Know Your Money and You'll Nor Be
Losing It to Counterfeiters,' Says
Chief of the United States Secret Service
H *
II'
Study the above diagram—it shows you the position of important features of United States paper
money. If you get a suspected bill, compare it with a genuine bill and observe carefully the following features:
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
WHEN your friends say to you, “Well, don’t take any
wooden nickels!” you laugh heartily for you recog
nize it as a good joke. Of course, you wouldn’t take
any wooden nickels! But there’s always a chance that you’ll
do something worse—take a paper bill that looks as though
it’s worth $1 or $5 or $10. But it’s just as worthless as a
wooden nickel because it’s a
counterfeit.
In fact, during a recent five
year period Americans were
swindled to the tune of $1,
000,000 a year by counterfeit
ers and these crooks got by
with it mainly because of the
indifference and ignorance of
their victims.
How about YOU?
Do you ever do more than Just
glance casually at the paper bills
that are handed you in making
change—especially when they’re
handed you by a stranger?
Do you know whose portrait is
on a one-dollar bill, or a five, or a
ten?
Do you know what pictures are
on the backs of those bills?
If you do, you have made a good
beginning towards protecting your
pocketbook from the counterfeit
er. If you don’t know the out
standing features of your money,
you have only yourself to blame
if you become the victim of the
counterfeiter and his vicious
racket.
“Yes,” you say, “but how can I
learn about money? I know what
it looks like, but I don’t know what
to look for.”
Well, the United States Secret
Service has undertaken to show
you what to look for. A trial edu
cational campaign indicated that
this loss was largely due to your
lack of knowledge about money.
But the campaign also showed
that enlightenment of the people
would protect them. Therefore,
the campaign of education against
crime was intensified, under the
slogan “Know Your Money." For
the calendar year of 1940 the pub
lic losses through acceptance of
counterfeit notes were reduced to
about $100,000. The Secret Serv
ice believes this 90 per cent re
duction is the dividend of its
“Know Your Money” campaign.
Newspaper stories, magazine
articles and educational pam
phlets carry the message into
homes, schools and the business
world. A 32-page illustrated book
let, just off the press, entitled
“Know Your Money," published
by the Secret Service, tells how to
detect counterfeit notes and coins,
and how you may protect yourself
against the forger of government
checks. The booklet may be ob
tained from the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing
Office, Washington, D. C., for 10
cents the copy. A sound motion
picture, also entitled “Know Your
Money,” entirely made by the
Secret Service, and with Lowell
Thomas as commentator, is being
shown in high schools in the 48
states and to business groups of
100 persons or more.
“There is no secret formula for
detecting a counterfeit note,” says
Frank J. Wilson, chief of the Unit
ed States Secret Service. “Years
of experience have proven that
the human eye is the best coun
terfeit detector in existence. But
it must be properly trained. Gen
uine paper money is printed on
distinctive paper containing tiny
red and blue silk threads. The
printing is done from steel-en
graved plates made by a corps of
the most expert engravers in the
world.
“Do you have a bill in your
pocket or purse? Take it out now
and look closely at the portrait of
Washington, Lincoln, or another
of the great Americans shown on
the various denominations. You
will see that the facial character
istics are shaded by small dots
and dashes, each of which is clear
and distinct. In the portrait back
ground you will see tiny perfectly
square spaces between horizontal
and vertical lines, which are also
very clear. Around the border of
the bill, face and back, are intri
cate white lines resembling a net.
These are known as the geometri
cal lathework, and each line is un
broken from beginning to end.
Look at the colored treasury seal
on the face of the bill. Around its
outer edge are many sharp points
which look like the teeth of a cir
cular saw.
“The counterfeiter has a hard
time to imitate a bill and most
counterfeits are crude, but some
times he makes one above the av
erage. Whether a counterfeit is a
good or poor reproduction, you
should be able to detect it by com
parison with a note of the same
denomination which is known to
be genuine. A comparison of this
kind will readily disclose defects
in the portrait, the seal and the
lathework border, and is definite
ly the best method of counterfeit
detection. If the suspected bill is
FRANK J. WILSON
counterfeit, its portrait will be
dull, smudgy or scratchy in ap
pearance. The points on the coun
terfeit treasury seal will be un
even or blunt, instead of sharp
and regular. The white net lines
in the border will be broken in
many places, and generally the
texture of the paper and the color
of the ink will be quite different
than the genuine.”
