Evening star., 1943-09-05
How the Bureou
Of Engraving Began
By James Waldo Fawcett.

The Bureau OF Engraving and Print
ing is the scene Of the daily labor OF
1900 people. yet 1t safely may be as
sumed that not one In a hundred Of
them Is familiar with the early history OF
the establishment in which they are em-
ployed.
For the bureaus personnel then as well
as for the philateic public Thomas r.
Morris has performed a service II,
monograph which he recently wrota for
THE Stamp Specialist published by
Harry L. Lindquist, New York
1t was on August az, 1852, that secre-
tary of the Treasury Salmon p. Chase
instructed Spencer M. Clark, chief
clerk of the Bureau of Construction. to
carry out program of work, and the
bureau officially came into being .,
Mr.. Norris explains, Following short
ly the outbreak of the Civil War. thu
Treasury found itself In a state of un-
preparedness to meet the extraordinary
expenses Of the conflict. The, Act Of
Congress, July II, 1861, provided that de-
mand notes, be signed by the Treasurer
and the register Of the Treasury Of the
United States. The contract for the
engraving and printing of this, paper
money had been placed with the Amer
lean Bank Note Co., one of two
companies In the bank note business at
that time capable of engraving and
printing work of this character. These
notes were printed Tin New York; and
IN e In Sx~
notes each. Upon their receipt by the
Treasury Department, the signatures OF
the signing officers were attached. and
then trimmed and separated by hand
labor with; shears, two women operators
being the. first employees to do this work.
1T soon became apparent that the
work of signing these notes by the re-
spective officers was too great task:
the volume of work in trimming and
cutting byshand became too laborious-
whereupon Congress authorized employ.
ment of other persons to sign for these
ofncers. As result, from q nucleus of
two women operators, a corps of 10
clerks was employed to carry on the
work. These clerks were employed at.
salaries of $1,000 each per year. 1t was
considered too dangerous to have too
many different signatures to notes Of,
same issue and provided little security
to the public. At this point and upon
the recommendations of Chief Clerk
Clark and Secretary of the Treasury
Chase, Congress authorized that the sig
natures be mechanically attached Neces-
sary machinery was procured for the
work and Treasury seal, which had
been designed and engraved by the
American Bank Note Co., was also used
in the printing process, as further means
OF frustrating counterfeiting. :"
Permission to cut and trim the notes
by machinery likewise was obtained and
a steam engine and boiler with neces-
sary aprurtenances and other fixtures
for finishing were purchased. The first
day Of actual operation was August 20.
1862. Mr.. Clark, with one man and four
women assistants, constituted what was
known as the National Currency Bureau,
First Division" .@, sg
The success Of the undertaking." says
Mr. Morris, was so impressive" that the =
Secretary of the Treasury instructed the
chief clerk ito investigate the economies
to be gained by the Government itself,
producing securities and currency issues.'
BY way of result, Congress vested au.
thority" in the Secretary of the Treasury
ito have such securities engraved and
printed at the Treasury Department. !.
The National Legislature at about the
same time sponsored postal currency
paper money In small denominations.
from to so cents, to take the place
OF specie payments of like amounts
and MIR. Clark asked to be allowed to
buy 40 copper plate presses and four
Gordon presses for surface printing.
Costs of this equipment were estimated
at $4,000. Three rooms in the Treasury
Building were to be used for the manu-
featuring of fractional notes. Four
engravers were to be engaged.
Such was the PLAN 1t was worked out
with number of alterations. James
Duthie was the first vignette engraver
hired. The name of the pioneer letter.
engraver is unknown AS transferer
Elisha Hobart was employed, The first
work OF engraving the plates for the
production of the second issue of postal
currency" was done on November 20, 1862.
BY November, 1854, the First Division
National Currency Bureau" had 237 male
and 288 female operators engaged with
Is transfer presses, 70 hydraulic presses,
So roller presses, 6 Hoe cylinder presses,
6 ink mills and "all types of miscel-
laneous machinery necessary for bank
note work-a total of 324 engines,
machines, ETC."
The division then became "the En-
craving and Printing Bureau of the
Treasury Department" BY January,
1869. it was referred to as the Bureau Of
Engraving and Printing. "At that time,
1t was recommended that all Internal
Revenue stamps, postage stamps en-
velopes, postal money orders and all
other similar work for other depart
ments' be produced in "a flreproof build
Ing to be erected on the grounds adjacent
to the Treasury Building with a sub
terranean passageway between the two
buildings" r
Not every phase of the program thus
outlined was fulfilled but gradually the
vision of its sponsor was justified BY an
act of Congress for the fiscal year 1878
private companies were debarred from
sharing IN the manufacture Of bank notes
for the Government. An appropriation
of 100000 was voted for the purchase of
site and the erection of building for
the hIlreaJI at FotIrtaentb apd a Streatu=