One sheet papertrail

There were severe penalties for forgery of varying degrees, depending on the gravity of the crime. If a fake banknote was found, it had to be returned to the local bank, in order to find the perpetrator. That was why it was so important for businessmen, traders, and other users to write the date and their name or company on the banknote.

The question remains if this was done consequently. The banknotes on the table are all relatively neat in comparison to specimens in other collections.

If the banknote was returned to its maker, there was only one way to find out if it was real or fake: the brushstroke…