Lithography and Counterfeiting.
--The Bank Bill Printing of the Confederate States--Interesting Account of Lithography.We give below a very interesting chapter on what is generally uppermost in the public mind — the way to make money. It is an interesting exposition of the art and benefits of lithography, and is written by one who is really an expert, and is a reliable as well as interesting account of the difficulties and final success experienced by the Government in providing a currency for the people:
Richmond, October 9, 1862.
Some days since an article appeared in your columns in regard to Confederate notes and lithography in general. Deeming it an interesting subject to your readers, I propose to say a few words in comment upon the article. The writer says:
‘ "Now, the question naturally arises, why did the Government presort such uncertain and dangerous means of supplying the wants of a circulating medium ! * * * It is to be regretted that the Secretary of the Treasury, or whoever had the matter in charge, did not in the first instance procure from Europe good engravers if we did not have a sufficiency at home. * * Had this been done it would have saved much trouble and individual loss."
’ Unfortunately for the South, the shrewd Yankees had been permitted to monopolize all engraving and printing and our Banks not only relied upon New York and Philadelphia for their exchanges, but actually left their ungraced plates there. Not one Southern Bank in fifty has its plates. Hereto fore nothing had opened the eyes of our people to the fact that Bank notes could not be largely procured in the South. Many did not believe the North would be insane enough to wage a war of subjugation against us, and our leading men shared in that belief, and that the war would be of short duration. Consequently the idea was not a prominent one that we might be in distress for want of a circulating medium. The Banks patriotically came forward and placed their resources at the command of our Government. All went happily until after the Manassas fight, when the dimensions of the war loomed up in gigantic proportions, and it was discovered that the Government could not rely upon the Banks, but must issue its own notes and bonds to the amount of hundreds of millions.
in such an emergency, with no large steel plate establishment in the South, the only resource was to lithograph them or print them with type.--I do not feel called on to reply to the strictures of ‘"An Expert"’ on the work done, but it was, however, the best then to be had. It was the only method of sustaining our credit, by attempting to pay all our indebtedness and to provide a circulating medium. Since that period much has been done Material and printers have been procured from Europe, though at enormous expense, and presses have been built by our own mechanics. The art may now be said to have attained a flourishing condition, and the country will have to rely principally upon it until the end of the war, as the blockade has become so difficult to evade that it would now be almost impossible to import steel plate machinery in sufficient quantities, or to induce printers to run the hazards which they would be compelled to incur. Individuals have accomplished mush, for the country afforded very few facilities at the inception of our troubles.
It is the work of time, even with all facilities, to build up such establishments as were needed Despites of the blockades that has been accomplished, and before the 1st of January a system can be inaugurated to secure a circulation which cannot be counterfeited, for the secret of its safety will be known to but one person. There are now five separate establishments working upon Government notes, which can furnish respectively per week 900,600,300,000, 200,000, 125,000, 125,000 notes, or a sum total of 1,625,000 notes of whatever denomination may be selected. Thus the Government could have printed $8,250,000 in $5 notes weekly; or $16,500,000 in $10's, or $33,000,000 in $20's, all of which can be of superior execution, defying the ingenuity of Northern counterfeiters. The old circulation can then be shortly withdrawn and a new one substituted, which, from its uniformity, will soon be familiar to everybody.
An erroneous idea prevails among many people that lithography is adapted only to coarse designs, and that stone engravings will produce only 1000 impressions. Thus your writer said:
‘ "Lithographic engraving, as applied to the fine arts, is a misnomer. There is no engraving about it. The word lithography means the art of drawing on stone. * * * This style of engraving is not adapted to works or subjects of small size, requiring a high style of art. * * * The stones from which lithographic pictures are taken cannot be duplicated perfectly. * * * In comparing half a dozen genuine $100 bills of Hoyer & Ludvig's engraving, a marked difference may be seen."
’ The writer could not have seen the interior of a first-class establishment, or he would probably not have thus written. I send you specimens of work done on stone, not drawn, but engraved, to show you that there is ‘"engraving about it."’ To such a pitch of perfection have the French lithographers brought this art, that it would require thorough experts to detect their finest lithograph from steel engravings. The ‘"marked difference"’ between the ‘ "genuine"’ notes alluded to, may result from what is termed ‘ "patchwork."’ Instead of printing from one original engraving, very often transfers are made upon stone from several separate designs and the pieces are ‘"patched"’ together. In this piecing and patching process uniformity cannot be gained, and consequently dissimilarity in the notes would occur from inability to execute the plates all alike. From a properly prepared engraving there can be produced fac similes without limit, numbering thousands of millions. --They should always be taken from one engraving, and not several pieces Then, even if badly engraved, they will not be subject to this criticism, but in their ‘"native ugliness"’ will all shine alike. But we have advanced, and lithography in the Confederate States is ‘"adapted to works of small size, requiring a high style of art."’--As the evidence thereof, conclusive and irrefutable, I refer you to the specimen which I send you, and that specimen has been. ‘"duplicated perfectly"’ to the number of many hundreds of thousands--Lithography is one of the most exquisite productions of science. When you have once seen its application in perfection you exclaim ‘"how beautiful, and yet how simple!"’ The stone used is calcareous milestone, hard and yet porous, and found early in Bavaria. An original engraving is made either upon steel, copper, or stone, or the drawing can be made on the stone with a pen or a crayon pencil.--Paper prepared for the purpose is placed upon the original engraving, (either steel, copper, or stone,) and an impression taken. The stone which is to be printed from is polished smooth until the surface is like a mirror. Then the impressions from the prepared paper are laid upon the smooth surface, and an immense pressure put upon it, forcing the ink into the pores of the stone. The paper is taken off entirely bold of ink and by the use of acid the ink is set into the stones.
The stone being kept moist with a sponge, will only take ink where the acid has set the impression, and is then transferred to the bank note paper put upon it. The plate thus prepared, if carefully worked, will give over 100,000 notes. At the rate which we have been compelled to work the average is about 30,000. The Government now has between sixty and seventy printers employed. To meet its wants fully and effectually, to print in two colors, would require the services of double that number, who will probably be on and by the 1st of January. The Lincoln Government, which has old-established steel plate concerns at its command, keeps in constant employment nearly four hundred printers. Though better than lithographs, the process is much slower, and therefore our Government is compelled to rely almost entirely upon the latter.
In England and Scotland the banks rely almost exclusively upon lithographs, excepting the Bank of England, of course, which manufactures its own paper, which is its safeguard, not the plain engraving which is used. Another, ‘"Expert."’
