Women & Early Banknote Printing

Women have always played a major role in banknote production. They have done everything from wetting paper to operating numbering machines to engraving plates. However, perhaps their most crucial role in the early days of banknote printing was being a printer's assistant.

The job of a printer's assistant in the 19th and early 20th century was to place a sheet of paper on an inked plate, remove the printed sheet after it ran through the press, inspect the impressions, and place the printed sheet between tissue paper to prevent ink offset. It was heavy, strenuous work performed under often poor conditions.

The printer and his assistant worked as a coordinated team. They worked incredibly fast to maximize production. This was key because the printer was paid by the perfect sheet. In fact, the printer's assistant usually worked for the printer--not the banknote company. So, they worked together to produce as many perfect sheets as possible each day.

The photo shows a printer and his assistant producing National Bank Notes on a hand-operated flatbed press in the early 20th century.