Review Materials

Questioned Document Examination

Mr. Bimboy C. Cueno
Dean, Foundation University

Document- is any material which contains marks, symbols or signs, either visible, partially
visible, or invisible that may presently or ultimately convey a meaning or message to someone.

Legal Definitions

1. Any written document by which a right is established or an obligation is extinguished

(People vs. Moreno, CA, 338 O.G. 119);
2. Every deed or instrument executed by person by whom some disposition or agreement is
proved, evidenced or set forth (People vs. Nillosquin, CA, 48 O.G. 4453) ;
3. In relation to Criminal Jurisprudence under the best evidence rule, document refers to any
physical embodiment of information of ideas (e.g. a letter, a contract, a receipt, a book of
account, a blue print, or an X-ray plate).

Kinds of Documents

a. PUBLIC DOCUMENT- notarized by a notary public or competent public official with

solemnities required by law (Cacnio vs. Baens, 5Phil.742).
b. OFFICIAL DOCUMENT- issued by the government or its agents or its officers having the
authority to do and the offices, which in accordance with their creation, they are authorized
to issue and be issued in the performance of their duties.
c. PRIVATE DOCUMENT- executed by a private person without the intervention of a notary
public or of any person legally authorized, by which documents some disposition or
agreement is proved, evidenced or set forth (US vs. Orera, 11Phil.596).
d. COMMERCIAL DOCUMENT- executed in accordance with the Code of Commerce or a
Mercantile Law, containing disposition of commercial rights or obligations.

Note: A private document may become a public or official document when it partakes the nature of
a public or official record. If a private document is intended to become a part of the public record
and falsified prior thereto, the crime committed is falsification of a public document.

Writings Which Do Not Constitute Document

a. A draft of a Municipal payroll which is not yet approved by the proper authority (People vs.
Camacho, 44Phil. 484).
b. Mere blank forms of official documents, the spaces of which are not filled up (People vs.
Santiago, CA, 48 O.G. 4558).
c. Pamphlets or books which do not evidence any disposition or agreement are not documents
but are mere merchandise (People vs. Agnis, 47 Phil. 945).

Questioned Document
One in which the facts appearing therein are not true, and are contested either in whole or in
part with respect to its authenticity, identity, or origin. It may be a deed, contract, will, election
ballots, marriage contract, checks, visas, application form, certificates, etc.
Disputed Document
Disputed Document is a term suggesting that there is an argument or controversy over the
document.

Divisions of Questioned Document Examination

a. Criminalistic Examination- involves the detection of forgery, erasure, alteration or
obliteration of documents.
b. Handwriting Investigation /Analysis- morefocused in determining the author of writing.

General Classes of Questioned Document

a. Documents with questioned signatures;

b. Questioned documents alleged to have been containing fraudulent alterations;
c. Questioned or disputed holographic wills.
d. Documents investigated on the question of typewriting;
e. Questioned documents on issues of their age or date;
f. Questioned documents on issues of material used in their production; and,
g. Documents or writing investigated because it is all alleged that they identify some persons
through handwriting.

Goal of Questioned Document Examination

When a questioned document examination is ordered, the first goal is to determine whether or
not the document is genuine. Once the veracity of the document can be proved or disproved, the
questioned document examination focuses on identifying or eliminating potential authors of the
document. The examiner will then produce a complete report, discussing the findings and their
ramifications, and he or she may be asked to testify in court about the document.

In comparison of questioned document, what constitute sufficient number of similarity?

There is no set of standard to constitute a sufficient number. Instead, it's up to each expert to say
what constitutes a sufficient number.

Requirements to Become A Questioned Document Examiner

The courts (State v. Evans 1991) have decided that a person needs both: study and practice – that
is, a period of training (internship or apprenticeship is better than a self-study course) and a period
of experience (twenty some previous cases worked on is a good average).

EXPERT WITNESS
A legal term used to describe a witness who by reason of his special training or experience is
permitted to express an opinion regarding the issue, or a certain aspect of the issue, which is
involved in a court action.

Who are DOCUMENT EXAMINERS?

One who studies scientifically the details and elements of documents in order to identify their
source or to discover other facts concerning them.

