COUNTERFEIT NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20777, 27 April 1931, Page 16

COUNTERFEIT NOTES

MANY PASSED IN AUCKLAND PROVINCE EASILY DETECTED [Peis United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, April 26. A number of counterfeit £1 notes of Bank of New South Wales issue were discovered to be m circulation in Auckland on Friday afternoon, while it was later found that they had been passed at country towns as far south as Hamilton, the men responsible for their production haying placed a number in circulation in Auckland, and then travelled by motor car southward, issuing notes at small shops in townships along Great South road. Over fifty of these notes have been reported to the police, and it is considered likely that there may be another fifty or more in the hands of the public. The forged issue is a. fair imitation of the genuine note, but there are faults bv which the public can’easily detect the counterfoils. All the forged notes bear one number—E93lßßs—and are printed on inferior paper, which is less crisp to the touch, and can be fairly easily torn. The colour of the printing is lighter than the genuine New 1 South Wales note, which is violet, while in some respects the printing >is poor. The details of the border work and the name “New South Wales” superimposed on the border are not nearly so clear as in the original, while tho centre seal, which lies at the top between two seals, bearing the denomination of the note, is vague in even the best of the notes in tho hands of the police. The seal of the genuine note comprises figures of a seated woman surrounded by sheep, but on tho forgeries these symbols cannot be easily identified. Tho notes have been made by a photographic process, and portions of the original note added after printing. Tho ■ signatures, date of issue, numbers, and the words “ Wellington, N.Z.” have been writen over again in ink. Presumably these . portions did not reproduce well, and it was necessary to go over them, with the result that the numbers have not a_ clearcut appearance. On close examination the signatures are seen to have been penned over .i. light reproduction nl the original, although in the formation of the letters they are a perfect copy of the genuine signatures. The number E 931885 and the signatures of R P. Ramsay, manager, and H. T. Ilockell are those of the current issue of Bank of New South Wales notes, at is the date, April 1, 1929. In all, sixteen false notes have been reported in Auckland, the first having been cashed at a small shop in Newton about noon on Friday. Fourteen are known to have been passed in Otahuhu, while more have made theii appearance in Pukekohe and other country towns en route to Hamilton. Over a dozen are known to have been cashed in Hamilton. No notes have, been detected further south. In nearly every case the notes were passed in small shops in payment of a trifling purchase, the man who cashed them receiving almost £1 in change. It is believed that the man or men responsible for the counterfeit commenced to pass the notes on Friday morning in Auckland, trusting to have sufficient time to pass a number be fore one readied the bank. The forg ers then set out through the province by motor car, covering as much ground as possible before the shops dosed at 9, p.m. on, Friday. The fact that the forgeries were v ,in' circulation was broadcast from _ IYA. and with the publication of particulars of the notes it is thought that no more will bo passed It is believed likely that at least as many as have been renorted have been passed without defection, the total number placed in emulation being probably over 100.