COUNTERFEIT NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1931, Page 6

COUNTERFEIT NOTES

AUCKLAND ISSUE. BANK OF N.S W. £1 SERIES. (By Telegraph —Per Press Association) AUCKLAND, April 20. A number of counterfeit one pound notes of the Rank 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 the production having placed a number in circulation in Auckland and then travelled 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 me police. The lorged issue is a laii imitation of the genuine note, but there are a number of faults by which the public can easily detect. Jho counterfoils, ol all'forged notes beat one number, E 931,885, and are printed on inferior paper, which is less crisp to the touch and can be iairly easily torn. The colour of the printing is lighter than the genuine New South Wales note, which is violet, while, in

some respects, the printing is poor. The details ol' the border work and ttie name. “New South Wales” superimposed on the border is not nearly so clear as in the original, while the centre seal which lies at the top between the two seals bearing the denomination of the note, is vague, even in the best of the notes in the hands of the police. The seal on the genuine note comprises the figure of a seated woman, surrounded by sheep, but on the forgeries these symbols cannot be easily identified. The notes have been made by photographic process, and portions o f the original note added alter printing. The signatures, date of issue, u urn hors and words. "Wellington, New Zealand,” ha\e been

written over again in ink. Presumably. these portions did not reproduce well, and it was necessary to go over them, with the result that the numbers have not a clear cut appearance. On close examination, the signatures are seen to have been penned over a light production of the original, although in the formation of the letters they are a perfect copy of the genuine signatures. The number Eu 31,8865, and tlie signatures "R. P. Ramsay, Manager,” and “H. T. Rocked,,” are those of the current issue ot the Rank of New South Wales notes, as is the date April 1, 1929.