FORGED £10 NOTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 318, 18 June 1915, Page 8

FORGED £lO NOTE.

OLEVEIt IMITATION IX ArcKLAXD. LA*T VICAU'S Clir.ME ItIiYIVKI). By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, l.ast Night. Tliu M-lixation cau-i'd J.y the ' widespread circulation of forced 4:1(1 not 1 s in Auckland during JCasler week of last .year will not have been forgotten, and it has been revived by negotiations <>t anot'ier forged .CIO note-at the Auckland Post Oll'icc this week. The note is a clever photographic imitation of the genuine article. It is perfect in design and coloring, and is the work ol an expert photographer and lithographer. The paper alone is not ill accord with the regulation hank stationery, but is nevertheless a very good imitation. The forgery itself is a. photograph reproduced ill two colors, black and reddish brown, and every detail is so distinctly reproduced that there is nothing to distinguish it from a genuine note. The multitudinous tinv tens which form the background of every legitimate note, and are intended to 'baffle penmen, are faithfully photographed. Tlie manager's signature looks as genuine as the rest of the production, and the date line, October Ist, 1013, which again differs in color, has ltcen put 011 with a rubber stamp in red ink. The fake is complete even to perforation. The note found its way into the hands of the clerk at the money order

counter and was negotiated I>v hiin. How well done tlie forgery i,s inini be gauged by tlie. fact that it nassed through several hands at the post office, ibcforc it was discovered to he of no value. j\n examination revealed that this is undoubtedly one of the notes struck off when the wholesale fraud of last year was perpetrated. On that occasion, it is believed, nearly £IOOO worth of spurious notes were circulated. Small tradespeople throughout the city, and particularly in Kurangahake. Road and Symonds Street, were defrauded in large numbers, and even a 'hank teller was caught. The fear was then entertained that a good number of these notes went through the totalisator at th.i EHerslie Easter meeting. This particular note may 1m just an odd one held for a year hv'somc person originally defrauded and dishonest enough to pa.ss it on now to someone else. Oil the other hand it is possible that one of the three men who worked the swindle last year may still lie in Auckland, and may still he in possession of a bundle of forged notes. The note cashed at the post office this week was a little faded and bore the same number and date afl those of last year's swindle, No. 109,048, dated October Ist, 1013. Anv £lO "Hank of New Zealand note of this number and date may therefore be safely flidd ! UP- '