19 July 1844 Seal Breaking - Cumberland and Westmorland Newspaper Transcriptions

19 July 1844 Seal Breaking

THE
REAL METHOD OF

       Public attention has been of late very properly directed to the odious
system of espionage which has been long practised at the Post-office, under
the authority of the British secretary of state; and many of the journals have
pretended to describe the agency by which the operation of taking fac similes
of seals have been accomplished, but evidently with little knowledge of the
subject. Some of them have stated that the imitation seal was produced by
placing a plate of lead on the wax impression, which, when smartly struck, presented
a perfect fac simile of the original; but this is a palpable absurdity.

       The operation is much simpler; and by the process adopted at the
Post-office a score of spurious seals can be produced in a few minutes, and with
the utmost precision and certainty. The spurious seal by which it is intended to
reseal the opened letters is taken in plaster of Paris, and with so much
accuracy as to defy detection.

       It is, in fact, the process by which our beautiful casts of medals and
coins are taken, as well as that by which the lower gangs of coiners are
enabled to cast exact fac similes of our silver coinage in base metal.

       It appears that in the secret or inner bureau of the Post-office the
appropriate apparatus for casting is always in readiness. It simply consists of
a small cylindrical, annular brass mould, about an inch in height, which
opens and shuts like a bullet mould. After the seal has been oiled, to prevent the
plaster adhering, this mould is placed upon it, and the plaster of Paris,
mixed in the usual way is poured upon it. In about five minutes it hardens or
sets, as it is technically called; and in about as many minutes more it is fit
for resealing the letter, which has been opened by the application of a hot iron
to the seal, and a copy of its contents duly taken. If a wafer should have
been used, a little hot water or steam will soon remove the obstruction.

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