Scientific Methods In Questioned Document Examination

a. Analysis (Recognition)- properties or characteristics, observed or measured.
 b. Comparison- Properties or characteristics of the unknown determined through analysis are
now compared with the familiar or recorded properties of know items.
c. Evaluation- Similarities or dissimilarities in properties will each have a certain value for
identification, determined by its likelihood of occurrence.

Standard Document:
Are condensed and compact set of authentic specimen which is adequate and proper, should
contain a true correction of the material form a known source. They are used by the Document
Examiner as the basis for his identification or non-identification of the questioned document as, for
example, for the known handwriting which serves to establish who wrote the disputed letter.
Standard in questioned documents investigation, means those things whose origins are known
and can be proven and which can be legally used as examples to compare with other matters in
question.

Two Kinds of Standard Documents

a. Procured or Collected – Those which are obtain from files of document executed in the persons
day to day business, official, social or personal activities. Also known as informal which are
documents previously executed and known to be genuine
b. Requested – Those which are given or made upon the request of an investigator for purpose of
making comparative examination with the request writing. Also known as formal which are
request writing samples.
c. Post Litem Motan Exemplars- writings produced by the subject after evidential writings have
come into dispute and solely for the purpose of establishing his contentions. "Post litem motam" is
Latin for "after a law suit is started.

How Many Samples Of Handwriting Are Needed?

Always try to collect as many samples as possible because it is more important to have suitable
undisputed samples than a large quantity of little comparable value.

HANDWRITING
Handwriting is the result of a very complicated series of acts, being used as whole, combination of
certain forms of visible mental and muscular habits acquired by long, continued painstaking
effort. Also knows as “visible speech.”

Two Groups of Muscles Involve in Handwriting

a. Extensor muscles- push up the pen to form the upward strokes.
b. Flexor muscles which push the pen to from the downward strokes.

Generally speaking, four groups of muscles are employed in writing- those which operate the joints
of the fingers, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. The delicate way in which the various muscles used in
writing work together to procedure written form is known as motor coordination. MOTOR
COORDINATION is the special way in which the various muscles used in writing work together to
produced written forms.

Faulty Coordination Is Characterized By The Following

1. Wavering and very irregular line or strokes with uncertain and unsteady progress.
There is no freedom of movement along the strokes of the letter-forms.
 2. Angular Line- a very common fault of coordination. Curves, large and small are not
smoothly rounded and there is no gradual change of direction. On the contrary, and angle
marks almost every change are direction in the line.

Kinds of Writing Movements:

1. Finger Movement – Is mostly employed in “vertical writing” and mainly in the formation of
printed styles of writing. Letters are formed by the actions of the thumb, index and the middle
finger. This is the movement employed by children, or generally by those with whom writing is an
unfamiliar process, it is otherwise called as the “push and Pull writing”.
Characteristics:
a. It results to an inferior or poor quality of writing with lack of rhythm and speed.
b. Spacing is cropped up and the dashes are usually absent.
c. Finishes are done in irregular and abrupt manner or are varied between letters.
d. Pen usually starts resting on the paper and ends with short and abrupt strokes due to
limited and irregular movements of the fingers.
e. Shading is pronounced.
f. Lack of clear-cut, smooth and regular lines.
2. Hand Movement – It involves the action of the hand as a whole with the fingers playing but a
minor role (mainly in the formation of small letters) and the wrist is the pivotal of the lateral
movement.
Characteristics:
a. Affords more expensive writing.
b. Narrow connections at the top and bottom of letters.
c. There is a considerable speed in movements.
d. More regularity of the lines.
3. Forearm (or Muscular) Movement – Writing is produced by the movement of the hand and
arm and also fingers in some cases. The elbow is the pivotal of the lateral movement.
Characteristics:
a. Shows the greatest freedom and speed.
b. Smooth clear cut as indicative of rhythm.
c. Slight shading is produced.
d. More even baseline.
e. Lateral movements in longer making the shifting of the writing hand fewer.
f. Uniformity in size of letters.

4. Whole Forearm Movement – It involves the action of the entire arm without rest and is
employed in very large writing. Ornamental penmanship, blackboard writing, and by a few
writers in making all the capital letters are some of the writing where this movement is
being employed.

Writing Habits:
Writing habits learned in the early years are those habits which are part of a basic system or which
are modifications of the system of writing found among so large a group of writers that they have
only slight identification value. These might include an open top ”O” and an ”A” or a looped “T”
which occur in many rapid careless handwriting.

