the plate instead of transferring, so that what in the genuine is black spaces, is engraved black in the counterfeits, leaving white spaces and black dots, resembling cobble-stones—the white spaces between which made to resemble white lines, while it can easily be seen that it is only irregular black dots and scratches instead of white lines or geometric circles. Secondly, a failure in getting two dies exactly alike in the same bill—that is, where they pretend to be alike. If done by hand there cannot be two fine and complicated patterns made exactly alike; but in the genuine, where the pattern on one die or cylinder is rolled or transferred in two or more places, they will all of course be exactly alike. This same work is to be seen on the backs of watches, called “Engine Turning.”

A B

Magnified 5 to 10 times.

C D

Magnified 10 to 20 times.

E F

Magnified 5 to 10 times.

Diagrams A, B, C, and D, represent the appearance of various IMITATIONS of Geometric Lathe-work when magnified with a powerful glass. There is generally a studied effort to represent white intersecting curved lines or Geometric Circles on a black ground; in fact trying to imitate Transferring; but there will always be found, as in the above diagrams, nothing but confused black dots and semi-circular scratches, arranged so as to give it the same “general appearance” as the genuine, when held a little distance off. Sometimes there is no effort made to imitate the white lines, and there will be seen nothing but confused black dots and irregular black curved lines, mixed up together. Diagram E represents a magnified oblong-die, of alternating waved ruling, or eccentric parallels transferred. See the two dies containing the figure “20” in the [steel plate] illustration. This work is done by the Ruling Engine, and not by the Geometric Lathe; but as the work is very similar, and imitations of it fail in exactly the same manner, it is classed under the same rule. Diagram F is a representation of a magnified counterfeit or imitation of this work by hand; confused black dots on a white ground, instead of true interwoven white lines of the genuine on a black ground.

RULE II.
RULING ENGINE.
(Infallible when Imitated.)

The Ruling Engine is used for shading the letters, skies, &c. in genuine Bank notes. Underneath, and sometimes on the lace of the letters in the title or name of the Bank, as well as other lettering, there appears a soft, smooth, pale grayish color, which to the naked eye appears to be painted with a brush, but on close examination it proves to be fine parallel lines, and when done by the Ruling Engine the lines are, 1st, all exactly of the same size; 2d, regular distances apart; 3d, perfectly parallel to each other; 4th, uniformity in their direction: and it is perfection in these four points which gives it such a smooth and perfect appearance, and the least deviation from which will prove it to be hand-work. In counterfeits this shading is imitated by hand, and it is impossible to do it in this way as perfect as the Ruling Engine, as some lines will be coarser than others, some wider apart than others, not parallel, and some not perfectly straight, and all are apt to be more or less tapered off when done by hand with the graver, which is not the case with the genuine, and which gives the whole a scratchy appearance; in fact, the least deviation in any of the points will show at once, and destroy the appearance of the whole. In titles, or the name of a bank, where the letters are alike, as for instance,

the shading in the genuine always is done all the way across all at once, and there is a perfect uniformity from beginning to end; the lines all point exactly in the same direction, whether horizontal or diagonal, on the “T” in “THE” as on “F” in “OF,” preserving the same angle and fineness throughout. In counterfeits, where the letters are shaded by hand, one letter at a time, if the lines pretend to be horizontal, some are apt to slant a little downwards or upwards, some letters shaded a little finer than others—that is where they are intended to be alike and uniform. This principle of Uniformity in shading is very important, and should always be noticed. See the words “Universal,” “Detector,” “Banks,” and “United States,” in the [steel plate], which are shaded by the Ruling Engine, while the word “Counterfeit” is shaded by hand to illustrate counterfeit work.

The sky in vignettes in the genuine is sometimes ruled by the Ruling Engine, and always appears soft, smooth, and perfectly done, and in this case the lines taper off gradually. Imitations of this by hand will appear uneven and scratchy, some lines coarser than others, and some wider apart than others. All genuine skies, however, are not done by the Ruling Engine, but are sometimes fine dots or wavy lines, which fade off into fine dots, and sometimes heavy rolling clouds, circular lines, but it is always done perfectly and beautifully, and looks smooth and natural, being always done in genuine bills by first class artists, while the sky in counterfeits is generally apt to appear coarse and scratchy, and not fading off gradually enough.