It is often said that if the ink or
color can be rubbed off a bill, the
bill is counterfeit. Nothing could
be more wrong, according to Mr.
Wilson. The ink or color can be
rubbed from both genuine and
counterfeit notes, and such a test
proves nothing.
Counterfeit coins are also a
source of trouble. Genuine silver
coins have a clear, bell-like ring.
Counterfeits sound dull. Ring sil
ver coins on hard surface and be
ware of those which sound like
stone. In extremely rare in
stances, genuine silver coins may
have an invisible crack or air bub
ble which would make them sound
dull. However, these are so few
that your chances of receiving
one are very slight indeed.
The corrugated outer edge of
silver coins is known as the “reed
ing.” It is this feature which
should be closely examined on sus
pected coins. Likewise, this reed
ing should be compared with that
on a coin of the same denomina
i tion known to be genuine. On most
i counterfeits the reeding is notice
■ ably imperfect, but on genuine
I coins the corrugations are regu
lar and distinct. In some cases,
of course, the reeding is complete
ly worn away on genuine coins
which have circulated for a long
time.
PORTRAIT—On genuine bills,
the portrait is lifelike, stands out
from the oval background which
is a fine screen of regular lines.
Notice particularly the eyes. On
a counterfeit the portrait is dull,
smudgy or unnaturally white;
scratchy; the background is dark
with irregular and broken lines.
The portraits of 11 great Ameri
cans appear on United States
money. It is important for your
protection that you know on which
bills these portraits appear. Re
gardless of the type of bill, all bills
of the same denomination bear
the same portrait, as follows:
Washington on all $ 1 bills
Jefferson on all $ 2 bills
Lincoln on all $ 5 bills
Hamilton on all $ 10 bills
Jackson on all $ 20 bills |
Grant on all $ 50 bills j
Franklin on all $ 100 bills ;
McKinley on all $ 500 bills
Cleveland on all $ 1,000 bills
Madison on all $ 5,000 bills
Chase on all $10,000 bills
2. SEAL—On the genuine bill,
the sawtooth points around the
rim are identical and sharp. On
the counterfeit these points are
usually different, uneven, broken
off.
3. SERIAL NUMBERS—On the
genuine bill, they are distinctive
in style, firmly and evenly printed
in the same color as the seal. On
the counterfeit the style is differ
ent, poorly printed, badly spaced,
uneven in appearance.
4. PAPER—Genuine bills are
printed on distinctive paper con
taining very small red and blue
silk threads.
The following information about
paper currency will also be help
ful:
SIGNATURES — The signature
of the secretary of the treasury
appears at the lower right side on
the front of all United States pa
per money. The signature of the
treasurer of the United States ap
pears on the lower left side.
TYPES OF CURRENCY—Our
government now prints three types
of currency or paper money: fed
eral reserve notes, silver certifi
cates, and United States notes.
Every note or bill is distin
guished by words telling which
type it is, printed at the top of the
bill on its face or front. The type
of each bill is also shown by the
color of its treasury seal and seri
al numbers. The treasury seal
and serial numbers are GREEN
on federal reserve notes, RED on
United States notes, and BLUE on
silver certificates.
FEDERAL RESERVE NOTES
—Federal reserve notes are placed
in circulation by the federal . e
serve banks, each bank placing its
own notes in circulation through
the banks located in its district.
There are 12 federal reserve dis- !
tricts. Each district has a num
ber and a corresponding letter of
the alphabet for its symbol.
SYMBOL DISTRICT
LETTER NUMBER
Boston .A. 1
New York .B. 2
Philadelphia .C. 3
Cleveland .D. 4
Richmond .E. 5
Atlanta .F. 6
Chicago .G. 7
St. Louis.H. 8
Minneapolis .1. 9
Kansas City.J. 10
Dallas .K.11
San Francisco.L..12
The letter "A” in the regional
bank seal on a federal reserve
note shows that it was issued by
the Boston Federal Reserve bank
in the First district. The letter
“B" in the regional bank seal and
the figure “2” shows that a bill
was issued from the Federal Re
serve Bank of New York, and so
on through the list of the 12 banks
to San Francisco, whose symbol
letter is “L” and district number
is “12.” The regional bank seal
and the district number on fed
eral reserve notes are always
BLACK.
