Banknote motifs: band of lace-like lathe work ornament 1819 - 1847

This is a print made by Cyrus Durand, an American engraver active in the first half of the 19th century, to be used as a banknote motif. Durand was part of a generation that sought to secure trust in paper money at a time when the central banking system was still in its infancy in the US. The intricate, ornamental design is an example of lathe work, a technique that uses a specialized machine to create complex patterns and is an attempt to make counterfeiting more difficult. The design invokes familiar associations with wealth and status, as it mimics lace, a luxury fabric, whilst the geometric precision of the pattern is a signifier of industrial technology. The motif gives us an insight into the relationship between financial institutions and the visual arts. It reminds us that the aesthetic qualities of an image are inextricably linked to its function within a given socio-economic system. Financial archives from this period could shed more light on Durand’s role in shaping confidence in paper money.