Imperfect Counterfeit Notes Deliberately Made

Press, Volume C, Issue 29444, 21 February 1961, Page 12

Imperfect Counterfeit Notes Deliberately Made

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright)

1 PARIS. February 19. s Andre Philippe, aged 34. f an invalid, has turned out j to be a counterfeiter with a difference—he dellberc ately made his notes ime perfect. 1 He told police who arrested him at Valencis ennes. Northern France, that he did this to draw } public attention to the low pension that the Government pa’d invalids who were unable to work i. In his case. Philipne said, J he had to try to keep himself, his wife, and a daughter, , on a pension of 75 new francs » (about £5 a week). - He took 10 days to make two 100 new franc notes, and r used some of the money to > buy milk and soup, police > said. i. “I thought I would be ar-

. rested the day after I passed the notes," he said. “But for three days I asked myself, ‘Whatever are the police doing?’ and when they arrived I said, ‘You at last!’” The two notes were nearly perfect. Omitted were six lines which appear on legal notes atid state that counterfeiting is punishable by forced labour. “You understand, the phrase was too lengthy,” he said “So I just drew a line of , dots Anyway. I wanted to make it plain they were counterfeit." • The police said that they s had not yet decided what to do with Philippe, who lives in ! a small cottage he built hlmI self at Valenciennes. > Philippe said he was now s thinking of organising an ‘‘invalids’ demonstration” for • bigger pensions.