Fashion-Wise Women Take Up
Crocheting ith Real Zest
Tiy CHERIE NICHOLAS
WHEN you pick up your news
paper these days, or flip
through the pages of your favorite
magazine, more often than not
you’ll see pictures of stage, radio
and motion picture stars, college
girls, club women and debutantes,
all busy at a new hobby—crochet
ing!
A crocheting fad is sweeping the
country. Crochet hooks are being
wielded by busy fingers from Maine
to California, from the Canadian
border to the Gulf of Mexico. The
vogue has taken such hold that now
adays when a deb reaches into her
handbag, it’s probably for a crochet
hook rather than a lipstick.
Mind you, it’s not just the home
girls interested in housewifely arts
who are crocheting. This time it’s
the college girls whose campus
bound trunks, returning from mid
winter homecomings, fairly bulged
with unfinished sweaters and
blouses and accessory items into
which, no doubt, they will be put
ting the final stitches in the lecture
room, pacing busy hands to busy
minds. In the city thoroughfares
it’s the debutantes who are crochet
ing in taxicabs speeding to and fro
in their round of social engage
ments. Stage and radio stars are at
it too, while they wait their cues,
all of which means that crocheting
has definitely reached the glamour
stage.
That crochet has come “in” as
a style of high importance is big
news from the fashion angle. The
famous designer Schiaparelli may
be back of it all, for when she ar
rived some months ago on the At
lantic clipper she wore a crocheted
collar, crocheted gloves and listen
to this—crocheted stockings! The
latter were very smart looking and
created a sensation because of their
unusualness.
Crocheted jewelry is another
unique item, especially the lei flow
er necklace with bracelet to match.
The idea of stiffly-starched small
crochet wings worn in the hair has
spread like wildfire. Young girls
are especially like these wings be
cause it takes only a jiffy to make
them and they are different and
much more interesting than the tra
ditional ribbon bows they have been
wearing. A miniature crochet shawl
to complete a sweater and plaid
skirt outfit is another favorite ac
cessory.
At exciting style prevues for
spring the emphasis on crochet fash
ions Is unmistakable. Ideas are
such that clever women at home
will be quick to add crocheted items
to their own wardrobes. For ex
ample, insets of crochet in trian
gles, squares or circles, also yoke
tops, add style touches to the new
pastel wool frocks. Pockets and
belts of crochet and jackets with
crocheted sleeves bespeak the high
style significance of this new vogue
for handwork.
Milliners are on the alert, too.
They are making snug crochet tur
bans with dramatic twists and
drapes of crochet to give front
height. The white crochet hat at
the top of the left in the illustra
tion has gone patriotic in that an
American eagle spreads its wings
in a gay crochet motif. To the right
(above) a casual wide-brimmed hat
has its crown embellished with an
applique of floral crochet done in
green cotton thread. The smart cro
cheted pillbox hat shown below has
a close-fitting snood for anchorage
and “style.”
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
Lapel Gadgets
Jewel gadgets continue to flourish
on midseason jacket lapels. With
the discarding of burdensome win
ter fur coats comes evidence of the
importance attached to suits for
midseason and early spring wear.
With suits in the limelight, then it
is that the gadgets so popularly
worn on jacket lapels will come into
their own with renewed emphasis.
While women are willing and eager
to discard their fur topcoats during
the- interval that spans winter and
spring, they still cling to the touches
of flattering fur that so dramatized
their smart turbans. In the pic
ture an enormous gold-and-topaz pin
is worn on the lapel of a mossy
green wool long-coat. There will be
considerable topaz and amber jew
elry in evidence during the midsea
son months and early spring in line
; with the trend toward yellows and
beiges and sunburnt tones that are
sponsored for spring.
Emblems Important
Trimming Feature
The new costumes and sweaters
are emblazoned with emblems.
