I really like subtle engraving variations and, today, I read about a variation that I didn't know about. On 05 Mar 1930 Alvin W. Hall, Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, sent the following letter to Walter E. Hope, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury: [TABLE="class: outer_border"] March 5, 1930 For Mr. Hope [Assistant Secretary of the Treasury] The portrait of Alexander Hamilton, appearing on $10 bills, is not wearing as long as it should. In other words, it is not possible to get a large number of impressions from the plates made from the present master die. Through the years it has been in use, it has shown some wear. Within the past few weeks a roll was taken down from the master die, and a portrait laid down from this roll. This protrait was re-engraved by one of our best men. I am attaching hereto a face impression of the $10 bill made from the die now in use, and one taken from the die after having been re-engraved. While the difference between the two is not noticeable to the naked eye, there are, of course, some changes in the line construction, which could be found through the use of a glass. With your approval all $10 plates hereafter will be made bearing the new portrait. Each plate will be marked as to make a distinction between the new and old portrait. On plates bearing the new portrait, it is planned to add a line in the ornamental engraving surrounding the numeral in the upper right-hand corner. This mark of distinction I have noted with a pencil mark. A. W. Hall [Director, Bureau of Engraving and Printing] [/TABLE] This is the difference between the old and new plates:
That is really really neat Clay! I love it that such a minute detail is survived with it's reasoned letter seeking approval. Thank you for sharing this information with us.
I picked up an old copy of Bank Note Reporter (June 2011, Vol. 60 No. 6) to browse in my "reading room" — On page 36, there is an article with the title, "Secret Mark on 1928B FRN $10s".
Clay: Thank you for the information. Nice post! :thumb: :thumb: Clay.. I found this on a 28B and looked at several note Series after 28B and do not see it. Does the article say when those plates were retired??
The secret marks appeared on new portrait plates only for 1928B $10 FRNs. They did not appear on 1928 $10 GCs; apparently the BEP never botthered to make new potrait plates for that series. The 1928C $10 FRNs were all new potrait plates, but the mark wasn't needed anymore because no old portrait masters remained in use. For as obvious as the mark is now, it was a finding a needle-in-a-haystack to first locate it. Jamie Yakes, co-author of that article.
Amazing all the little corrections made on the bills. Back then they were open to errors and corrected them. Now the Quality control is not too good.
Although, printing problems, have been effecting the finished quality of the overdue new $100 notes from even being released. With so much more technology embedded in the notes, I'd have to say that QC has to be even more detail oriented now than ever, this in part because security of the currency is at an increased risk.
