Where is US Currency Made in the United States

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US currency bills with magnifying glass and calculator, symbolizing financial analysis.
Credit: pexels.com, US currency bills with magnifying glass and calculator, symbolizing financial analysis.

The US currency is made in a few select locations within the United States. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the United States Mint are responsible for producing the nation's currency.

One of these locations is Fort Knox, Kentucky, where the US Mint produces coins. The US Mint has been producing coins at Fort Knox since 1936.

The BEP, on the other hand, produces paper currency, with facilities located in Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas. The BEP has been producing paper currency in Washington, D.C. since 1862.

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Where US Currency is Made

US currency is printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), which is part of the Department of the Treasury of the federal government. The main production facility is located in Washington, D.C., and there is a smaller facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

The BEP prints approximately 38 million pieces of paper money every day. About 45% of this production are $1 bills and 25% are $20 bills. The rest of the production is divided between $5, $10, $50, and $100 bills.

Credit: youtube.com, How Money is Printed - Inside U.S. Dollar Factory

Fort Worth is home to the BEP's official Western Currency Facility, its first and only official currency production facility outside of Washington D.C. This facility produces over half of all U.S. currency.

Each bill, regardless of its denomination, costs the government about 3.8 cents to produce. The BEP has been printing currency in Washington D.C. since the redesign of currency in 1929, when note design was standardized and note size was significantly reduced.

In 1952, the BEP increased the number of notes per sheet from 12 to 18, and five years later, they began printing currency via the dry intaglio method, enabling a further increase from 18 to 32 notes per sheet.

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Location and Visitation

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has two main locations where US currency is made: Washington D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas. The Washington facility is located between 14th and 15th streets SW, and it's a historic building listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Credit: youtube.com, How America makes its money | 60 Minutes

In Washington D.C., you can take a free 30-minute guided tour of the facility, which features the various phases of currency production. The tour is available Monday through Friday, but keep in mind that the Bureau is closed for all federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

The Fort Worth facility, on the other hand, is open for guided or self-guided tours, where you can witness the production of billions of dollars and explore interactive exhibits. Tours are available Tuesday through Friday, between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm.

Here are the details on the tour options:

District of Columbia

The Washington facility in the District of Columbia is a must-visit destination. The main building, constructed in 1914, features a neoclassical architectural style with a steel superstructure, fireproof concrete, Indiana limestone, and granite trim exterior.

The building's main façade faces Raoul Wallenberg Place, the Tidal Basin, and the Jefferson Memorial, with stone columns spanning the 505-foot length of the front. It's a stunning sight, especially when you consider the building's depth of 296 feet and height of 105 feet.

Detailed image of the front side of a US $100 bill showing Benjamin Franklin's portrait.
Credit: pexels.com, Detailed image of the front side of a US $100 bill showing Benjamin Franklin's portrait.

The building has four wings that extend back toward 14th Street, and it's listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as Auditor's Building Complex. You can take a free 30-minute guided tour of the facility, which showcases the various phases of currency production.

The tour is available Monday through Friday, but be sure to check the schedule as the Bureau is closed for all federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Can I Visit the Western Currency Facility?

The Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth is open for visits. You can take a guided or self-guided tour, which is a great way to learn about the art of currency production.

The facility is open Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, so plan your visit accordingly. You can witness the production of billions of dollars from an enclosed walkway, as well as explore interactive exhibits and historical displays.

The facility is located in Fort Worth and is the home of the BEP's official Western Currency Facility, which produces over half of all U.S. currency. This is a unique opportunity to see currency production up close.

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Currency Production Details

Credit: youtube.com, How Money is Printed - 100$ & 100€ Bill - Inside Banknote factory (Inside U.S. Dollar Factory)

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is responsible for producing all paper money in the United States. It's a massive operation, with the main facility located in Washington, D.C., and a smaller one in Fort Worth, Texas.

Every day, the BEP prints approximately 38 million pieces of paper money. The production is divided between different denominations, with 45% being $1 bills and 25% being $20 bills.

The paper used for U.S. currency is made specifically for the BEP by Massachusetts-based company Crane and Co., a partnership that has been going on since 1879. It's actually illegal for anyone outside the BEP to own this type of paper!

Currency Production

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has a long history of improving its currency production methods. In 1918, the BEP increased the plate capacity on power presses from four to eight notes per sheet to meet the expanded production requirements of World War I.

Credit: youtube.com, How Money Is Made - Modern Money Printing Factory - What Do You Think If This Factory Is Yours?

The BEP made a major change in 1929, redesigning currency for the first time since 1861. This redesign led to a reduction in note size, allowing the BEP to convert from eight-note printing plates to twelve-note plates.

The BEP continued to innovate, with breakthrough developments in non-offset inks in 1943. These new inks dried faster, enabling the BEP to reduce distortion caused by wetting, drying, and re-wetting of the paper.

In 1952, the BEP was able to increase the number of notes per sheet from 12 to 18, thanks to the faster drying ink. Five years later, the BEP began printing currency via the dry intaglio method, which allowed for an increase from 18 to 32 notes per sheet.

Since 1968, all currency has been printed using the dry intaglio process, which involves fine-line engravings being transferred to steel plates and then pressed onto sheets of paper.

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Paper Origin

The paper used for U.S. currency is a special type that can only be owned by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP).

Crane and Co., a Massachusetts-based company, has been the sole supplier of paper for U.S. currency since 1879.

This paper is made specifically for the BEP, and it's interesting to note that anyone outside the BEP is not allowed to own this type of paper.

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Ramiro Senger

Lead Writer

Ramiro Senger is a seasoned writer with a passion for delivering informative and engaging content to readers. With a keen interest in the world of finance, he has established himself as a trusted voice in the realm of mortgage loans and related topics. Ramiro's expertise spans a range of article categories, including mortgage loans and bad credit mortgage options.

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