A few of these early habits learned by the child are those slant of letters “l”, “d”, “b”, “g”, “t” with
small letters like letters “n”, “m”, “I”, “o”, “e” and also form and design of letters. These groups of
habits are also called general or class characteristics.
Another group of writing characteristics or habits is termed individuals habits. Any writing habit
or character in writing maybe modified and individualized by different writers in many different
ways in many varying degrees and the writing individuality of any particular writer is made up of
all those common and uncommon characteristics and habits. INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS- the
result of the writer`s muscular control, coordination, age, health, and nervous temperament,
frequency of writing, personality and character.

Classification of individual characteristics:

a. Permanent characteristics- found always in his handwriting.

b. Common or usual- found in a group of writers who studied the same system of writing.
c. Occasional- found occasionally in his handwriting.
d. Rare- found only in one or two persons in a group of one hundred individuals.

Kinds Of Handwriting Disguises

a. Change of slant- from right to left or vice versa.

b. Change of letter, either from cursive to block style or vice versa.
c. Change from cursive (conventional style) to block from or vice versa.
d. Change of style from small to big or vice versa.
e. Deteriorating one`s handwriting.
f. Using the wrong hand

Rhythm In Handwriting-Rhythm is succession of connected, uniform strokes in full coordination.

This is manifested by clear-cut accentuated strokes which increase and decrease in which like
perfect cones.

Lack Of Rhythm- Characterized by succession of awkward, independent, poorly directed and

disconnected motions.

Importance Of Rhythm- one can determine if the writer normally and spontaneously write with
hesitation as if he is attempting to for another signature.

Letter Of Connections- it determine the essential expression of the writer pattern. It is a mean
indicator of the neuromuscular function. These types of connections are:

a. Arcade- a rounded stroke shaped like an arch. It is slow mode of connection resulting from
controlled movements.
b. Garland- Links the downward stroke to the upstrokes with a flowing curve swinging from
left right. It is an easy, effortless mode of connection, written with speed.
c. Angular connective form- characterized by an abrupt stop and start in each turning point.
d. The threadlike connective form- the joining of upward and downward strokes is slurred
to a threadlike tracing or where rounded turns used at both top and bottom produce a
double curve-appear both in the shaping of letters within the word.

STROKE
A series of lines or curves written in a single letter; one of the lines of an alphabet or series of lines
or curves within a single letter; the path traced by the pen on the paper.
Terminologies Concerning Stroke Characteristics:

Arc/Arch – a curved formed inside the top curve of loop, as in small letters “h”, ‘m”, “n”, “p”.

Ascender – is the top portion of a letter or upper loop.

Baseline – maybe actually on a ruled paper, it might be imaginary alignment of writing. Is the ruled
or imaginary line upon which the writing rest.

Beaded – preliminary embellished initial stroke which usually occurs in capital letter.

Beard – is the rudimentary initial up stroke of a letter.

Blunt – the beginning and ending stroke of a letter. (without hesitation)

Body – the main portion of the letter, minus the initial of stroke. Terminal strokes and the diacritic
of any. Example: the oval of the letter “O” is the body, minus the downward stroke and the loop.

Bowl – a fully rounded oval or circular form on a letter complete into “O”.

Buckle/Buckle Knot – a loop made as a flourished which is added to the letters, as in small letter
“k’ and “a” or in capital letters “A”, “K”, “P”. The horizontal end loop stroke that are often used to
complete a letter.

Cacography – a bad writing

Calligraphy – the art of beautiful writing

Descender – opposite of ascender, the lower portion of a letter.

Diacritic – “t” crossing and dots of the letters “I” and “j”. The matters of the Indian script are also
known as diacritic signs. An element added to complete a certain letter, either a cross bar or a dot.

Ending/Terminate Stroke of Toe – the end stroke of a letter.

Eye/Eyelet/Eye Loop – a small loop or curved formed inside the letters. This may occur inside the
oval of the letters “a”, “d”, “o”. The small loop form by stroke that extend in divergent direction as in
small letters.

Foot – the lower parts which rest on the base line. The small letter “m” has three feet, and the small
letter “n” has two feet.

Habits – any repeated elements or details, which may serve to individualize writing.

