2016-07-13 Wed

Watermarks have been used as security features on banknotes since the Revolutionary era. Counterfeiters find it difficult to replicate watermarked paper. The designs are added on the paper when it’s made and when it’s held up to the light some type of design is revealed.

Before the Civil War though, watermarked paper was not used widely as they were costlier. The other reason being, highly leveraged banks were not all that concerned about counterfeits. But counterfeits had an eye on high profile, successful banks due to which watermarked obsolete notes are available but not very common.

Some notes have “body tears” which were actually the margins of the watermarked letters separating from the rest of the note, creating error notes.

A $10 issue on the Bank of Chester, Chester, S.C. Printed by Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co., the paper, has a large “TCC & Co.” watermark. A large crescent shaped separation is found around the “C” in “Co.”.