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SOLD SOLD (19/03) *Framed Original WW2 Nazi German Operation Bernhard Counterfeit British Bank Of England £10 Note Recovered From Lake Como Italy In 1973. Sn 22480 - 22480 Operation Bernhard was a Nazi attempt to finance intelligence operations by using counterfeit notes to pay spies and to buy supplies, including gold. Started in 1940 under the name Operation Andreas, the idea was revived under the name Operation Bernhard in 1942, led by SS Major Friederich Bernhard Krueger. The Nazi’s hoped that, by flooding the UK with counterfeit notes, they would destabilise the economy. At that time, British banknotes had a simple, elegant design, little changed since 1855. The black printing appeared on only one side of the white, cotton-rag paper, with a small image of Britannia in the top left-hand corner. In 1942, Krueger identified prisoners in concentration camps with knowledge of engraving, printing, graphics and banking. He assembled a team of 142 Jewish prisoners at Sachsenhausen camp near Berlin. The prisoners studied vast quantities of genuine banknotes. They focused on :discovering the secret security marks; engraving the image of Britannia, also known as a vignette; perfecting the banknote paper; forging signatures; and mastering the printing process. About 150 different security marks were identified. Security marks are intentional, minor defects, different for each denomination of note. The flaws had been introduced as anti-counterfeiting devices. By detecting these intentional defects, the Nazis were able to create high quality printing plates for the £5, £10, £20 and £50 banknotes. But of course, printing plates need paper. Banknote paper has a watermark and a very distinct feel. The Nazis experimented and eventually managed to create paper that had the same “look and feel”. Once printed, the counterfeit notes had to be aged. A team of prisoners, with dirty hands, repeatedly rubbed and folded the notes, creating the desired “wear and tear”. The result was a counterfeit note that was indistinguishable to the eye from a genuine note. Despite success with printing plates and paper, the Nazis tried, but failed, to crack the numbering system on banknotes and were forced to re-use serial numbers from genuine banknotes. This led to the first counterfeit note being detected in 1943. It had passed through a British bank in Morocco. At that time, the serial numbers of notes that had been withdrawn from circulation were recorded in leather-bound ledgers. An eagle-eyed Bank clerk noticed that the note in front of him had already been “paid”, so had to be a forgery. Once it was known that the issue was widespread, the Bank responded to Operation Bernhard by withdrawing from circulation all notes with a face value higher than £5. When it became clear to the Nazis that defeat was inevitable, the prisoners were moved from Germany to Austria, where they would continue to produce counterfeit banknotes. But the Allied forces closed in and the prisoners were liberated by allied forces on 6 May 1945. The Nazis attempted to destroy and hide large amounts of forged notes towards the end of the war. Operation Bernhard counterfeits turned up in circulation for a number of years after the War. It wasn’t until some 20 years later, in 1964, that a £10 note was reintroduced, followed by £20 in 1970, and by £50 in 1981. These new notes were more sophisticated and colourful than the elegant white banknotes they replaced and much harder to counterfeit. This is an original Nazi Operation Bernhard forged Bank of England £10 bank note. This note was reputedly recovered from Lake Como in Italy in 1973. The bank note is clean and the serial number is in the known serial number range of Nazi forged notes. The paper is clean and has the correct forged watermark and forged Chief cashier signature. The note is mounted on card and enclosed in a glazed frame. Below the note is a later descriptive label with printed Nazi ‘SS’ runes (illustrated). The rear of the frame is mounted with cord for wall hanging. The price includes UK delivery**AS WITH ALL OF OUR STOCK THIS ITEM IS GUARANTEED 100% ORIGINAL** Sn 22480 (Corridor Shelves)
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