Hesitation – the term applied to the irregular thickening of ink which is found when writing slows
down or stop while the pen take a stock of the position.

Hiatus/Pen Jump – a gap occurring between continuous strokes without lifting the pen. Such as
occurrence usually occurs due to speed.
Hook – it is a minute curve or an ankle which often occurs at the end of the terminal strokes. It is
also sometimes occur at the beginning of an initial stroke. The terminal curves of the letters “a”, “d”,
“n”, “m’, “p”, “u’, are the hook. In small letter “w” the initial curve is the hook. The minute
involuntary talon like formation found at the commencement of an initial up stroke or the end
terminal stroke.

Hump – upper portion of its letter “m”, “n”, “h”, “k”. The rounded outside of the top of the bend
stroke or curve in small letter.

Knob – the extra deposit of ink in the initial and terminal stroke due to the slow withdrawal of the
pen from the paper. (usually applicable to fountain pen)

Ligature/Connection – the strokes which connect two stroke of letter, characterized by connected
stroke between letters.

Long Letter – those letters with both upper and lower loops.

Loop – an oblong curve such as found on the small letters “f”, “go”, “l” and letters stroke “f” has two.
A loop maybe blind or open. A blind loop is usually the result of the ink having filled the open space.

Majuscule – a capital letter

Minuscule – a small letter.

Movement Impulses – this refer to the continuity of stroke force writing is usually produce by
disconnected and broken movements more motion or movement impulses than genuine writing.

Oval – the portion of the letter which is oval in shape. The small letter stroke “a” , “d” , “g” , and “q”
contain oval letter “a” , “t” while coming down……….

Patching/Retouching – retouching or going back over a defective portion of a written stroke.

Careful patching is common defect on forgeries.

Pen Lift – an interruption in a stroke caused by removing the writing instrument from the paper.
Disconnection between letters and letter combination maybe due to lack of movement control.
Using a ball-point pen may cause pen lift due to the failure of the ball to rotate.

Pen Position or Pen Hold – Is the relative location of the pen in relation to the paper surface which
can be determined by the presence of the emphasis or pen shading.

Pen Scope – Represents the reach of the hand with the wrist at rest. It is the average scope or limits
of the pen during the process of writing with the wrist of the hand at still.

Retrace/Retracing – any part of a stroke which is super imposed upon the original stroke. Is the
stroke which goes back over other writing strokes; it is slightly to occur in others handwriting.
Example: vertical strokes of the letter “d”, “t” while coming downward from the top to bottom will
have a retracing stokes. Any stroke which goes back over another writing stroke. In natural
handwriting there may be instances in which the pen doubled back over the course.
Shoulder – outside portion of the top curve, small letter “m” has three shoulders and the small
letter “n” has two, the small letter “h” has one shoulder.

Spur – a short initial or terminal stroke.

Staff – Any major long downward stroke of a letter that is the long downward stroke of the letter
“b”, “g”.

Stem or Shank – the upright long downward stroke that is the trunk or stalk, normally seen in
capital letters.

Tick/ Hitch – any short stroke, which is usually at the top of the letters.

Tremor – a writing weakness portrayed by irregular shaky strokes is described as writing tremor.

Whirl- The upstroke of a looping ascender.

Other terminologies concerning strokes:

1. AIRSTROKE- The movement of the pen as it is raised from the paper and continues in the
same direction in the air.
2. COVERING STROKE- A stroke the unnecessarily covers another stroke in a concealing
action.
3. FINAL- The ending stroke on a letter when it is at the end of the word.
4. UPSTROKE- Movement of the pen away from the writer.
5. SEQUENCE OF STROKE- The order in which writing strokes are placed on the paper is
referred to as their sequence
6. SUPPORTED STROKES- Upstrokes partially covering the previous down strokes. Originally
taught in European schools.
7. TRAIT STROKE- A school of handwriting analysis that assigns personality trait manners to
individual writing strokes.

Causes Of Handwriting Variation:

a. Function of some external condition i.e. influence of the available space.
b. Abnormal conditions such as physical injury, toxic effects, inebriations, emotions and
deception.
c. Position of letter- all the letters are to be found initially, medially, and finally. The fact may
modify any of them in some way or another.

