Photography And Counterfeits

The li'ïgeuiona Frencbman who invented color photograpny bas given the treasury department of the United States a big scaro. It is recognized by the watcbdogs of the treasnries of the world that if his invention should get into the hands of counterfeiteis the financia 1 system of evefy nation employing notes as a circnlating medium would be ttreatened. Photography has always beea the bane of the officials whoae business it is to circumvent the ingenious devices of counterfeiters, and for ten years secret service agenta the woild over have been watching in fear and trembling for the invention of a procesa which would reproduce singly or in combination the different colora and tints of the solar prism. Already counterfeiters are able, by means of pboto-engraviug processes, to make exact duplicates of the backs of bilis, wbether they be in green, blue, black or any other color. But the seals and check numbers, printed over the scroll work of the face in different colors, have hitherto thwarted them. They have been obliged to expunge these seals and check numbers with acida. These acida naturally ruined the scroll work below the overlaid colors, leaving a space which the rogues had to re-engrave or put in with brush or pen. The results of such primitivo methods were easily detected by experts. But the color photography opens immense possibilities in the hands of clever men. Given paper of similar quality - and they make paper that would deceive an expert - there is nothing to prevent a skillful operator f rom producing absolute duplicates in such numbers as he mav desire of anv banknote extant in