A sheet with 28 designs of intricate patterns devised against forgery, engraving, by an unknown designer, c. 1825

A sheet with 28 plate designs of intricate patterns, of various shapes and sizes. Each plate is numbered.

The use of back plates comprising intricate geometric patterns, was intended to make imitation more difficult. The inclusion of back plates for enhanced security was discussed in a letter of 1829 between Perkins and Co., the security printers who produced banknotes for most of Britain’s provincial banks, and their client Eaton and Co. of Swansea. In the letter, the client asked that Perkins provide ‘all the security you can’ and left it to Perkins’ as to whether it was ‘desirable to have back plates as additional preventions against forgery’ (British Museum, CIB.52671). Whether Perkins promoted back plates as a security device is not known but a similar design to the one-pound banknote design in this group can be seen in a mock-up note produced by Perkins & Co. for Dewsbury Bank from 1825 (British Museum, CIB.52675).

E.750-2019