TERMINOLOGIES RELATED TO HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION AND EXAMINATIONS

° ALIGNMENT- the relation of parts of the whole of writing or line of individual letters in words to
the baseline.
° ANGULAR FORMS- Sharp, straight strokes that are made by stopping the pen and changing
direction before continuing.
° ARCADE FORMS- look like arches rounded on the top and open at the bottom.
° CHARACTERISTICS- any property or mark which are commonly called the identifying details.
COLLATION – side by side comparison; collation as used in this text means the critical comparison
on side by side examination.
° COMPARISON- the act of setting two or more items side by side to weigh their identifying
qualities.
° DISTINGUISED WRITING-altered writing in hopes of hiding identity.
° DOWNSTROKE- The movement of the pen toward the writer.
° FORM- The way the writing looks, whether it is copybook, elaborated, simplifier or printed
° GARLAND FORMS- A cup like connected form that is open at the top and rounded on the bottom.
° GESTALT- The German word that means “complete” or “whole”. A good gestalt needs nothing
added or taken away to make it “look right”.
° GRAHOANALYSIS- the study of handwriting based on the two fundamental strokes, the curve and
the straight strokes.
° GRAPHOMETRY- analysis by comparison and measurement.
° GRAPHOLOGY- the art of determining character disposition and amplitude of a person from the
study of handwriting. It also means the scientific study and analysis of handwriting, especially with
reference to forgeries and questioned documents.
HANDLETTERING- Any disconnected style of writing in which each letter is written separately,;
also called hand printing.
° LETTER SPACE- The amount of space between letters.
° LINE DIRECTION- Movement of the baseline. May slant-up, down or straight across the page.
° LINE QUALLITY- the overall character of the link lines from the beginning to the ending stroke:
Good Line quality and Poor Line quality.
° LINE SPACE- The amount of the space between lines.
° MANUSCRIPT WRITING- A disconnected form of script or semi-script writing.
° MARGINS- The amount of space left around the writing on all four sides.
° MICROSOPIC EXAMINATION- Any study or examination which is made with the microscope in
other to discover minute details.
° MOVEMENT- an important element in handwriting which embraces all the factors which are
related to the motion of the writing instrument skill, speed freedom, hesitation, rhythm, emphasis,
tremors and the like.
° NATURAL WRITING- Any specimen of writing executed normally without any attempt to control
or alter its identifying habits and its usual quality or execution.
° NATURAL VARIATION- normal or usual deviation found between repeated specimens of any
individual handwriting.
° PEN EMPHASIS- The act of intermittently forcing the pen against the paper surfaces which
produces shading, out with more rigid writing points heavy point emphasis can occur in writing
without any evidence of shading.
° PEN HOLD- The place where the writer grasps the barrel of the pen and the angle at which he
holds it.
° PEN POSITION- relationship between the pen point and the paper.
° PEN PRESSURE- the average force with which the pen contacts the paper.
° PRINTSCRIPT- A creative combination of printing and cursive writing.
° PROPORTION or RATIO – the relation between the tall and the short letter
° QUALITY- A distinct or peculiar character. Also, “quality” is used in describibg handwriting to
refer to any identifying factor that is related to the writing movement itself.
° RHYTHM- The element of the writing movement which is marked by regular or periodic
recurrences: maybe smooth, intermittent, or jerky in its quality; the flourishing succession of
motion which are recorded in a written record.
° SHADING- widening of the ink strokes due to the added pressure on a flexible pen point or to the
use of a stub pen.
° SIGNIFICANNT WRITIG HABIT- Any characteristic of handwriting that is sufficiently uncommon
and well fixed to serve as a fundamental point in the identification.
° SIMPLIFICATION- Eliminating extra or superfluous strokes from the copybook model.
° SIZE- the overall size of the writing or the proportions between zones.
° SKILL- writer’s proficiency; degree, ability, or skill of a write proficiency.
° SLOPE/ SLANT – the angle or inclination of the axis of the letters relative to the baseline: Slant to
the left; Slant to the right; and Vertical Slant.
° SPEED OF WRITING- The personal pace at which the writer’s pen moves across the paper
° SPEED (SPEEDY)WRITING- Can be interpreted in board terms of slow, moderate, or rapid.
° SYSTEM (OF WRITING) - The combination of the basic design of letters and the writing
movement as taught in school make up the writing system.
TENSION- degree of exerted on the pen compared to the degree of relaxation.
° THREADY FORM- An indefinite connective form that looks flat and wavy.
° VARIABILITY- The degree to which the writing varies from the copybook model .
° VARIATION- The act or process of changing.
° WORD SPACE- The amount of space left between words.
° WRITING CONDITION- circumstances under which the writing was prepared and the factors in
influencing the writer’s ability to write at the time of execution. It includes the writer’s position
(sitting, standing, abed, etc.), the paper support and backing, and the writing instrument; writing
ability may be modified by the condition of the writer’s health, nervous state or degree of
intoxication.
° WRONG-HANDED WRITING- Any writing executed with the opposite hand that normally used;
a.k.a. as “with the awkward hand.”
° WRITING IMPULSE- The result of the pen touching down on the paper and moving across the
page, until it is raised from the paper.

