A colonial currency note issued by New Jersey in 1763Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
According to a recent study, Benjamin Franklin, one of the US founding fathers, introduced anti-counterfeiting measures in paper currency long before it was commonly believed. Researchers from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana analyzed over 600 banknotes printed by Franklin and his associates between 1709 and 1790. They discovered that as early as 1739, Franklin started incorporating indigo-dyed blue fibers and threads into paper money, which were potentially used to prevent counterfeiting. This is more than a century before the credit was traditionally given to paper manufacturer Zenas Marshall Crane for developing such methods. Additionally, the study revealed that Franklin utilized a natural graphite-based black ink for printing money, while other printers and counterfeiters relied on inks produced from burning vegetable oils or charring bones during that time.
These techniques using colored fibers have been adopted in the printing of US federal dollars and various currencies across the globe, according to Khachatur Manukyan, the lead researcher.
The research team examined the chemical composition of the inks, fibers, and paper used in Franklin’s printing processes. They also used electron microscopes to study the physical structure of the printed banknotes in detail. To avoid damaging the historic artifacts, they analyzed samples thinner than a human hair.
Furthermore, the analysis revealed that Franklin incorporated flakes of the mineral muscovite into the paper pulp to enhance the durability of the banknotes as early as 1754.
These findings contribute to Franklin’s practical scientific achievements, as stated by Farley Grubb, an economist at the University of Delaware. However, Grubb remains skeptical about whether these ink and paper innovations were specifically designed to combat counterfeiting. He explains that during colonial America, counterfeiting of coins was more prevalent than counterfeiting paper money. Counterfeiting paper money on a large scale was rare during that time. The most significant counterfeiting attempt occurred during the American Revolutionary War, when the British copied and mass-produced Continental dollars issued by the Continental Congress. However, the affected bills were ultimately recalled and replaced by Congress.
Benjamin Franklin Established Early Anti-Forgery Measures for Paper Currency
