BANK NOTES:
Engraving Iconography of Early America

Bank notes were originally issued by commercial banks which obligated them to redeem the notes for legal tender, usually gold and silver. One problem with bank notes was the risk of counterfeiting. Banks enlisted engravers to create the notes, which utilized vignettes as an anticounterfeiting feature. A vignette is often defined as a small illustration without a definite border that blends into its background. Bank notes containing highly detailed vignettes made them harder to fake. The human portrait or figure was the most difficult to engrave, and their inclusion gave greater security. The subject matter of the vignettes from the 1810s-1830s were generally either allegorical, depictions of women, or scenes of early America.

Engraved vignette of a railroad scene with small groups of people.

James Barton Longacre, Bank note vignette (Philadelphia, ca. 1837-1840). Engraving.

In this bank note vignette, there is a great level of detail for such a small illustration. The depiction of the early railroad system represents industry and progress. This image is also quite captivating, because there is so much activity captured in one little engraving.

Engraved vignette of three men harvesting a wheat field while a small girl and dog watch.

James Barton Longacre, Bank note vignette (Philadelphia, ca. 1837-1840). Engraving.

This second bank note vignette is another example of a depiction of early American life. Wheat can symbolize fertility and bounty. Why do you think an image like this would be chosen for a bank note?

Engraved two dollar banknote with the portrait of Robert Fulton and three vignettes of ships in water.

James Barton Longacre, The Fulton Bank (New York and Philadelphia: C. Toppan and Co., ca. 1834). Engraving.

The two-dollar bank note from Fulton Bank is a great example of a company that had an early historical presence and still exists today. Featured on this bank note is the portrait of Robert Fulton (1765-1815), who designed and operated the world’s first commercially successful steamboat.

Engraved twenty-dollar banknote with a woman sitting at a desk outdoors using a scale.

James Barton Longacre after Henry Inman, The Patapsco Bank of Maryland (Philadelphia and New York: Draper, Toppan, Longacre & Co., ca. 1837-1840). Engraving.

Notice this bank note’s main vignette of a woman using a scale in an open field with sheep and a farmhouse in the distance. This was engraved after the work of Henry Inman (1801-1846). All of the tiny allegorical scenes on the sides make this bank note difficult to counterfeit. It can truly be awe inspiring to think of the level of skill and talent required to engrave such small illustrations.

Engraved ten dollar banknote with a seated woman surrounded by farm implements with the bank building in background.

James Barton Longacre, The Bank of Penn Township (Philadelphia and New York: Draper, Toppan, Longacre & Co., ca. 1837-1840). Engraving.

The Bank of Penn Township ten-dollar bank note contains some quintessential early American iconography. Depicted in the center is a woman surrounded by symbols of harvest and allusions to abundance with the cornucopia. She looks similar to the seated woman depicted as Liberty in the border. Additionally, there are images of bald eagles and portraits of William Penn and George Washington. Why do you think these images were chosen for this bank note?