G H

Magnified 5 to 10 times.

Diagram G serves to represent the style of genuine Ruling Engine work as it appears when magnified 5 to 10 times, and H an imitation of Ruling Engine shading as done by hand and magnified the same. A first-class Ruling Engine is said to cost $3000.

RULE III.
MEDALLION OR PENTOGRAPH RULING.
(Infallible when Imitated.)

The Medallions are raised patterns, or line-engravings, generally representing a head, or some raised fancy patterns in genuine Bank Notes, which look as if raised up from the paper. They are called medallions because they are copied always from and represent the pattern upon a medal. It is done by the Pentograph Ruling Engine, which, guided by the medal, rules the whole pattern in full length lines, and the dies are double transferred to the plate, which makes the lines black, the same in appearance as if the pattern was ruled directly upon the plate itself by the engine. This work is done upon the same principle in mechanics of “guides,” as shoe-lasts are turned by the “Last turning machine.” A model last is used for a guide to the machine, which turns out of a rough-hewn block of wood a last exactly like the model. Thus in genuine medallion ruling there is always a medal or coin used for a “guide.” The points in determining genuine medallions from imitations engraved by hand, are, the lines in the genuine all run in one general direction; they are always full length lines across the whole pattern, the lines are all exactly the same size or caliber, they never cross each other. Every undulation in the pattern on the guide or medal is copied with the most unerring exactness, and articulated distinctly and beautifully correct, which is impossible to be done so perfectly by hand. In the counterfeit the lines are apt to break off in the midst of the pattern; some lines are apt to be coarser than others, which gives it a scratchy appearance. In the genuine, the lines crowd together in the parts of the pattern that appear depressed or sunken, and spread apart more where the pattern appears raised and looks whiter, producing the lights and shades with the most magnificent ease and effect. In the counterfeit done by hand the lines do not crowd and spread apart again, according to the pattern, with such ease and effect, but the patterns appear stiff, flat, or imperfectly raised. There is always one of two ways or alternatives in which the hand-work imitations appear to fail. If they succeed in making the lines full length, as they ought to be, then the pattern will inevitably appear flat in expression, imperfectly raised; but if they succeed in making the pattern look raised, as it ought to be, then there will inevitably be broken or forked lines all through the midst of the pattern. It seems impossible to combine in hand-work imitations of this extremely fine and complicated work full length lines, and at the same time a perfectly finished and raised pattern, which the Pentograph Ruling Engine always does in the highest perfection.

I J

Magnified 5 to 10 times.

K

Magnified 10 to 15 times.

Diagrams I and J represent the appearance of counterfeit Medallions when magnified. K represents the appearance of a genuine Medallion as magnified 10 to 15 times. Every line is full length, and exactly of the same size. In J the lines break off and fork together all through the midst of the pattern, and some lines a little coarser than others, which gives it a scratchy appearance.

Whenever there are two or more medallions in a genuine bill that pretend to be alike, they are always exactly alike; being double-transferred from the same original die; (see medallion heads marked ‘3’ in the [steel plate],) but two medallions cannot be made exactly alike separately by hand. The following extract in relation to this work is quoted from the Mechanic’s Magazine, 1835: “The Journal of the Franklin Institute for September contains an elegant engraved portrait of Wm. Congreve, the dramatist, executed by Wm. A. Spencer of Philadelphia, in the manner described, and has inserted the following proofs that the invention can be claimed for America. ‘Believing that the credit of the invention of a machine for medal ruling is due to America, we will briefly set forth our proofs, and then speak of the improvements which of late years the method has undergone. The proofs to be given of the existence and state of the machine are to be derived from the results produced by it. In 1817, by the use of a machine which had been invented in Philadelphia, Christian Gobrecht, die-sinker, produced an engraving upon copper, from a medal having upon it the head of Alexander of Russia. From this engraving impressions were taken and distributed. One of these impressions we have seen. In 1819, Asa Spencer, now of the firm of Draper, Underwood & Co. bank-note engravers, took with him to London a machine of the kind above alluded to, which was designed principally for straight and waved-line ruling. This machine was used in London during the year just mentioned, and the mode of ruling waved lines, and of copying medals, was then exhibited and explained by Mr. Spencer to several artists—particularly Mr. Terrell, who took by permission a drawing of the machine, for the purpose of having one made for his own use. Little however was done in the way of medal ruling until about three years since, (1832,) when a desire to apply the method to the engraving of designs for bank notes caused it to be revived by Mr. Spencer, who bestowed great attention upon it, and overcame the difficulties met with in the onset.’—The peculiar construction of this machine has never been made a secret, nor has it ever been patented, although prudential motives have required that it should not be minutely described, and thus be placed in the hands of those by whom its use might be perverted. The operations performed by this machine are the ruling of parallel straight lines at any required distances apart, either continuous or broken; ruling converging straight lines; ruling waved lines, the waves being either similar, varying by more or less imperceptible gradations; and medal ruling or transferring to copper the fac-simile of a medal without injuring its surface, the waved lines presenting a copy of the minutest parts of the medal.”

