Over the weekend, a printer friend of mine showed me a couple oddities that I couldn't identify. These are two clear plastic "plates" from American Bank Note Co. One is ABNC's signature specimen banknote. The other is the vignette "Electric Generation" and part of a frame. I include printed samples here for comparison. (Darryl, I borrowed one of your scans.) The plastic plates are very thin (thinner than a dime) and the raised image is positive, meaning they aren't printing plates because the images would print in reverse. It looks like rubylith film is taped around the images, which is usually associated with some kind of photographic process. Would an engraved steel plate be stamped onto a pliable (maybe warm) sheet of clear plastic to make these? What would they be used for? I've been poking around online for clues on this, with no luck so far. Sorry about the quality of these photos. One piece was covered by a protective plastic film.
Many materials can and have been used in off-set lithographic commercial printing. See here for plate technologies and to understand how and when each might be used. Aluminum and other metal plates are durable (especially for larger runs as they don't wear out as quickly) but they're more expensive. Newspapers and magazines tend to use plastics or polymer plates and other newer cheaper technologies, which are are all cheap and easy to replace and dispose of plates. Plastic is cheaper but not suitable for quality reproductions and longer press runs. Plastic is also flexible. Both Aluminum and plastic plates come in a range of very thin gauge sheets, so are flexible in order to wrap around the printing cylinders of commercial mass production presses. Plates are manufactured or can be made photosensitive with coatings (see above link) for transferring an image onto the plate. A positive working image can be off-set (hence the name) onto a rubber blanket or roller on the press then transferred onto the paper substrate that was used for holding the printed design. I suspect these are some form of 'image carrier' or 'positive working plates' they used for a run of lithographically reproduced designs of originals that had been done by intaglio (engraved dies) printing. Whatever their application, it must have called for a cheaper and quicker form of printing or something in large edition without need for high quality -or- someone else wanted to reproduce their work but were limited to a cheaper form of printing, off set in place of more costly and quality intaglio. I wonder, can you find an example printed of these plates done in lithographic process, and who the printers might have been, in order to track down the exact type of litho process used... BTW, that is rubylith adhesive tape around the edge. It comes on rolls and is a common material around photo labs and printing environments. It may have been used interchangeably with other adhesive backed tapes, just used for convenience here, when securing the plastic sheet over the image area of the plate to protect it while in storage or if/when shipped.
You can barrow any of my images at any time. I put them out here to share with everyone. Cool plates, Interesting that they are in a positive form. You and Krispy would have a better understanding of how they might have been used. What ever the purpose was, it is cool that they survived. Let us know if you figure it out.
Chris, I think you're onto something with that "image carrier" theory. There may be a photographic process used to transfer the image to a printable plate for lithography. That link to the print technologies is helpful -- thanks. You know what ... I can! Tucked away in a folder I have a demo booklet that appears to have been printed for in-house ABNC use. It shows sample stock certificates printed in intaglio and in litho, side by side for comparison. And *bingo* - not only did they use the "Electricity" vignette, but the lathework frame with "100 Shares" is there, too! Now, why they would want to print the sample banknote as a litho is still a mystery. But if we solve that one I'm going to apply for a job with the History Detectives.
I have three different types of the 10.00 "Specimen". Two are intaglio printed and the third is lithographed. They would have wanted examples of both to show potential customers. The cost of lithography is lower than intaglio. The black and green ones are intaglio. The colorful one is lithographed.
No kidding!? I never would have guessed it was a litho from this scan. So no raised in on this at all? Very impressive. Usually you can tell a litho even from a scan -- the quality just isn't quite there. Here's a close-up of the vignette from the booklet cover. Upper left is lithography, lower right is intaglio. As good as it is, you can still see the feathering break up along the upper edges and the ink getting too heavy in the shadows of the litho. I don't see any of that in the litho of the color specimen banknote. In fact, I'd have guessed the black one was litho. I must say I'm impressed with their work!
