A VISIT TO THE BANK OF ENGLAND PRINTING. OFFICE.

Bruce Herald, Volume II, Issue 52, 6 April 1865, Page 8

A VISIT TO THE BANK OF ENGLAND PRINTING. OFFICE.

Through the kindness of Mr. Coe, the manager "of the printing department in the Bank' of England, we were enabled, a few days since, to gratify our curiosity by a personal inspection of the many interesting mechanical, and artistical operations, which are dally in action there, A great many people who have the pleasure of dealing with those delicate tissues known in the financial world as bank-notes, and in the sporting circles as ' flimsies,' are under the impression that they are printed from copper-plates, by the copperplate printing-press. This idea is not confined to those to whom printing is a mystery. A visit to the machine-room of the Bank soon dispels this eroneous idea, for there may be seen, in full work, a whole row of' machines turning out bank-notes, two at a tune, at the rate of from 700 to 800 per hour. From £5 up to £1000 are the various amounts of the notes being here printed on dry bank-note paper, with the very best of ink^, that will

beu* a hard ruO tue .no.iieur. it is wor.^d. TJ 101 the ' taking -off' board is a noticewhich implies that the ' taking-off ' must be co i fined to the machine-boys only, by statin r that ' visitors are requested not to touch the notes.' The notes are all worked from the electro-types taken from the original, which is cut in metal, and is never worked but always kept rVf*«h for the. purpose of i taking new casts from, and thus ever retains the sharpness of a new engraving. Each bank-note undergoes two workings; the first working merely prints the outlines, or skeleton form, of the note; the second working numbers, dates, and signs it. This numbering process is very ingenious; as, by a very mechanical contrivance in tlie machinery, tlie figures shift one on every revolution of the machine, and so the numbering and printing go on regularly and consecutively. Defalcation," or mistakes, we are informed, are impossible. Every sheet of paper given out for printing has to be accounted for before any one is allowed to leave the office. if a * miss ' occurs in printing, 'he impressio a is taken on the fcympan-sheet, and that has to be given in as a note to keep check with the machinedial, which gives an exact acoount, by a dial resembling a gas meter, how many impressions have been taken pince commencing work. The sheets, each one containing two notes, are cut in half by means of' a large knife, which acts like a chaff-cutting machine, and separates 100 notes at a time. These notes, when thus separated, are passed to the <?ashieri,> for/ the purpose of being counted. All the machines'in the Bank printingoffice are not engaged printing upon banknotes. Several' are occupied in printingdividend warrants, powers of attorney, and .all the ordinary forms of the Bank. The binding of all books required by the Bank, and also by the various branches, is executed, in the same department, in the very best and strongest manner possible. A visit fco the composing-room, shows at a glance the. great practical taste and business like skill' which has been brought to bear upon its several arrangements. Ail jobs are kept standing, and each boaru is numberad. classified, and indexed, in separate cupboards ; so that any certain form, can be found at a moment's notice. No. heaps of lumber or collections of antiquated slippers are allowed to. accumulate under frames here, for to, prevent such an. aouse of the rule of tidiness everywhere laid down, Mr Coe has all his frames boarded down quite close to the f100r... Bulks aud boards are served in the same way, so that the room-sweeper cannot help but remove all gatherings from, the floorevery morning. The wages of the workmen in. the Bank, printing-office average about the same as. those paid by the first-class- houses in theMetropolis. The hours of labor are from, 9 til 5, with the understanding, that if a pressure of business requires an extension-, of these hours, it has to. be met without the charge for overtime being claimed or paid for. And to show how completely t.hekind and considerate manager has studied, to "provide for the comfort of every man and boy in his employ, an excellent kitchen, with competent attendants, is provided, by which means a comfortable and. economical dinner is procurable by every one at a very reasonable charge. As no. tea-time- is required, the time allowed Cor dinner is half an hour which makes the ordinary working-day a period of 7^ hours. In addition to all these culinary accommodations aud comforts,, a bath-room isfitted up, where any person can have the luxury of a warm bath tor the low charge of Id.' The total number of persons employed in the Bank printing-office is about -±0 men and about 50 > boys. A- the latter grow up and get unsuitable for their duties they are as far as practicable dratted intoother departments where their services are more available ; whilst tor others, a fund, is provided to assist in apprenticing them, to a business. The boys are all the sous or connexions of persons employed. in the Bank. — • Paper Trade Review.'