The E-Sylum:  Volume 7, Number 2, January 11, 2004, Article 10

ERRANT ORMSBY PLATE NOTES

  David Gladfelter writes: "I mentioned the fact that plates
  cannibalized from broken-up Ormsbys were circulating among
  us.  If you will turn to lot 17236 of the current Heritage-CAA
  auction, or look it up on line, you will see an example of this.
  It is a supposed "progress proof of an unadopted design for the
  Erie & Kalamazoo Rail Road Bank" and is about to become
  enshrined as such in our literature (Dr. Wallace Lee's
  forthcoming book on Michigan obsoletes).  It is nothing of
  the sort.

  What it is, is a clipping from plate 7 of Ormsby, specifically the
  image with check letter C. This plate, Ormsby tells us, was
  made by his 17 year old son as an example of how easy it is
  for an untrained person to counterfeit bank notes (Ormsby's
  book is an elaborate polemic against counterfeiting and for
  wall-to-wall intaglio engraving as the best protection against
  counterfeiting). The plate is superficially impressive except
  that the central vignette is a ludicrous alteration of a railroad
  scene used on several legitimate bank notes. The perspective
  is all wrong on the alteration, and gives you the feeling that
  the sea is about to wash over the train, carrying the
  not-so-distant steamship with it!

  Ormsby's kid remembered to put check letters A, B & C on
  three of the images on his creation but somehow overlooked
  letter D on the 4th!

  The description by Heritage-CAA is certainly not an intentional
  misrepresentation, but it is wrong nevertheless.  I hope Dr. Lee
  catches the error in time to correct his listing.  Collectors
familiar
  with Ormsby should watch for other fugitive notes finding their
  way onto the market undetected.  The same thing happens with
  fugitive plates from Heath counterfeit detectors."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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