RULE IV.
VIGNETTES—A GENERAL RULE.
Faces, Eyes, Stippling, Hair, Drapery, Limbs, Scenery, &c.

Rule IV. relates to the Vignettes, to notice whether they appear to come up to the usual standard of perfection in the following points: the faces, eyes, stippling, hair, drapery, limbs, scenery, landscapes, water and agricultural scenes, &c. This work is always done by hand, both in the genuine and counterfeit; but in the genuine it is done by first-class artists; men who are at the head of their profession, and who can always get such a complete remuneration for their labor that there cannot possibly be any temptation for them to counterfeit. It is only second, third, fourth, and sometimes hundredth-rate artists that counterfeit:—runaway apprentices and cast-off journeymen, and possibly amateurs. The points to observe are first, the human face, stippling, and the eyes. This is the most difficult of any part of the Vignette to execute well, and fails in counterfeits, more than any other part of the 4th Rule. In the genuine, the eyes have a perfectly natural expression, while in counterfeits they are, generally, merely two clumsy dots. The stippling is the beautiful artistic arrangement of the fine dots which produce the shading—the smooth, even, soft rounding of the features, the cheeks, nose, lips, chin, and limbs; this fails invariably in counterfeits—the features, and generally the limbs also, appearing flat, scratchy, inexpressive, and inanimate. The human hair in the genuine will look soft, silky, and natural; displaying a lustre in portions where the light appears to strike it. In counterfeits the hair generally appears stiff, coarse, wiry, lifeless, and unnatural. The drapery in the genuine beautifully represents the folds and texture of different kinds of cloth; sometimes the dark, heavy and glossy appearance of broadcloth is produced; sometimes the light, flowing appearance of silk or muslin—the folds always look easy and flowing—no stiffness. In counterfeits the drapery generally appears scratchy and stiff, sometimes having the solid appearance of cast iron, and sometimes like coarse wire-cloth, inexplicably twisted up in a snarl in trying to imitate the easy and natural folds of the genuine. The limbs, hands, or feet are always well done in the genuine, but generally fail in counterfeits. It is a very difficult matter to execute well, and it requires a first-rate artist to produce an elegant-shaped hand or foot and in an easy position. To engrave human figures correctly it is first necessary for the artist to acquire a thorough knowledge of Anatomy. Smoke in the genuine is always well done—generally in fine curved lines, and sometimes in straight parallels, fading off gradually at the edges. In counterfeits the smoke gradually appears coarse and scratchy. Also notice whether the “perspective” is managed rightly: the lights and shades, and the forms of animals, horses, cows, &c. &c. whether truthfully portrayed. Vignettes are transferred to the plates from double transferred cylinder dies.

“Chambers’s Information for the People” says:—

“Engraving, in all its various branches, is a species of labor which probably requires greater remuneration than any other department of art—for not only must there be a great degree of patience and perseverance beyond what is required in most other employments, especially in undertaking the engraving of a genuine bank-note plate, which must be perfect in all its parts, showing the lights and shades true to life—one part corresponding with another as though nature herself had formed the impression. Such of course is the intention of the artist, who must be a finished workman before he can receive employment in this capacity; the perfection of the execution being of course the only great difficulty to overcome. This will be seen from the fact that in all cases from ten to fifteen artists are employed upon one bank note plate, and as this employment necessarily calls into its service the very best talent that can be secured, it follows as a matter of fact that we are perfectly safe in looking to the perfection of a note for the genuineness of the bill. Each artist has a separate part to execute; and as the whole plate is made of different parts, called “dies” or “cuts,” it is therefore evident that no band of counterfeiters can accomplish their designs—it being impossible.”

