Banknote motifs: two bands of lathe work ornament

Art Historical Context

This intricate engraving, created by Cyrus Durand and his associated firms between 1824 and 1842, showcases two elegant bands of lathe-work ornament designed as motifs for banknotes Durand, a skilled engraver and inventor, specialized in security printing during America’s early banking era, when paper currency needed robust defenses against counterfeiting. The delicate, interlocking geometric patterns visible here were produced using a rose-engine lathe, a precision tool that generated complex, machine-made designs impossible to replicate by hand. Such ornamental bands served both aesthetic and practical purposes, adding visual sophistication while making forgery extremely difficult. Printed in green ink on chine collé—a technique that mounts a fine sheet of paper onto a sturdier backing—this proof demonstrates the high level of technical mastery required for early 19th-century currency production. As part of the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of prints, the work offers visitors a glimpse into the intersection of art, engineering, and economics in the antebellum United States.

About the Artist

A. B. & C. Durand & Company|Durand, Perkins, and Company|Cyrus Durand (American|American|American) · 1824 |1796 |1787 –1832 |1886 |1868

American, active 1824–32|American, Jefferson, New Jersey 1796–1886 Maplewood, New Jersey|American, 1787–1868