Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Keywords:

             Engraving Printing Money, U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Currency

Site Overview:
             At first glance the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) web site doesn't seem to be much different than that found in an encyclopedia. Yet further exploration shows this site holds a vast amount of information and many links. There is an audio tour that takes you step-by-step through measures that can be taken to prevent counterfeiting. This is an amazing resource for information on printing, engraving, security measures, new currency designs, collector items, locations and tours, facts and trivia. Our field trip will cover all of these aspects as well as the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Treasury which include printing, stamps, and the distribution of bills.

Goals and Objectives:
The goals and objectives of this site are to gain familiarity with: (1) the history of currency, (2) counterfeit and security features, (3) the Federal Reserve System, and the (4) design and implementation of stamps.

Research:

(Source: BEP web site.)

The U.S. Department of the Treasury, founded in 1789, is part of the Executive Branch. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a division of the Department of Treasury and can be traced back to 1882. It is the largest printer in the world and responsible for the design, engraving, and printing of currency and postage stamps. The Bureau of Engraving also makes certificates, permits, custom stamps and many other kinds of government security documents including Treasury bills, bonds and notes. They currently are in charge of producing a new series of currency issued through the Federal Reserve System. Counterfeiting is prevented through the implementation of special printing techniques.

Lesson Plans and Site Navigation:

1. You may access the website The Bureau of Engaging and Printing at www.bep.treas.gov/. From time to time, the links on a web site do not work. Either skip the question below or the page you have been directed to and go on. When navigating this site, please use your forward and back arrows to go back to the original page. For younger children, you will want to summarize each page. They will enjoy the audio tour.

2. Begin by clicking on the Welcome icon. Read the information on this page. Click on the back arrow.

3. Click on the Stamps icon. This will take you to the postage stamps page.

4. Click on the Facts and Trivia. Here you will find a list of assorted links. First click on Production Figures. This will take you to a page with columns of numbers. At the top of the page, you will see How Money Gets Into Circulation. Click on these words, and read the pages. Click on the back arrow (twice) to return to the Facts and Trivia Home Page.

5. Under facts and trivia, you can click on View all Facts and Trivia. You have the option of clicking on and reading all pages, or following the links below. I prefer to read certain sections at a time in this order: Historical and Legal, Information for Collectors, Symbolism and Trivia, and Current Currency. (Use the back arrow to return after reading each section.)

6. Click on Other and then click on The Engravers. This section discusses the engravers who work for the BEP. Use your back arrow twice to return to the Facts and Trivia Home Page.

7. Under Currency Standards, click on Mutilated Currency, Shredded Currency for Sale, and Counterfeit Deterrent Features. Use your back arrow to return to the Facts and Trivia Home Page.

8. Click on the word Home on the sidebar. On the main Home Page, click on the words See New Currency Design. Click on the words Click Here for Currency Facts. On this page, you may navigate the pages in this order: Introduction to the Series 1996 Currency, Technical Background: Security Features, Advanced Copier and Printer Technology, Recent Studies: United States Currency Security Features, The U.S. Government's Security Printer, The History of Paper Money, The U.S. Secret Service and Counterfeiting, The Federal Reserve System: Central Bank of the United States, and Frequently Asked Currency Questions. After each page, use your back arrow to return to the Currency Facts Page.

9. Return to The Currency page. Use your back arrow to return, or go to the Currency Facts Page and click on the side bar. Click on Click Here for Other Denominations. After viewing the information, use your back arrow to return to the Currency page.

10. Click on Your Money Matters. Here you may go on an audio tour. The first page will reveal various currencies. Begin by clicking on the audio button. You will hear directions on how to continue the tour. Click on the $100.00, $50.00, and $20.00 bills, and you will hear an audio description of each design and the measures against counterfeiting that have been taken. The categories you may listen to are: Federal Reserve Bank Indicators, Concentric Fine Lines, Watermark, Color Shifting Ink, Portrait, Security Thread, Border, Serial Numbers, Microprinting, Denomination, Fibers, Treasury Seal, Ink, Engraving, and Paper. You will need to click the audio button each time for an explanation of the individual features.

11. This is the end of our field trip. You may explore any of the other features on the Home Page on your own, such as The BEP Kids Page or Internet Links.

