COUNTERFEIT BANK NOTES.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13982, 19 November 1917, Page 3

COUNTERFEIT BANK NOTES.

CLEVER FOROBRftS. ' PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTIONS, CHRISTCHURCH, November 16, The forgeries on the ißank; of Australasia have all been made, 60 far as is known at present, from one photograph, and so they duplicate the number "P32olß,"'The word "One," which forms such a conspicuous feature of the central portion of the ilssign, has been hand-coloured in a green ink, which is rather darker than the genuine shade, and which is inclined to "run" ou "icing damped. The signature of - the issuing officer has been inked over in a brighter shade than in the genuine notes. In one note inspected by a Sun reporter the two colours in this signature were readily noticeable, but in another note it was dono.'/so well m to pass even the very'officer whose.signature it purported to be, The light shade of green surrounding the word "One" does not appear in the forged nolo except at the edges, where it has been very carefully outlined. It is notice'able that no attempt has been made to freshen up the counter-signature,' Naturally, the fino engraving of tho genuine no'e does-not appear in the forged one, but still the bogus note"is a good imitation, so far as the reproduction is concerned. The fdrged note' is, however, somewhat smaller than the genuine one, and the paper is thicker and softer. Tho paper is, indeed, a good test, as tho foigcd note «ill not, aftOr being ciiinip led, smooth out as neatly ns one on the genuine note papei. One oi the foigei ics on the Bank of Austialnsu was pinned offlon to a sellei of lace pio giamines last week, and nnpthci one to a hotelkoepcr. Th(' toigcues on the National Bank lie not'Mich good imitations as those oji the Bank oi Aushula'ua, the photo giaph not being as clear and distinct. The numbci of the toigcd National Bmk notes'is "A124(i70." J i i