SIGNATURE
The name of a person written by him/ her in a document as a sign of acknowledgement. Or, it is a
name or mark that a person puts at the end of a document to attest that he is its author or that he
ratifies its contests. Microsoft Encarta Reference Library has these to say about signature:
1. Signed name
2. Signing of name
3. Distinctive characteristics

Significant Terms
a. Assisted Signature. See Guided Signature.
b. Cross Mark. If properly witnessed, it can legally stand for signature. Ballot marks are also
referred to as cross marks because of the common practice of marking with an X.
c. Evidential Signature- a signature, signed at a particular time and place, under particular
conditions, while the signer was at particular age, in a particular physical and mental
condition, using particular implements, and with a particular reason and purpose for
recording his name.
d. Fraudulent Signature. A forged signature; the writing of a name as a signature by someone
other than the person himself, without his permission, often with some degree of imitation.
e. Freehand Signature. A fraudulent signature that was executed purely by simulation rather
than by tracing the outline or a genuine signature.
f. Guided Signature. It is executed while the writer`s hand or arm is steadied in any way: such
a signature authenticates a legal document provided it is shown that the writer requested
the assistance; written during a serious illness or on a deathbed.
g. Imitated Signature. Synonymous with freehand forgery.
h. Model Signature – A genuine signature that has been used to prepare an imitated or traced
forgery.
Theory Of Comparison- The act of setting two or more signature in an inverted position to weigh
their identifying significance

ANACHRONISM
Anachronism is refers to a something wrong in time and in place; the forger has trouble matching
the paper, ink, or writing materials to the exact date it was supposed to have been written

PAPER
These are sheets of interlaced fibers – usually cellulose fivers from plants, but sometimes from cloth
rags or other fibrous materials, that is formed by pulping the fibers and causing to felt, or mat, to
form a solid surface.

WATERMARKS
Is a figure or design incorporated into paper during its manufacture and appearing lighter than the
rest of the sheet when viewed in transmitted light. It is a brand put on the paper by the
manufactures.
Origin
First appeared on papers produced in Italy around 1270, less than 100 years after the art of
papermaking was introduced to Europe by Muslims from the Middle East.