Some are embroidered, others
formed of jewels, beads and se
quins. The casual sports blouse
flourishes a nautical emblem on its
sleeve or perhaps on the pocket. Sai
lor blouses with insignia on the
sleeve are “last word" fashion news
for spring.
Your best dress should have an
imposing emblem embroidered in
jewels and metal beads.
Your hat looks patriotic with a
jeweled or embroidered eagle
spreading its wings on crown or
brim. Your scarf should carry a
cunningly contrived emblem, and
your “hankies” too. The story goes
on and on throughout the spring
style program in endless and fasci
nating ways.
Designers Match Hats
With Tailored Tweeds
Designers think so highly of
matching the tailored suit with a tai
lored hat of identical material that
they are stressing the idea in ad
vance spring fashions. When you
buy your suit ask for a two-some
that includes the matching hat. If
you are having your suit turned out
by your favorite tailor, buy an ex
tra piece of the tweed or novelty
suiting to furnish your milliner who
will fashion smartest kind of head
gear from soft brimmed hats to
jaunty sailors and pillbox types.
Perhaps a turban might interest you
most. Tell your milliner and she
will turn out a most intricately knot
ted atfair or draped and will go
even to the point of creating a hand
j bag to match.
OP> SEW
Ruth Wyeth Spears
FIBEtfp
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SEAT ,
TO |
REPAIR ^
WORN j
\CANE ,
i;seat u
Ijr BACK
I COVER
*9. SLIPS
OYER
SPINDLES
IF A CHAIR is all legs, angles
* and curves in the wrong
places, a slip cover may do as
much for it as a becoming frock
will do for an awkward girl. The
right color, a dash of style, fabric
cut to bring out graceful lines
and cover defects, and presto—
a new personality for the ugly
duckling!
That was the treatment given a
set of old chairs like the one shown
here. A two-piece frock was
planned to repeat tones in the wall
paper of the room in which the
AROUND
THE HOUSE
Grease the measuring cup be
fore measuring syrup or molasses
and it will not stick to the sides
of the cup.
• * •
To keep brown sugar moist and
fresh, store in a covered contain
er with a freshly cut piece of
lemon.
* * *
A window box of seasoning herbs
is handy for winter cooking.
* * *
If rubber gloves are sprinkled
on the inside with corn starch or
powder they will slip on more
easily.
* • *
To revive frozen house plants,
set in a cold closet in which the
temperature is near the freezing
point and let plants thaw out slow
ly.
* * *
When two glasses become
wedged together place cold water
in the upper one and set lower in
warm water. They will then sep
arate with little effort.
| chairs were to be used. The bold
stripes of the putty tan, green and
wine red material gave just the
right contrast with the flowered
pattern on the wall. Narrow green
fringe was used for edging and
the sketch shows how the two
pieces of the slip cover were
made.
• • *
NOTE: You i...a .nore Illustrations
for making over dining room chairs, old
rockers and armchairs in Mrs. Spears’
Books 5 and 6 Also directions for design
ing and making rugs; hooked, braided
and crocheted Each book has 32 pages
of illustrated directions. Send order to:
MRS. RUTH WYETH SPEARS
Drawer 10
Bedford Hills New iork
Enclose 2Cc for Books 5 and 6.
Name .
Address ...
Sacrifice of Self
Love is the gift of self. Its spirit
may vary in the degree of inten
sity, but it is ever the same. It is
always and everywhere the sacri
fice of self.—Canon Liddon.
Most delicious "bag"
of the season ... quick and
easy to prepare .. . nourishing
... economical.. . order, today,
from your grocer.
Resourceless
The mouse that hath but one
hole is quickly taken.—Plautus.
U U You can see the deeper color and taste the richer
” ^ flavor of California Navel Orange juice 1 You get
more vitamins and minerals in every glass—thanks to year-round sun
shine, fertile soils and scientific care!
Navel Oranges are grand eating too. They’re seedless! Easy to peel
and slice or section for salads ana desserts.
Look for “Sunkist” on the skin-the trademark of 14,000 cooperating
Srowers for fruit that is “Best for Juice-and Every use!” Order several
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