Who did the (original) designs on our paper currency (USA)?

Question

Who were the people responsible for designing the (original) print on our bills ? ( USA paper currency )

Answer 1

Who? No person did this. It was an designer team.

The basic face and back designs of all denominations of United States paper currency, except the backs of the $1 and $2 denominations in general circulation today, were adopted in 1928.

The front of the bills feature portraits of famous, deceased American statesmen: George Washington on the $1, Thomas Jefferson on the $2, Abraham Lincoln on the $5, Alexander Hamilton on the $10, Andrew Jackson on the $20, Ulysses Grant on the $50, and Benjamin Franklin on the $100. Notes of higher denominations, while no longer produced featured William McKinley on the $500, Grover Cleveland on the $1000, James Madison on the $5000, and Salmon Chase on the $10,000.

Faceplace Numbers and Letters are the small numbers and letters that can be found in the lower right and upper left corners of a bill. In the left corner is the Note Position Number. This consists of the Note Position Letter and a quadrant number. The combination indicates the position of the note on the plate from which it was printed. In the lower right corner, the Note Position Letter is followed by the Plate Serial Number. This identifies the plate from which the note was printed. The Plate Serial Number for the reverse (back) side of the note is in the lower-right corner, just inside the ornamental border on the reverse of the bill.

The backs of the bills feature images reflective of the history of our nation: The Great Seal of the United States on the $1, the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the $2, the Lincoln Memorial on the $5, the Treasury Building on the $10, the White House on the $20, the Capitol on the $50, and Independence Hall on the $100. Denominations higher than $100 feature ornate impressions of the numerical value of the note, such as an ornate "500."

A popular and often asked question about design is the one that appears on the back of the $1 note, the Great Seal of the United States. The front of the seal shows an American bald eagle behind our national shield. The eagle holds an olive branch, which symbolizes peace, with 13 berries and 13 leaves. In the left talon, the eagle holds 13 arrows, which represents war. The 13 leaves represent the original colonies. The eagle's head is turned toward the olive branch, showing a desire for peace.

The top of the shield represents the Congress, the head of the eagle the Executive branch, and the nine tail feathers the Judiciary branch of our government. The 13-letter motto, "E Pluribus Unum," on the ribbon held in the eagle's beak means "Out of Many, One."

On the reverse of the seal is a pyramid with 1776 in Roman numerals at the base. The pyramid stands for permanence and strength. The pyramid is unfinished, signifying the United States' future growth and goal of perfection. A sunburst and an eye are above the pyramid, representing the overseeing eye of a deity. The 13-letter motto, "Annuit Coeptis" means "He has favored our undertakings." Below the pyramid the motto, "Novus Ordo Seclorum" means "A new order of the ages," standing for the new American era.

The motto "In God We Trust" first appeared on U.S. coins in 1864. However, it was not until 1955 that a law was passed which stated that thereafter all new designs for coins and currency would bear that inscription.

Answer 2

The Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is responsible for producing the new series currency, which, like other United States currency, is issued through the Federal Reserve System. The new features found in the Series 1996 $20, $50 and $100 notes; and the 1999 Series $5 and $10 notes-- including an enlarged off-center portrait, watermark, fine-line printing patterns and color-shifting ink-- were selected after extensive testing and evaluation of approximately 120 bank note security devices, many of which are used successfully by other countries with lower production and circulation demands. Other pre-existing security features, such as the security thread and microprinting, are included in the new notes and have changed only slightly.

Answer 3

The portraits currently appearing on the various denominations of paper currency were adopted in 1929 when the size of the notes was reduced. Prior to the adoption of this smaller sized currency, a special committee was appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury to study this aspect of the design. It was determined that portraits of Presidents of the United States have a more permanent familiarity in the minds of the public than any others. This decision was somewhat altered by the Secretary of the Treasury to include Alexander Hamilton, who was the first Secretary of the Treasury; Salmon P. Chase, who was Secretary of the Treasury during the Civil War and is credited with promoting our National Banking System; and Benjamin Franklin, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. All three of these statesmen were well known to the American public.

Answer 4

Benjamin Franklin.