[See the Vignette marked “4” in the [steel plate]; also the portrait of Washington.]

RULE V.
LETTERING, AND ENGRAVERS’ NAMES.

Rule V. relates to the perfection of lettering. In the genuine the lettering is done by a first-class artist, whose particular branch it is to devote exclusively to that part of the work alone, and of course he arrives at a degree of perfection that could not be approached without such a sub-division of labor. In the genuine the letters are all exactly of the same size, where they pretend to be, and on the same angle and same size stroke, where they pretend to be. There are two great points to observe as regards lettering, viz. neatness in form, and uniformity—the most important is UNIFORMITY. The want of uniformity in size, slant, distances apart, thickness of stroke, and any deviation from the line of the letters of a title, or the name of a bank for instance, will show counterfeit work. See the lettering in the word Counterfeit in the steel-plate illustration compared with the lettering of the “Universal Detector,” “United States,” &c. The engraved writing in the genuine, “Promise to pay on demand,” &c. is always beautifully done, the down strokes uniform in size and slant, and the hair strokes extremely fine, the curves easy and flowing, while in counterfeits the down strokes are apt to point in different angles, and the hair strokes coarse, and the curves stiff and defective. But perhaps the most important part of the 5th Rule, as it fails invariably, without exception, in all counterfeits, is the engravers’ names or “imprint,” which in the genuine is a die cut in the most perfect manner, the letters very neat and perfect and perfectly uniform in every respect. In counterfeits it is not a die, but letters cut in by hand, and never so perfect as the genuine, but clumsy, not uniform distances apart, nor in size and slant, and not all in a straight line, &c.

RULE VI.
SIGNATURES AND FILLING UP.

The 6th Rule relates to the signatures, and filling up the No., date, to whom payable, cashier, and president. To notice whether the whole filling up appears in two or three different hands, as it ought to be. In the genuine the No. and date is generally written by a bank clerk, who writes a very neat, rapid business hand—but of course there may be exceptions to this Rule—but in counterfeits the No. and date is almost invariably clumsy and unbusiness-like. Where the officers’ signatures are imitated there will be a slow, studied, and stiff appearance, not easy, natural and original-looking. Some men acquire an almost intuitive knowledge of original handwriting at sight, and the writer has seen many excellent judges of Bank Notes who have acknowledged that they were guided almost entirely by the signatures, even of strange banks. Auto-chirography may be studied as a science, but it can only be acquired by long experience, and it is not infallible: the best judges of writing might possibly be deceived sometimes. In some counterfeits the signatures are lithographed fac-similes, sometimes traced over with a pen. In writing with a pen the ink thoroughly saturates the paper, but leaves a smooth edge to the stroke, and has somewhat of a glossy appearance, while the printed fac-similes always have a stamped appearance, the stroke of a dead color and rough edge, not saturated or lively, like writing ink. If traced over with a pen there will be places, especially in the hair strokes, where the pen does not follow the curves in the stroke correctly. In cases where fraudulent impressions are obtained from the genuine plate, or where the plate itself is stolen, the 6th Rule is all that will detect; but when such a case happens there are always measures taken by the bank to meet it—a new plate is ordered, and the old emission called in.

RULE VII.
PAPER AND GENERAL APPEARANCE.

Rule VII. relates to the paper, printing, and the general appearance of a note. Genuine bank-note paper is made of linen or silk, or a mixture of both, of a firm texture, and of a superior quality, (see the paper on which the steel-plate illustration is printed.) This paper is manufactured expressly for the banks and engraving companies alone, and counterfeiters can seldom get hold of paper of this kind, but are generally compelled to use slazy or half cotton paper. A counterfeit note is seldom printed as well as the genuine, but often blurred, and poor ink. As to the “general appearance,” this is produced by a combination of all the Rules. If all the Rules are good, and the note well printed, the “general appearance” of course will be perfect; but if there is any one or more of the Rules bad, the harmony of the “general appearance” will be interrupted. But if a genuine note is old, worn, and has been wet, the general appearance may be bad, but the other rules will all be good, and prove the note to be genuine.