date

[Copyist’s hand: part of a booklet, comprising
[Copyist’s hand: part of a booklet, comprising folios 341 to 357] nd [wm 1798]

23

§.4. Of Forgery in the way of Alteration. – may afford, for the application of

mechanical contrivance or chemical science, they occupy but a subordinate

station in the scale of practical importance.(c) Note. (c) It was with these

however that I set out a great many years ago: and of these a considerable

variety had presented itself to me, each of them promising to be of itself

adequate to the intended purpose. I will subjoin an extremely summary but

comprehensive view of them, rather for curiosity than use. [marginal heading:]

8(c) Safeguards thus superseded. 1. Mechanical – 2. Chemical - I Expedients of a

Mechanical nature. 1. Employing a stamp in one or more places, for framing the

letters expressive of the sum. Colour might be used with the stamp, not so much

by way of security against obliteration (it being but a precarious one) as to

render the letters more conspicuous in common use. The protuberance produced by

the stamp could not (it is supposed) be reduced for the purpose of

falsification: at least if such a degree of depth were given to it as might be

given to it. Among the particles forced in, some of them being borrowed as it

were from parts of the paper more and more distant, according to the depth of

the impression, could not afterwards (it is supposed) be restored. For rendering

the absence or presence of protuberances the more discernable, it might perhaps

be better that, in one place at least, no colour should be employed. 2. To

increase the difficulty, of obliterating the genuine letters, and inserting

spurious ones without laseration, a stamp producing perforations might be

employed for tracing out all or some of the letters, with or without a stamp of

the ordinary or simply-impressive kind. Whether the texture of the Paper

employed will bear in a degree sufficient for use such solutions of continuity

(to borrow a word from surgery) is in a way to be proved by experience:

punctures (with what precise view I do not exactly apprehend) having of late

been discernibly disposed in two
Similar Items
  • Title: [nd [wm 1798] + F * Note]
    Description: nd [wm 1798]

    + F

    * Note

    To the Bank

    Alteration

    1

    29

    Note continued

    (a) I Expedients of a mechanical nature.

    1. Employing a stamp, in one or more places for framing the letters expressive of

    the same. Colour might be used with the stamp, not so much by way of security

    against obliteration (it being but a precarious one), as to render the letters

    more conspicuous in common use. The protuberance produced by the stamp could not

    (it is supposed) be reduced for the purpose of falsification; at least if such a

    degree of depth were given to it as might be given to it. Among the particles

    forced in, some of them being borrowed, as it were, from parts of the paper more

    and more distant according to the depth of the impression, could not afterwards,

    it is supposed be restored. To render the absence or presence of protuberance

    the more discernible it might perhaps be better that in one place at least no

    colour should be employ’d.

    2. To encrease the difficulty of obliterating the genuine letters and inserting

    without laceration, spurious ones, a stamp producing perforations might be

    employd, for tracing out all or some the letters, with or without a stamp of the

    ordinary or simply-impressive kind. Whether the texture of the paper employ’d

    will bear in a degree sufficient for use such solutions of continuity (to borrow

    a word from surgery) is in a way to be proved by experience: punctures (with

    what precise view I do not exactly apprehend) having of late been discernible,

    disposed in two parallel lines running above and below the sum, in the body of a

    One pound Note.

    II. Chemical
  • Title: [[Copyist’s hand: part of a booklet, comprising]
    Description: [Copyist’s hand: part of a booklet, comprising folios 341 to 357]

    [Folio 003-341 forms the cover of the booklet: it appears to be made up of

    two sheets of paper, joined at the fold]

    nd [wm 1798]

    [front cover:]

    Mr. Bentham’s

    Plan

    for preventing

    Forgery of Bank Notes &c.

    [back cover:] 6

    Mr. Bentham’s

    Plan

    for preventing

    Forgery of Bank Notes &c.
  • Title: [[Copyist’s hand: part of a booklet, comprising]
    Description: [Copyist’s hand: part of a booklet, comprising folios 341 to 357]

    nd [wm 1798]

    31

    Mr. Bentham’s Plan for preventing Forgery of Paper Money.