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F ederal R e s e r v e Bank OF DALLAS Dallas, Texas, June 17, 1960 To All Banks in the Eleventh Federal Reserve District: We are pleased to send you the enclosed copy of our recently revised folder of specimen checks and drafts. The front page of the folder contains general information pertaining to the Am erican Bankers Association Magnetic Ink Character Recognition Program, and the specimen checks and drafts show the location and arrangement of check routing data for both manual and machine processing of checks. Because of the importance of having all checks in circulation qualified for mechanized check handling, we urge your cooperation in arranging to have checks drawn on your bank preprinted in conformity with ABA specifi cations, including checks of your customers which are ordered directly from printers. Our offices at Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio will gladly furnish you additional copies of this folder. You are invited to order as many copies as may be needed, not only for your own use but also for distribution to your customers and to your check suppliers. Yours very truly, Watrous H. Irons President This publication was digitized and made available by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Historical Library (FedHistory@dal.frb.org) FED ERAL RESERVE BA K N of D LLA A S SPECIMEN CHECKS AND DRAFTS The checks and drafts illustrated herein show the location and arrangement of the routing symbol and suffix of the transit number as they should be printed in magnetic ink for mechanized check handling, in conformity with the American Bankers Association Magnetic Ink Character Recognition Program, and the fractional form of the routing symbol and full transit number for manual handling of checks. Under the plan for mechanical handling of checks, the ABA has designated a space at the bottom of the check forms, s/a" wide and 6" long, measured from the right edge, for imprinting magnetic ink characters in E-13B type. The space is divided into three fields known as the “Transit,” “On Us” and “Amount” fields. In the first field there is shown the routing symbol and suffix of the ABA transit number of the drawee bank, with non-significant zeros added where necessary. (F or checks longer than 6", an auxiliary field to the left of the Va" by 6 " space may be used by the drawee bank if needed.) Detailed specifications can be found in Bank Management publications 147 and 149, which may be purchased for $1.25 from the American Bankers Association, 12 East 36 Street, New York 16, New York. This plan will enable banks to continue efficient handling of checks in the face of an ever increasing check volume. The mechanized check operations cannot be put into effect, however, until most checks are prepared for mechanical handling. Therefore, the full cooperation of banks and check printers, in having all check forms preprinted with the routing symbol-transit number in magnetic ink characters, is earnestly solicited. T o minimize the cost of printing, checks may be printed entirely in magnetic ink, thus avoiding a second press run. In such case, the s/a" strip should be kept free of any magnetic ink printing other than the E-13B characters. While other printing in non-magnetic ink may appear in the area, it should be placed so as not to interfere with the visual reading of the magnetic ink printing. Of course, checks should continue to bear, in fractional form in the upper right area, the routing symbol and full transit number of the drawee bank; however, only the transit number should appear in the upper right area of checks drawn on banks not on the Federal Reserve Par List, and the figure 90 is placed before the full transit number in the space at the bottom of such checks. Bankers which have customers who order checks directly from printers — as well as the printers receiving such orders — are asked to obtain the cooperation of their customers in having the checks prepared in conformity with the A BA specifications. Particular attention is called, however, to the fact that no routing symbol nor transit number should appear at any place on items which require handling as noncash collections. Banks which issue card checks or which have customers who issue card checks may wish to com municate with this bank in regard to the design of such checks, or refer to the special requirements relative to punched card checks contained in the Bank Management publications referred to above. Revised May ’60 PERSONALIZED CHECK JOH N W IL L IA M size 6" *2%" N o. S M IT H 2135 Walnut Street 8 8 -1 2 3 ANYWHERE, TEXAS 1113 IQ D A Y TO THE DOLLARS F IR S T N A T IO N A L B A N K ANYWHERE, TEXAS ■: i U 3 « ' 0 SPECIMEN i 2 Hi : POCKET or COUNTER CHECK F IR S T size a- x2% - N A T IO N A L B A N K No. ANYW HERE, TEXAS 8 8 -1 2 3 19 1113 D A Y TO THE DOLLARS SPECIMEN ■: i 1 1 3 - D i 2 3i: The minimum size of personalized checks and of pocket or counter checks is 6 " by 2 % ". The bottom % " along the entire length of this size check is designated by ABA for imprinting the magnetic ink characters, with the routing symbol-transit number being imprinted in the first field. COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER’S CHECK size 8/ <4"*3</lt" JO H N DOE AN D SONS CO M P A N Y, IN C. No. 327 Main Street ANYWHERE, TEXAS 88-123 19 D A Y TO THE r O R D E R OF _ 1113 ft DOLLARS JOHN DOE AND SONS COMPANY, INC. Treas. By Vice Pres. FIRST NATIONAL BANK Anywhere, Texas SPECIMEN ■: 1 u > o 1 e i' VOUCHER CHECK SIZE 814" x 3*/l / First National Bank © u . ANYW H ERE, TEX A S w « ^ n o 9 s X Q " W H Pd W < « B cn rM W ec £ O 19 CO U S 3 88-123 1113 D A Y TO THE • ORDER O F_ ________________________________ ___DOLLARS By Endorsement this Check Is Accepted in Full Payment of the Following Account A. B. JONES HARDWARE CO. By Vice Pres. • < Treas. SPECIMEN C O ■: 1 i e M ost checks of commercial customers, of both special and standard design, may require some changes to free the % -inch space along the bottom of the check forms for imprinting the magnetic ink characters. Non-magnetic ink printing may appear, of course, in the area. This will permit retaining a border or other original design or wording, provided it does not interfere with the visual reading of the magnetic ink characters. (A D D ITIO N AL SP E C IM E N S W IL L BE FO U N D ON THE B A C K PA G E O F TH IS F O L D E R ) BANK DRAFT S IZ E 8 % " x 3 % " First National Bank of Anywhere No. ANYWHERE, TEXAS 3 2 -4 5 6 19 D A Y TO THE r npnFR o f . . . 1110 $ DOLLARS To THIRD NATIONAL BANK SPECIM EN DALLAS,TEXAS CASHIER VICE PRESIDENT ■: i i Where one bank draws on another bank, the routing symbol-transit number information to be imprinted in the designated space at the bottom of the draft and in the upper right area as well, should always be that of the P A Y IN G bank. NONPAR CHECK size 6 ' x 2% " FIRST STATE BANK No. SOM EW H ERE, T E X A S 88-139 19 D A Y T O THE DOLLARS SPECIMEN i:qoBB«'0 i bri : O N LY the ABA transit number should appear in the upper right area of checks drawn on banks which are not on the Federal Reserve Par List. In the assigned space at the bottom of checks on such banks, there should be imprinted in magnetic ink the full transit number of the bank, preceded by the figure 90 and with non-significant zeros added where necessary.
@FedFRASER