intaglio engraving

The Reverse Design of the 1896 $5 Educational Silver Certificate: Grant and Sheridan as Icons of Union Victory

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 by

The reverse of the 1896 $5 Educational Silver Certificate features one of the most ambitious and artistically daring designs ever placed on American paper money, pairing the portraits of Ulysses S. Grant and Philip Sheridan within an allegory of military triumph. Understanding the iconography, the artists behind it, and the political context of this extraordinary note reveals why collectors and historians alike consider it a crown jewel of 19th-century American currency.

Thomas F. Morris and the BEP Engravers Who Defined 19th Century American Currency Portraits

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 by

The faces staring back at you from 19th century United States currency were carved into steel by a small brotherhood of master engravers whose names rarely appear in standard price guides. This deep dive into Thomas F. Morris and his contemporaries at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing reveals how their craft decisions directly affect rarity, collector value, and the visual identity of American money.