Popular Culture and Banknote Design

Yes, this is a real note. In 1901, the US issued a banknote with a portrait of a bison. This is a fine example of how popular culture influences banknote design.

The 1890s and early 1900s marked the end of the frontier and Wild West in America. There were touring Wild West shows, featuring cowboys, Native Americans, and sharpshooters. This spirit was manifested on this $10 United States Note (issued 1901) that featured not only Pablo the Bison from the National Zoo (a symbol of the Old West) but also the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. This design reflected the anxiety of a modernizing and urbanizing US over the loss of an idolized past.

Popular culture and artistic movements show up in banknote design in all time periods and around the world. Just compare the high-Victorian aestethic on this note to the modern Euro or to the early twentieth-century Progressive idiom still expressed in the US $1 bill. What does the Turner 10 Pound note express? Remember the 100 Guilder Snipe note and the modernism of the 1970s?

Banknote design has a rich history that extends far beyond high-tech security features.