Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1876 — The Manufacture of Paper Money. [ARTICLE]

The Manufacture of Paper Money.

Prior to 1869 there -was considerable difficulty found in preventing counterfeit ing; ana the printing of the eariy issues by Government was done under circumstances very discouraging to those who were compelled to devise systems for a work that required the greatest perfection in a thousand details, without precedents to guide them. Yet the greatest credit is due for the success with which tlieirefforts have been crowned. The skilled workmen of the country were then in the employ of private .corporations, and most of the work was necessarily given to the bank-note companies, they possessing. the greatest facilities for the prompt execution of contracts. Gradually, however, the Government became its own printer, and to-day the major part of the work is done in the Treasury by Gotemment employes. One of the sources of weakness in the printing of securities was found to he the facility with which the paper on which the securities were printed could be obtained by counterfeiters; and to afford .the greatest protection against fraud an. act was passed authorizing the making of a special kind of material known as “distinctive paper,” to be used exclusively by the Government. All of the current notes, fractional currency- bonds and stamp? are printed on this kind of paper. On the adoption of this material the mill in which it is manufactured was placed under the surveillance of the Treasury, which mantains a force of watchmen to guard against tampering with its manufacture. An agent of the Treasury is in charge as Superintendent, yho receives the paper from the manufacturer as soon as it is made, and stores or forwards it as directed. Every precaution' is taken to prevent the loss of paper, and none but those employed are allowed access to the grounds. The mills are at Glen Falls, West Chester,. J?a. In the manufacture of this “distinctive paper” short pieces of red silk are mixed with the pulp in an engine, finished material is conducted to a wire without passing through any screens which might retain the silk threads. By an arrangement above the wire cloth a shower of Short pieces of fine blue silk thread is dropped- carefully upon the paper- while it is being formed. The lower side, on which the blue silk is deposited, is the one used for the back of the notes, and from the manner in which the threads Are applied must show them more distinctly than the upper side, although they are embedded deep enough to remain fixed. Each sheet is registered as soon as it is manufactured. As soon as the paper is transferred to the care of the Superintendent a report is made by the manufacturer and another byi the Superintendent, stating the date, size of paper delivered, number of sheets and for what it is to be, used. These reports are forwarded to the Secretary of the Treasury, and are examined and recorded in the currency division, where the accounts are kept ofall paper of this Char-

acter used for Treasury purposes. The accounts of this office relating to paper embrace every variety uted In printing Government securities, and reach every distinct class of Issue# by denomination; bo that any information relating to piper or printed money can be .obtained Inr refference to die records* This system .servesas a check also updfl the manufacturer, the Superintendent, the express companies as forwarders, tlie' bank-note Companies In New York and Washington, Carpenter & Co., Philadelphia, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the Treasury, so far as paper and printing are concerned; .and in the matter of paper after it is printed—when it becomes money —it forms a check upon the United States Treasury, Register of the Treasury and Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The accounts take each sheet of the paper .as soon as it is manufactured, follows it through the various offices aqd processes of printing to its issue as money, and also after redemption from circulation, to its final destruction by the Secretary of the Treasury. The success with which these accounts have been kept Is evident from the fact that, while the printing and deliveries of e&oney have run into the billions, it has been done without the loss of a cent to the Govern ment by fraudulent issues or otherwise. The printing is principally done in the Treasury, but a portion of the work on each note is done outside. This is to avoid the possibility of fraud by combination, which might be possible if all the work Was performed in one building or by one company or establishment. In the printing bhreau of the Treasury the checks adopted against the possibility of fraud are alto of ilie most elaborate kind, and apparently they are amply sufficient to prevent either mistake or loss. After the securities receive the finishing touch iu the printing bureau they are delivered to the Treasurer, if money; to the Register, if bonds, and to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, if stamps. Sheets spoiled in printing or otherwise imperfect are delivered to the division of currency of the Secretary’s office. This completes the work, and the money,bonds and stamps are then placed in the vaults of the various offices designated for issue when needed, except the spoiled imprints, which are oounted and destroyed by a committee appointed for that purpose. When a remittance of mutilated money is received by the Treasurer the package is delivered to experienced counters in his office, who examine and count the co-n tents, throwing out counterfeits when found. These counters are ladies, whose quick perceptions and nimble fingers are found to be' much better suited to the work than those of men. The counters are field responsible for the detection of counterfeits and for losses while in their hands. They account each day for the amounts they receive. If they pass a counterfeit they are compelled to pay the amount, as the issue of new mqpey is made upon their report. After this count each note is cut in two through the center, put up in duplicate packages of perhaps $4,000, and canceled by the punching of holes in each stack of half notes. These are then delivered, one-half to the Register and the other end or half to the Secretary’s office—the upper or lefthalf of each greenback, and the right halves of fractional currency going to the Register, while the opposite ends are sent to the Secretary. Each note is then examined and counted in these two offices, making three counts in all, and if errors are found the Treasurer’s office rectifies them. After this the duplicate lots are delivered to a committee of four, one representing the Secretary, the second the Register, a third the Treasurer, and the fourth the people generally. When internal revenue stamps are to be destroyed another agent is added for that office. A schedule of the lots prepared to be destroyed is delivered to this committee, who check off each lot as it is thrown into a large boiler which, when filled, is. sealed up, and the chemicals previously thrown in acted upon by a flow of steam and water, produces decomposition find reduces the paper toji pulp. It is, -how-' ever, allowed to remain in this state fortyeight hours, when the seal is broken, the pulp examined, and certificates of destruction are signed by the committee. These certificates are sent to the Treasurer, Register, Comptroller and Secretary, and form the vouchers of these officers in the settlement of their accounts.—Republic Magazine.