WRITING INSTRUMENT

a. REED PENS / SWAMP REED – from especially selected water grasses found in Egypt,
Armenia and along the shores of the Persian Gulf, were prepared by leaving them under
dung heaps for several months. It was the first writing tool that had the writing end slightly
frayed like a brush.
b. QUILL PEN- Although quill pens can be made from the outer wing feather of any bird, those
of goose, swan, crow, and (later) turkey, were preferred. The earliest reference (6th century
AD) to quill penswas made by the Spanish Theologian ST. ISIDORE OF SEVILLE, and this
tool was the principal writing implement for nearly 1300 years.
c. STEEL POINT PENS (BRAZEN PENS)- The 16th century Spanish calligrapher JUAN DE
YCIAR mentions brass pens for very large writing in his 1548 writing manual, but the use of
metal pens did not become widespread until the early part of the 19thcentury.
d. FOUNTAIN PENS- In 1884, LEWIS WATERMAN, a New York insurance agent, patented the
first practical FOUNTAIN PEN containing its own ink reservoir. Waterman invented a
mechanism that fed ink to the pen point by capillary action, allowing ink to flow evenly
while writing.
e. BALL POINT PEN- JOHN LOUD, in 1888, patented the first ball point writing tool. The ball
is set into a tiny socket. In the center of the socket is a hole that feeds ink to the socket from
a long tube (reservoir) inside the pen. As early as the 19th century, attempts had been made
to manufacture a open with a rolling ball tip, but not until 1938 did Hungarian inventor
brother LADISLAO and GEORGE BIRO invent a viscous, oil-based ink, that could be used
with such a pen. Hence, they are attributed for the invention of the first practical
ballpoint pen.
f. FIBER TIP PENS – The first practical fiber tip pen was invented by YUKIO HORIE of Japan
in 1962 traditionally done with a pointed ink brush. Unlike its predecessors, the fiber tip
pen uses dye as a writing fluid. As a result, the fiber tip pen can produce a wide range of
color unavailable in ball point and fountain pen inks. The tip is made of fine nylon or other
synthetic fibers drawn to a point and fastened to the barrel of the pen.
COMPOSITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF INKS
a. Indian Inks – The oldest form of Indian ink consisted of a suspension of carbon black (soot
or lampblack) in water to which glue or a vegetable gum was added. Inks of these
compositions are still on the market mostly in the shape of sticks or cakes. In modern
carbon ink, the glue or gum is replaced by a solution of shellac in borax or ammonia.
b. Log wood Inks – These inks which were used extensively about a century ago, have now
because of obsolete and are no longer manufactured. They were made from an aqueous
extract of logwood chips and potassium chromate.
c. Iron Gallotanate Inks – This ink has been used as writing for over a thousand years.
Formerly it was made of a fermented infusion of gall nuts to which iron salts were added.
The ink was composed of suspension of the black, almost insoluble ferric tannate.
d. Fountain Pen Inks – These inks are regarded as a special fountain pen inks, and consisting
of ordinary iron gallotannate inks with a lower iron content in most cases but with a higher
dyestuff content than normal inks. This type of ink is placed on the market under the name
of “blue-black permanent”.
e. Dyestuff Inks – These inks are composed of aqueous solution of synthetic dyestuffs, to
which a preservative and a flux are added. The writing qualities of the ink are improved by
addition of substances such as glycerol, glucose or dextrin.
f. Water Resistant Writing and Drawing Inks – These inks are special group of dyestuff
inks. They consist of a pigment paste and a solution of shellac made soluble in water by
means of borax, liquid ammonia or ammonium bicarbonate. Sometime the pigment
suspension is combined with acid or basic dyestuff.
g. Alkaline Writing Inks – These are quick drying inks which penetrate quickly through the
size of the paper. The dyestuff in these inks consists of acid dyes, sometimes combined with
phthalo cyanide dyes. These inks are not much in demand because they are rather
expensive and because the material of many fountain pens is affected by them.
h. Ballpoint Pen Inks – did not appear one the European market before 1945. The
development of the present pen was accomplished during World War II because the Army
and the Air Force needed a writing instrument which would not leak at high altitude and
which supplied quick drying water resistant writing. As a rule, the diameter of the ball lies
between 0.6 and 1.0 mm, the cheapest makes having the largest diameter. The ball is made
of steel while the more expensive makes of sapphire.
i. Stamp Pad Inks – They are made with the acid of substances such as glycerol, glycol, acetin
or benzyl alcohol and water. Airline dyes are added as coloring matter.
j. Hectograph Inks – These inks very much resemble stamp pad inks and are exclusively
made with basic dyes. To the dyestuff solution several other substances are added such as
glycerol, acetic and acetone.
k. Typewriter Ribbon Inks – These inks are usually composed of a blend of aniline dyes,
carbon black and oil such as olein or castor oil. The two-tone ribbons however contain no
dyes, but pigments suspended in oil base.
l. Printing Inks – Printing inks often consist of a mixture of colored pigments, carbon black
and a “base” which may consist of oil, resins, synthetic resins or a mixture of these.
m. Canceling Inks – These inks often contain carbon and this fact should be burned in mind
when it is required to decipher faint cancellation marks on a postage stamp and wrappers.
Carbon is opaque to infra-red sensitive plate and be relied upon to improve the legibility of
any marking affected by a carbon containing canceling ink.
n. Skrip Ink – These are manufactured by W.A. Chaffer Pen Company since 1955. The inks
contain a substance which is colorless in visible light and has strong affinity for the fibers of
the paper, and yet is not bleached by hypochlorite ink eradicators or washed out by soaking
on water.
FORGERY, COUNTERFEITING AND FALSIFICATION

Forgery- a legal term which involves not only a non-genuine document but also and intent to fraud.
However, it is also used synonymously with fraudulent signature or spurious document.

