Bureau of Engraving history

April 1900: The first issue of postage stamps in small booklets is produced.

August 22, 1903: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing ships the first order of Philippine currency.

February 1908: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing begins manufacturing postage stamps in coil form.

July 1, 1910: Now authorized to carry arms and wear uniforms, BEP guards accompany daily deliveries of money and other securities to the Treasury Department.

June 1, 1911: Bureau of Engraving and Printing personnel design and construct a paper-wetting machine that uniformly dampens paper prior to printing.

June 30, 1912: A machine for laundering currency notes is designed and constructed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and put into operation at various Treasury facilities.

October 28, 1914: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing begins printing Federal Reserve Notes for delivery to the new Federal Reserve Banks.

July 26, 1918: Currency is produced on automated presses and the number of subjects per plate is increased from 4 to 8.

July 1, 1920: Prince, the last horse in the BEP's stables, is sold at auction for $75.

January 1925: The "High-etch" method for making offset plates is developed by Bureau of Engraving and Printing personnel.

July 10, 1929: Small-sized currency notes with standardized designs are issued.

The largest note ever printed by the BEP was the $100,000 Gold Certificate, Series 1934.

May 17, 1938: Bureau of Engraving and Printing operations begin in the Annex Building.

December 15, 1941: In accordance with national defense requirements, an emergency organization is formed in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to protect the buildings against air raids.

November 1942: Silver Certificates containing a yellow seal, instead of the usual blue seal, are produced for the invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch). Like the overprinted "Hawaii" notes, the modified Silver Certificates can be declared worthless, if necessary.

July 1946: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing begins work on Military Payment Certificates for use overseas by United States troops.

July 1, 1951: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing begins operating on a reimbursable basis in accordance with a legislative mandate to convert to business-type accounting methods.

By September 1953, all currency will be produced from 18-subject plates.

The first notes printed by this process are Silver Certificates, Series 1957.

June 4, 1963: Silver Certificates are no longer authorized for issue.

January 1966: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing opens renovated tour facilities throughout the main production area consisting of inter-connected, glass-enclosed galleries.

July 14, 1969: The Treasury Secretary announces that currency in denominations larger than $100 will no longer be issued.

June 15, 1971: Prototype currency overprinting and processing equipment (COPE) is installed.

April 13, 1976: The $2 Federal Reserve Note is re-introduced on the 233rd anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's birth.

June 1980: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing opens a new visitor center in the former lobby of the main building, where visitors can view exhibits and purchase souvenirs at the conclusion of their tour.

December 25, 1981: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing begins "year end shutdown" (YES) whereby the entire BEP closes from Christmas through New Year's Day, a period when employees traditionally take time off.

By 1985, officials at the Treasury Department had become aware of the need for a BEP facility west of the Mississippi River, which would reduce the cost of transporting notes to Federal Reserve banks in San Francisco, Dallas, and Kansas City.

December 1990: The Western Currency Facility begins printing currency.

The first notes produced on this press will be issued in July 1992.

December 1995: Printing of currency on the web-fed press is halted.

March 25, 1996: Redesigned $100 Federal Reserve Notes are issued with a larger portrait and new advanced counterfeit deterrence features.

January 1997: An electronic inspection system is implemented to detect printing defects during currency and postage stamp production.

April 26, 2004: The Western Currency Facility opens a visitor center and public tour of the currency manufacturing operations.

August 2006: The first robotic "palletizer" is installed to load cash-packs on to pallets for shipping.

April 21, 2010: The design of the new $100 Federal Reserve Note is unveiled.

The Federal Reserve’s Centennial in 2013 marked 100 years of service in maintaining that confidence in United States currency.