SPURIOUS NOTES PASSED

Taranaki Daily News, 27 April 1931, Page 6

SPURIOUS NOTES PASSED

COUNTERFEITS IN AUCKLAND NEW SOUTH WALES BANK ISSUE. OVER FIFTY PEOPLE BEEN .DUPED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A number of counterfeit one pound notes of Bank of New South Wales issue were discovered to be in 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 having placed nJ number in circulation in Auckland, and : then travelling by 'motor-car southward, issuing notes at small shops in townships along the Great South Road. , > Over 50 of the notes Have been reported to the police, and it is considered likely that there may be another 50, or more, in the hands of the public. The forged issue is a fair imitation of a genuine note, but there . are >a number of faults by which the public ca. easily detect the counterfeits, J (All the forged notes bear the E931585, and are printed on inferior paper which is less crisp to the touch and can be fairly easily torn. The colour of the pointing is lighter than the genuine New South Whies note, which is violet, while mi some respects the printing is poor. Details of border work and the name New South Wales superimposed on thS'Aborder are liot nearly jso clear as in the Original, while the 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 the hands of this police. The seal on tile genuine note comprises the figures of a seated woman surrounded by sheep; Jbut On the forgeries. these symbols iannot be easily identified. 3

The notes have beelifjhade by photographic process, and portions d£ the original note added after printing the signatures. ■ The date of issue, the numbers, and the words, “Wellington/ New Zealand,” have been written over, aagin in ink. Presumably these portions did not reproduce Well, and it wis necessary to go over them, with‘the desuit that tlie numbers have not a clearmyt appearance. Oh close examination the signatures are seen to have been penned over a light reproduction of the original, although in the formation of the letters they are a perfect copy Of the genuine signatures. | The hurnber E 931885 arid the signatures of R. P- Ramsay, manager, and H. T. Rockell, are those of. the current issue of Bank of New ttouth Wales notes, as is the date, April 1, 1929.