“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.