Doug Buitenbos

Sandy, the 1970 article describes the new clearing center policy, not the policy of any FRB. But all that means that commercial banks were fine sorting by 1970, before the FRBs would accept them. Still, as for the when the FRB fine-sort program was implemented, I must concede.

You're talking about the "fine-sort program," where the bank does the sorting so that the Federal Reserve Bank doesn't have to. ... I think it's time for Tom Scully to eat a little humble pie. He keeps pounding on the fine-sort program, like that explains how it is that the money order hasn't any bank stamps on it. Well guess what, Mr. Scully... the fine sort program wasn't established till 1979. It was first tested in a pilot program in 1970 at the Washington-Baltimore Regional Check Clearing Center. In 1974 it was implemented at the New York FRB only. And in 1979 the program was expanded to all FRBs. Nobody at Education Forum is contributing , my azz. Sources: Search for these phrases in the documents: "fine sort," "fine sorted," and "end point sorted." 1970 Washington Pilot Program: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/docs/publications/frbrichreview/rev_frbrich197005.pdf 1974 New York Impementation: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/docs/historical/ny%20circulars/1974_07478.pdf 1979 Completed Fine Sort Program: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/docs/historical/ny%20circulars/nycirc_1979_08621.pdf 1974 Fine Sort Regulations: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/docs/historical/ny%20circulars/1974_07394.pdf I don't think those documents say what you seem to think they do. In the 1970 document, the term "fine sort" appears in the article titled "The Washington-Baltimore Regional Check Clearing Center." It clearly implies that the new innovation is the concept of the clearing center, and mentions that fine sorting may be done by member banks (including any member FRBs) before sending the items on to the clearing center. It's possible that they introduced the method of fine sorting along with the establishment of the center, but if they had, I would have expected a great deal more about this wonderful new sorting method. In any event, it does not claim that fine-sorting is a new process invented just for the Clearing Center. The bulk of the other articles dwell on updates to policies regarding the receipt and handling of pre-sorted and unsorted items, and do not say that fine- or end-point sorting was anything new to be implented and do not state that fine-sorting was introduced in 1970.

This scenario requires that a photocopy machine would be able to reproduce bleed-through without also reproducing any evidence of touch-ups. Meanwhile, capillary action is a common phenomenon; card stock is permeable and fibrous; inks have many different levels of viscosity and density, and adding water changes their viscosity and density. I, for one, find the latter explanation more believable than the former.

@Sandy, are you suggesting that conspirators went through the trouble of purchasing a money order and sending it through processing only to fabricate a money order from scratch in the end?

Looking at the un-cut money orders, I think I see a feature on them which would allow them to be oriented correctly for machine processing. There is a red circle on the face of each where a square hole is punched out, along with another to the right, and third directly below. I would think that would suffice to determine the orientation of the cards. <snip>It looks like I am wrong about the corner. But given the oddity of the two MOs, I'm not quite ready to concede yet. Sandy, I know you directed that particluar post to Lance, but if you feel that the oddities you see in the two money orders are an issue, you may want to re-think your argument as presented in the OP, since one of them is the very same MO you use to support your argument.

Doug grew up on a small dairy farm in South Dakota, but has spent most of his adult life as a software developer. When not working at his full-time job, he spends his time with his family, and occasionally comments on internet forums.