Litų klastojimas ir valstybinių institucijų kova su netikrų pinigų platinimu Lietuvoje 1922-1940 m.

LTŠiuo metu publikuoti tik keli darbai, skirti 1922–1940 m. klastotiems litams. Norime papildyti šias gretas tyrimu, kurio pagrindiniai akcentai – netikrų litų gamybos ir platinimo mastai bei teisėsaugos kovos būdai su šia neteisėta veikla. Tyrimo tikslas – sudominti visuomenę pinigų falsifikavimo tema, kuri yra perspektyvi tolimesniems tyrimams, siekiant išsiaiškinti pinigų klastojimo poveikį tiek valstybės ekonomikai, tiek socialiniam gyvenimui. Tyrimui panaudotos archyvinės bylos iš Lietuvos centriniame valstybės archyve (toliau – LCVA) saugomų Valstybės saugumo departamento, Policijos departamento, Lietuvos banko, Mokesčių departamento fondų bei Vytauto Didžiojo karo muziejuje (toliau – VDKM) saugomos monetų klastotės. [Iš straipsnio, p. 58]

ENThe topic of money counterfeiting intrigues not only the public, but also specialists. However, only a few works devoted to the counterfeiting of litas in the 1922–1940 period have been published so far. Therefore, with the help of archival sources and publications, we will reveal the scale of the production and distribution of fake money and the fight of law enforcement against this illegal activity. This study also focuses on clarifying the features and details of identifying counterfeits. The counterfeiting of the litas began soon after it was released into circulation on October 2, 1922. Banknotes were not widely counterfeited in Lithuania due to a lack of technical means and the actions of law enforcement. Significantly more counterfeits arrived in Lithuania from abroad, where devious individuals printed litas banknotes in foreign printing houses by falsifying alleged orders from Lithuanian institutions. The most common characteristics of fake banknotes are low-quality paper, non-standard colors and shades, inconsistencies in the details of illustrations, inscriptions, and ornaments, and the absence of watermarks and silk threads. Most counterfeit coins were made of easily melted metals such as lead, tin, and various babbitts. Coins made of brass, copper, new silver, and silver were less common. Cast coins differed from real ones because small details did not appear on them, and there were also various pits or lumps. The grooves of the reeded edges were usually molten and irregular; clearer relief contours were achieved by minting coins. Although minted coins better imitated genuine coins, they were still flawed.The Department of Identification of the State Security Department used to perform the most important procedures in the tracking of counterfeit money. In this department, the following physical characteristics of counterfeit coins were investigated: sound, color, mass, size, and chemical composition. Paper quality, size, image details, and security marks were the subjects of investigation for suspicious banknotes. In the State Security Department laboratory, criminalists examined not only suspicious money but also the tools used by local craftsmen to manufacture litas. To make the detection of forgeries easier and to identify counterfeiters, each counterfeit currency item was assigned a type. Counterfeit money was carefully described and cataloged. By the end of 1937, criminalists had registered 362 different types of counterfeit money. Some of these fake coins are stored in the Central State Archives of Lithuania, in the collections of the Vytautas the Great War Museum and the Lithuanian National Museum, as well as in private collections. This investigation revealed that although some counterfeits were of high quality, law enforcement agencies were quite successful in combating money counterfeiting and distribution. As a result, counterfeiting did not become a mass phenomenon and did not have a significant impact on the stability of the litas or the economy. [From the publication]