No matter how much a bill may be worn and defaced, if the name of the bank
and the denomination can be seen, the application of these rules will
enable a person to decide at sight whether a bill is genuine or not. The
1st Rule, the Geometric Lathe-work being infallible, any imitation can be
detected at a glance, when of course the bill must be a counterfeit
without looking any further. But a great many counterfeits contain _stolen
genuine dies_, when of course the 1st Rule will fail to detect; but there
is always enough else to detect a bad bill. The 2d Rule, the Ruling Engine
work--any imitation of this can be detected at a glance. This rule detects
oftener than almost any other rule, and therefore it is one of the most
useful of all the rules. In some old-fashioned genuine plates, especially
in some of the old New England plates, there may occur an exception to
this rule, the shading of the letters being done by hand. Now and then,
but very rarely, a counterfeit is seen containing genuine Ruling Engine
work; but in such a case there are plenty of the other rules to fail.
Counterfeiters may get some genuine work, but they cannot get a _perfect
combination of all the work genuine_. There is always _something lacking_.
It is against their interest to invest so much capital as would enable
them to get everything perfect. Besides, they can never get the services
of a sufficient number of first-class artists, and _all_ the necessary
machinery. 3d Rule, the Medallions--see if the heads or other ornamental
patterns of this work look raised, distinct, clear and smooth, and the
lines all _full length_, and the most skillful imitations by hand can be
detected at a glance. 4th Rule, the Vignettes--whether they come up to the
usual standard of perfection, especially the human eye and face. Sometimes
the vignette in a counterfeit is a stolen genuine die, generally much
worn. A lot of old worn out dies were sold at auction in New York in 1841
to the highest bidder, and some got into counterfeiters’ hands. 5th Rule,
the Lettering and Engravers’ Names. It is an exceedingly rare thing indeed
to find anything near first-class lettering in a counterfeit; but the
Engravers’ names _always fail_--the writer has never seen a single
exception. 6th Rule, the Signatures and Filling Up. Counterfeits are so
often palpably filled up all in one handwriting as to make this an
important rule; also look out for lithographed ‘fac-similes.’ 7th Rule,
Paper and General Appearance. Experience has proved that it is always best
in judging a doubtful bill to apply the rules in their proper order, one
after the other, commencing with the 1st, otherwise a person might forget
one or two rules, and neglect to apply the very rule that would most
palpably condemn the bill. The writer has never seen a counterfeit where
less than _two_ of the rules would condemn it at sight, and the rest
genuine work. But the majority of counterfeits are condemned by three,
four, five, six, and very often the whole seven rules.