CATEGORIES OF FORGERY

A. Simple or Spurious Forgery- a fraudulent signature whereby there are no apparent

attempt at simulation or imitation.
B. Simulated Or Freehand Imitation Forgery-executed purely by simulation rather than by
tracing the outline of a genuine signature can be referred as freehand imitation or
simulated forgery.

1. Simulated With The Model Before The Forger

a. Direct Technique – forger works directly with ink.
b. Indirect forger works first with pencil and afterwards covers the pencil strokes with ink.
2. Simulated Free Hand Forgery (Technique)- used by forgers who have a certain skill in
writing; After some practice, the forger to write a copy of the model quickly.

C. Traced Forgery (Traced Signature)- is the result of an attempt to transfer in a fraudulent

document an exact facsimile of a signature by tracing process.
1. Direct Tracing- tracing is made by transmitted light.
2. Indirect Tracing- forger uses a carbon paper and place document on which he will trace the
forged signature under the document bearing the model signature with carbon paper
between the two.

D. Forgery by means of a stamped facsimile of a genuine or model

E. Forgery by computer scanning

What are the crimes called forgeries?

a. Forging the seal of the government, signature or stamp of the chief Executive
b. Counterfeiting coins
c. Mutilation of coins
d. Forging treasury or bank notes or other document payable to bearer
e. Counterfeiting instruments not payable to bearer
f. Falsification of legislative documents
g. Falsification by public officer, employee or notary or ecclesiastical minister
h. Falsification by private individuals
i. Falsification of wireless, cable, telegraph and telephone messages
j. Falsification of medical certificates, certificates of merit or service

COUNTERFEITING – It is the crime of making, circulating or uttering false coins and banknotes.
Literally, it means to make a copy of; or imitate; to make a spurious.

When is a coin false or counterfeited?

A coin is false or counterfeited, if it is forged or if it is not authorized by the Government as legal
tender, regardless of its intrinsic value.
DEFINITION
° “Import,” means to bring them into port. The importation is complete before entry at the
Customs House. (U.S. vs. Lyman, 26 Fed. Cas. 1024)
° “Utter,” means to pass counterfeited coins. It includes their delivery or the act of giving them
away. A counterfeited coin is uttered when it is paid, when the offender is caught counting the
counterfeited coins preparatory to the act of delivering them, even though the utterer may not
obtain the gain he intended. Hence, damage to another is not necessary.
° “Mutilation” means to take off part of the metal either by filing it or substituting it for another met
metal of inferior quality.

COINS
These are pieces of metal stamped by government authority, for use as money or collectively
referring to metal currency.

Making Of Coins
Casting is the most common method of making gold coins. Plaster molds bearing an image of gold
coins are filled (within a low temperature) with alloy made with lead or tin. Some molds are used
for high temperature metal such as copper or silver alloy

Striking Or Stamping is the making of an impression

of a coin or metal blank by pressure.

Note: The best place to examine a counterfeit coin is on the edge since there are usually special
milling marks or designs which are added to a genuine coin by machinery.

ACTS OF FALSIFICATION (Art. 171 & 172)

° Counterfeiting or imitating any handwriting, signature or rubric;
° Causing it to appear that persons have participated in any act or proceeding when they did not in
fact so participate;
° Attributing to persons who have participated in act or proceeding statements other than those in
fact made by them;
° Making untruthful statements in a narration of facts;
° Altering true dates;
° Making any alteration or intercalation in genuine document which changes its meaning;
° Issuing in an authenticated form a document purporting to be a copy of an original document
when no such original exists, or including in such copy a statement contrary to, or different from,
that of the genuine original; or
° Intercalating any instrument or note relative to the issuance thereof in a protocol, registry or
official book.

Note: In falsification of public document, the falsification need not be made on an official
form. It is sufficient that the document is given the appearance of, or made to appear
similar to, the official form. (People vs. Tupasi, C.A., G.R. No. 290-292, March 22, 1937).

“The distance between studying and passing is the same distance between your knees and the ground”

Cueno, 2014