FORGED NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 143, 18 June 1915, Page 4

FORGED NOTES

AN AUCKLAND SENSATION.

(»I TBIBOKAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, 17th June. The sensation caused by the widespread circulation of forged £10 notes in Auckland during Easter week of last year will not have been forgotten, and it has been revived by the negotiation of another forged £10 note at the Auokland Post Office this week. The note is a clever photographic imitation of the genuine article. It is perfect in design and colouring, and is the work of an expert photographer and lithographer; the paper alone is not in accord with the regulation bank stationery, but is nevertheless a very good imitation. A Tho forgery itself is a photograph reproduced in two colours, black and reddish brown, and every detail is so distinctly reproduced that there is nothing to distinguish it irom the genuine note, the multitudinous tiny tens which form the background of every legitimate note, and- are intended to baffle penmen, are faithfully photographed. The man ager's signature looks as genuine aa the rest of the production, and the date lino, " Ist October, 1913," which again differs in colour, has been put on with a rubber stamp in red ink. The fake is complete, even to perforation. The note found its way into the hands of a clerk at the Money Order counter, and was negotiated by him. How well done the forgery is may be gauged by the fact that it passed through several hands at the Post Office before it was discovered to be of no value. An examination revealed that this is undoubtedly one of the notes struck off when tho wholesale fraud of last year was perpetrated. On that occasion it, is believed nearly £1000 worth of spurious notes were circulated. Small tradespeople throughout the city, and particularly in Karangahape-road and Symondsstreet were defrauded in large numbers, and eren a bank teller was caught. The fear was then, entertained that a good number of these notes went through the totalisator a the Ellerslie Easter Meeting. This particular note may be just an odd one held for a year by some person oiiginally defrauded, and dishonest enough to pass it on now to someone else. On the other hand, it is possible that one of the three men who worked tho swindle last year may still be in Auckland and may still be in possession of a bundle of forged notes. It would be well, therefore, for business people to keep an observant eye on all £10 notes. , The no,te cashed at the Post Office this week was a little faded, and bore the same number and date as those of last year's swindle. The number is 169948, dated Ist October, 1913. Any £10 Bank of New Zealand note of this number and date may therefore be safely held up.