|
A short history of star notes
On April 14, 1920, the director of
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing wrote to the treasurer, Lee McClung
suggesting “that the Bureau be authorized to prepare a stock of notes numbered
in sequence, distinguished from all other notes by a special letter or character
printed before / after the serial number… that these notes be substituted for
defective specimens… with notation on the pages indicating the package contained
such substitutes.”
The green light to
proceed was given. Approval must have been anticipated, because on April 17,
1920 a rush order was sent to the American Numbering Company in Brooklyn, N.Y.
specifying eight stars for use on automatic numbering blocks. The Bureau
finished the first package with stars on June 20, 1920, and delivered them to
Treasurer McClung on July 12, 1910. Thus the earliest possible star notes are
those of 1910 with the Vernon-McClung signature. The first pack of stars was
numbered * 75612001 A through
* 75612100 A and were Series of 1899
$1 Silver Certificates.
It is inevitable that some misprints,
smudged notes, or otherwise imperfect notes will be made during note production.
At the time of examination, these imperfect notes are replaced by new notes that
have a star on one end of the serial number. The percentage of spoiled notes is
very small; hence the number of star notes is rather limited. In the early
series of our small size notes, the spoilage percentage has been accurately
estimated at less than %1 of total notes. No attempt is made to replace any
defective note with the same serial number star note. Star notes also are
used to replace the 100 millionth note instead of a note with serial 00 000 000
as printed.
(Answered Dec. 26, 2006)
|
|