Scavenger Hunt Questions:
Grades K-3

1. Who is the largest maker of security papers in the United States?

2. Who makes stamps that we use on letters? Who gives the order to print the stamps?

3. Are coins made at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing?

4. What happens to money that is badly damaged?

5. If you have some bills that were damaged in a fire, what should you do?

6. Name two features on the new bills.

7. Do people use the same amounts of cash all year long? Where do the banks obtain the money?

8. Do new or old bills work the best in ATMs (machines where you can get cash)? 

9. What is the occupation of the person who draws the pictures, numbers or letters that we see on currency? What tools are used and how is this done?

10. What bill is the most widely used $10.00, $20.00, $50.00, or $100.00?

Grades 4-8

1. Name two primary responsibilities of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

2. Name some ways that money can be damaged.

3. If you have only one-half of a torn bill, do you need to send it to the BEP for a replacement?

4. How are postage stamps designed?

5. How does the public's demand of cash affect banks?

6. Are all images on the bills drawn by artists from long ago?

7. Name four security features on the new bills.

8. Are bills over 100 dollars issued by the BEP? Where can bills of large denominations be found?

9. What is fractional currency?

10.  What does the life of a U.S. currency note (the amount of time the bill can remain in good condition and in circulation) depend on?

Grades 9-12

1. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing falls under what branch of the Federal Government?

2. What should you do if you have damaged currency? Name two criteria that must be met to replace damaged money.

3. What happens to the design of a stamp once it has been selected?

4. This is a three-part question: (a) What is the normal procedure for the Federal Reserve Bank to receive a cash deposit from a bank? (b) What percentage of bills are pulled from service and what is done with these bills? and (c) Where are new bills acquired?

5. How do smaller banks acquire reserves in cash?

6. Can computers take over the work of an engraver? Why or why not?

7. Name six security features on the new bills.

8. Why and when was fractional currency issued?

9. Has the BEP ended its research of adding security features to new bills? Explain.

10. Why was paper money issued in 1861 during the Civil War?

Additional Activities:

· If you could change the look of the dollar bill, what would you do? Design a new one-dollar bill.

· What safety features do you think are missing from money?

· Do you think all of the safety features are necessary? List the pros and cons in two columns.

· Make up a list of trivia questions on cards. List facts such as the only woman whose portrait appeared on a U.S. currency note (Martha Washington), the time on the clock in the steeple of Independence Hall on the back of the $100 bill (set at about 4:10), the portraits that appear on the different denominations, and so forth.

· What two statutes require the use of the national motto, “In God We Trust,” on both U.S. coins and currency?

· Make a timeline of the history of paper money.

· Research the time when paper money was first introduced. Was there a smooth transition from coins to paper? Why or why not?

· The U.S. Secret Service was created within the U.S. Department of the Treasury with the sole mission of stopping counterfeit currency. Has this been successful? Research.

· Research the Federal Reserve Bank. When did it come into being? What is its purpose? Has the Federal Reserve Bank been successful in its mission?

· Complete the following story in 300 words or less: “You've taken the dog for a walk after dinner in your neighborhood. You notice a burlap sack beside a tree. You look around, and see no one in sight. Upon opening the bag, you find…”

· Set up a store. Practice giving change by using coins and bills. Why is this an important real life skill?

· To be an engraver, you must have artistic skill and the ability to engrave with tools on metal. Using an aluminum foil square sheet (approximately 12 inches by 12 inches) and a pencil, draw a portrait. Make it as life-like as you can. If you cannot draw a portrait, draw numbers or letters instead. Look at a bill, and see how much you can reproduce.

· Use a block of wood and tools (with adult supervision) and try carving an image. How did it turn out?  Remember: Your image will be the inverse of what you draw. Use ink (or paint) and a roller to make a stamp.

· Shredded money can be purchased. What are some of the rules on the uses of this money?

· List each bill and name the following: The denomination, the portrait of the president that appears on the bill, and the picture that appears on the reverse side.

· Make up math problems. This is from Fun Facts under Did You Know? If you had ten billion $1 notes and spent one every second each day, how many years would it take before you were broke?

· How many notes would comprise a stack of currency that is 1 mile high? (The thickness of existing currency is 0.0043 inch.)

