William McKinley – US Notes

The Reverse Design of the Series 1934 $500 Federal Reserve Note: An Understated but Elegant Layout

June 15, 2026 by

The Series 1934 $500 Federal Reserve Note carries one of the most quietly sophisticated reverse designs in American currency history, blending classical engraving traditions with the functional austerity of the New Deal era. Collectors who take the time to study its layout discover a composition that rewards close examination and speaks volumes about the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s craft at its peak.

McKinley’s Assassination and Roosevelt’s Currency Revolution: How One Bullet Changed the Faces on American Money

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 by

When an anarchist’s bullet struck President William McKinley on September 6, 1901, the ripple effects reached far beyond politics, reshaping the very faces Americans saw on their paper currency for decades. This deep-dive examines how Theodore Roosevelt’s Treasury appointments and the currency reforms of 1902 to 1923 transformed the visual landscape of US banknotes, with specific guidance on the key series, signature combinations, and collectible varieties that resulted.