FORGED TEN-POUND NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 69

FORGED TEN-POUND NOTES

ONE PASSED IX AUCKLAND

AUCKLAND, June 17,

The sensation caused by the widespread circulation of forged £lO 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 £lO note at tho Auckland Post Office this week. Tho note is a clever photographic imitation of tho genuine article. It is per- i feet in 'design and colouring, and is the | work of an expert photograpner and litho- | grapher. The paper is not' in accord with the regulation bank stationery, but is nevertheless a very good imitation. The forgery itself is a photograph, reproduced in two colours—black and reddish-biwvn, —and every detail is so distinctly reproduced that there is nothing to distinguish it from a genuine note, as tho multitudinous tiny tens which form the background of every legiti- . mate note, andi are intended' to baffle re- I production, are fully photographed. The manager’s signature looks as genuine as the rest of the production, and the date line (October 1, 1915) wffiich again differs in colour, has been put on with a rubber i stamp in red ink. The fake, is complete | even to perforation. 1 The note found its way into tho 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 the fact that tills is undoubtedly one of the notes struck off when the wholesale fraud of last year was perpetrated. On that occasion, it is believed, nearly £IOOO worth of spurious notes were circulated. Tradespeople throughout tho city, and particularly in Karangahapo road and Symonds street, were then defrauded in large numbers, and even a bank teller was caught. The fear was then entertained that a good number of these notes wont through the totalisator at the Ellerslio Easter meeting. This particular note may be just an odd one held for a year by some person originally defrauded, and dishonest enough to pass it on now to someone else. On tho otbei hand, it is possible that one of the three men who worked the 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 £lO notes. The note cashed at tho Post Office this week was a little faded, and bore the same number and date as those of last year’s swindle— No. 169948. Any £lO Bank of New Zealand note of this, number and date may, i therefore, bo safely held up. j

To remove stains from knife-handles and also to keep the ivory from turning yellow, rub the handles well with a cut lemon; afterwards wash well in soap and water and dry immediately. This removes the stains and keeps the ivory a good colour’. Gilt on china will not last long if soda be used in the washing of it; therefore use soapy water for washing teacups, etc., patterned with gilt, and keep soda carefully away from them.