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Keywords:

             Engraving Printing Money, U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Currency

Site Overview:
             At first glance the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) web site doesn't seem to be much different than that found in an encyclopedia. Yet further exploration shows this site holds a vast amount of information and many links. There is an audio tour that takes you step-by-step through measures that can be taken to prevent counterfeiting. This is an amazing resource for information on printing, engraving, security measures, new currency designs, collector items, locations and tours, facts and trivia. Our field trip will cover all of these aspects as well as the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Treasury which include printing, stamps, and the distribution of bills.

Goals and Objectives:
The goals and objectives of this site are to gain familiarity with: (1) the history of currency, (2) counterfeit and security features, (3) the Federal Reserve System, and the (4) design and implementation of stamps.

Research:

(Source: BEP web site.)

The U.S. Department of the Treasury, founded in 1789, is part of the Executive Branch. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a division of the Department of Treasury and can be traced back to 1882. It is the largest printer in the world and responsible for the design, engraving, and printing of currency and postage stamps. The Bureau of Engraving also makes certificates, permits, custom stamps and many other kinds of government security documents including Treasury bills, bonds and notes. They currently are in charge of producing a new series of currency issued through the Federal Reserve System. Counterfeiting is prevented through the implementation of special printing techniques.

Lesson Plans and Site Navigation:

1. You may access the website The Bureau of Engaging and Printing at www.bep.treas.gov/. From time to time, the links on a web site do not work. Either skip the question below or the page you have been directed to and go on. When navigating this site, please use your forward and back arrows to go back to the original page. For younger children, you will want to summarize each page. They will enjoy the audio tour.

2. Begin by clicking on the Welcome icon. Read the information on this page. Click on the back arrow.

3. Click on the Stamps icon. This will take you to the postage stamps page.

4. Click on the Facts and Trivia. Here you will find a list of assorted links. First click on Production Figures. This will take you to a page with columns of numbers. At the top of the page, you will see How Money Gets Into Circulation. Click on these words, and read the pages. Click on the back arrow (twice) to return to the Facts and Trivia Home Page.

5. Under facts and trivia, you can click on View all Facts and Trivia. You have the option of clicking on and reading all pages, or following the links below. I prefer to read certain sections at a time in this order: Historical and Legal, Information for Collectors, Symbolism and Trivia, and Current Currency. (Use the back arrow to return after reading each section.)

6. Click on Other and then click on The Engravers. This section discusses the engravers who work for the BEP. Use your back arrow twice to return to the Facts and Trivia Home Page.

7. Under Currency Standards, click on Mutilated Currency, Shredded Currency for Sale, and Counterfeit Deterrent Features. Use your back arrow to return to the Facts and Trivia Home Page.

8. Click on the word Home on the sidebar. On the main Home Page, click on the words See New Currency Design. Click on the words Click Here for Currency Facts. On this page, you may navigate the pages in this order: Introduction to the Series 1996 Currency, Technical Background: Security Features, Advanced Copier and Printer Technology, Recent Studies: United States Currency Security Features, The U.S. Government's Security Printer, The History of Paper Money, The U.S. Secret Service and Counterfeiting, The Federal Reserve System: Central Bank of the United States, and Frequently Asked Currency Questions. After each page, use your back arrow to return to the Currency Facts Page.

9. Return to The Currency page. Use your back arrow to return, or go to the Currency Facts Page and click on the side bar. Click on Click Here for Other Denominations. After viewing the information, use your back arrow to return to the Currency page.

10. Click on Your Money Matters. Here you may go on an audio tour. The first page will reveal various currencies. Begin by clicking on the audio button. You will hear directions on how to continue the tour. Click on the $100.00, $50.00, and $20.00 bills, and you will hear an audio description of each design and the measures against counterfeiting that have been taken. The categories you may listen to are: Federal Reserve Bank Indicators, Concentric Fine Lines, Watermark, Color Shifting Ink, Portrait, Security Thread, Border, Serial Numbers, Microprinting, Denomination, Fibers, Treasury Seal, Ink, Engraving, and Paper. You will need to click the audio button each time for an explanation of the individual features.

11. This is the end of our field trip. You may explore any of the other features on the Home Page on your own, such as The BEP Kids Page or Internet Links.

