FORGED BANK NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144709, 18 June 1915, Page 4

FORGED BANK NOTES.

ONE PASSED IN AUCKLAND. 1 PER TRESS ASSOCIATION. 1 1 AUCKLAND, Juno L . The sensation caused by tho wide- ■ spread circulation of forged £lO notes in Auckland during Easter week of last year will not have, liven forgotten, and it. has been revived by the negotiation of another forged £lO note at the AuckI land Rost Office this week. The note is a clever photographic imitation of the genuine article. It is perfect in design and colouring, ami it is the work of an expert photographer and lithographer. ’The paper alono is not in accord with tho regulation bank stationery, but is nevertheless a very good imitation. The forgery itself is a photoi graph reproduced in two colours, black j and reddish brown, and every detail is so distinctly reproduced that there is nothing to distinguish it from a genuine note. The multitudinous liny tens which form the background ot every legitimate note, and are intended to baffle penmen, are faithfully photographed. The manager’s signature looks as genuine as the rest of the production, and the date line, October 1, Itll.’l, which again differs in colour, has been put on with a rubber stamp in red ink. The fake is complete oven to perforation. Tho note found its way into the hands of the clerk at the money order counter and was negotiated by him. How well done the forgery is may be ganged by the tact that it passed j through several hands at the post, office i | before it was discovered to be of no i (value. An examination revealed that I I this is undoubtedly one of the notes I struck off when Hie wholesale fraud I jof last, year was perpetrated. On that j occasion, it is believed, nearly £IOOO 1 j worth of spurious notes wore circulated. I ■Small tradespeople throughout the city, | and particularly in Karangahake Road land Symonds Street, were defrauded in ■large numbers, and even a bank teller was caught. Tlio fear was thou entertained that a good number of these ' notes went through the totalisalor at the Fllerslie Faster meeting. This particular note may he just an odd one held for a year by some person origin- | ally defrauded and dishonest enough to pass it on now to someone else. On the , other hand it is possible that one of I Hie three men who worked the swindle j last yea" may still he in Auckland, and may still ho in possession of a bundle of forged notes. The note cashed at the post office this week was a little faded and boro the same number and date as those of last year’s swindle. No. 160.1M5, dated October I, 1913. Any £lO Bank of New Zealand note of this number and dato may therefore be safely held up. i