The Geometric Lathe
Does anyone recognize this now rare piece of banknote equipment? Before Jura, the One System, and other banknote design software, one had to use this machine to create intricate, geometric patterns for designs often referred to as scroll work or guilloche or lathe work.
This is the geometric lathe. It is also known as a rose engine lathe or a guilloche lathe.
Such guilloche was in vogue in the 19th and 20th centuries when complex intaglio was the primary way to thwart counterfeiting. However, the only major currency that still retains a lot of such scroll work is the US Federal Reserve Note, which continues to employ it in its border designs.