Scavenger Hunt Questions:
Grades K-3

1. Who is the largest maker of security papers in the United States?

2. Who makes stamps that we use on letters? Who gives the order to print the stamps?

3. Are coins made at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing?

4. What happens to money that is badly damaged?

5. If you have some bills that were damaged in a fire, what should you do?

6. Name two features on the new bills.

7. Do people use the same amounts of cash all year long? Where do the banks obtain the money?

8. Do new or old bills work the best in ATMs (machines where you can get cash)? 

9. What is the occupation of the person who draws the pictures, numbers or letters that we see on currency? What tools are used and how is this done?

10. What bill is the most widely used $10.00, $20.00, $50.00, or $100.00?

Grades 4-8

1. Name two primary responsibilities of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

2. Name some ways that money can be damaged.

3. If you have only one-half of a torn bill, do you need to send it to the BEP for a replacement?

4. How are postage stamps designed?

5. How does the public's demand of cash affect banks?

6. Are all images on the bills drawn by artists from long ago?

7. Name four security features on the new bills.

8. Are bills over 100 dollars issued by the BEP? Where can bills of large denominations be found?

9. What is fractional currency?

10.  What does the life of a U.S. currency note (the amount of time the bill can remain in good condition and in circulation) depend on?

Grades 9-12

1. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing falls under what branch of the Federal Government?

2. What should you do if you have damaged currency? Name two criteria that must be met to replace damaged money.

3. What happens to the design of a stamp once it has been selected?

4. This is a three-part question: (a) What is the normal procedure for the Federal Reserve Bank to receive a cash deposit from a bank? (b) What percentage of bills are pulled from service and what is done with these bills? and (c) Where are new bills acquired?

5. How do smaller banks acquire reserves in cash?

6. Can computers take over the work of an engraver? Why or why not?

7. Name six security features on the new bills.

8. Why and when was fractional currency issued?

9. Has the BEP ended its research of adding security features to new bills? Explain.

10. Why was paper money issued in 1861 during the Civil War?

Additional Activities:

· If you could change the look of the dollar bill, what would you do? Design a new one-dollar bill.

· What safety features do you think are missing from money?

· Do you think all of the safety features are necessary? List the pros and cons in two columns.

· Make up a list of trivia questions on cards. List facts such as the only woman whose portrait appeared on a U.S. currency note (Martha Washington), the time on the clock in the steeple of Independence Hall on the back of the $100 bill (set at about 4:10), the portraits that appear on the different denominations, and so forth.

· What two statutes require the use of the national motto, “In God We Trust,” on both U.S. coins and currency?

· Make a timeline of the history of paper money.

· Research the time when paper money was first introduced. Was there a smooth transition from coins to paper? Why or why not?

· The U.S. Secret Service was created within the U.S. Department of the Treasury with the sole mission of stopping counterfeit currency. Has this been successful? Research.

· Research the Federal Reserve Bank. When did it come into being? What is its purpose? Has the Federal Reserve Bank been successful in its mission?

· Complete the following story in 300 words or less: “You've taken the dog for a walk after dinner in your neighborhood. You notice a burlap sack beside a tree. You look around, and see no one in sight. Upon opening the bag, you find…”

· Set up a store. Practice giving change by using coins and bills. Why is this an important real life skill?

· To be an engraver, you must have artistic skill and the ability to engrave with tools on metal. Using an aluminum foil square sheet (approximately 12 inches by 12 inches) and a pencil, draw a portrait. Make it as life-like as you can. If you cannot draw a portrait, draw numbers or letters instead. Look at a bill, and see how much you can reproduce.

· Use a block of wood and tools (with adult supervision) and try carving an image. How did it turn out?  Remember: Your image will be the inverse of what you draw. Use ink (or paint) and a roller to make a stamp.

· Shredded money can be purchased. What are some of the rules on the uses of this money?

· List each bill and name the following: The denomination, the portrait of the president that appears on the bill, and the picture that appears on the reverse side.

· Make up math problems. This is from Fun Facts under Did You Know? If you had ten billion $1 notes and spent one every second each day, how many years would it take before you were broke?

· How many notes would comprise a stack of currency that is 1 mile high? (The thickness of existing currency is 0.0043 inch.)