Steel type question - Currency printing plates

tryppyr

tryppyr

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Feb 5, 2010
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I have some old steel title plates from banknote companies that were operating in the mid-1800s. If you aren't familiar with the currency printing processes in use at the time, there were several kinds of "dies" used. The process involves engraving things onto a steel plate or roller. Those dies were then combined and used to create the copper printing plates that ultimately yielded the currency. Because title and vignette dies had to be used (and reused) many times, they had to be made of tougher stuff than the actual printing plates.

Now it occurs to me that the steel from these dies might be used as a part of a knife, and if the image engraved into the steel could be retained, it would add a special element to the end product (much the same as the remaining file teeth do in file knives).

Does anyone know what kind of steel might have been used in, say, 1830 - 1850? I have a few examples, but no way to test them definitively.
 
They don't have any historical value? I'd think that would be pretty neat as a kind of display piece if nothing else. If they're the ones used to make the actual printing dies, are they positives?
 
No historical value of the bank title dies (which are just stylistic text of the bank names). likewise, the vignette dies have very limited historical value, as the images were often integrated onto multiple actual currency die plates, where the real historical value is embodied. To give a sense of the difference, title plates cost about $30 - $60... vignette plates cost between $40 and $200... currency plates run into the thousands.

I'll post some pics when I get home.
 
Gotcha. I was thinking they were like regular plates where you'd have one for each color and you could mount them as a set, maybe with a color wash on each.

Sorry, no idea what they'd be made out of.
 
In those days I can't think of anything but a carbon steel as alloying hadn't really started.Could it have been carburized ?
 
One thing for sure, they were DEFINITELY not stainless. There are some plates that go up for auction today that are BADLY rusted. Even some of the plates I have show evidence of corrosion.
 
As promised:

Plates1.JPG


Plates2.JPG
 
Yes, cool indeed. I would not use them for knives but rather make a display for them, maybe some kind of mirror setup to show what the print looks like. Or actually make a print with them and put everything in some kind of glassed display?
 
Patrice Lemée;10357038 said:
Yes, cool indeed. I would not use them for knives but rather make a display for them, maybe some kind of mirror setup to show what the print looks like. Or actually make a print with them and put everything in some kind of glassed display?
Click to expand...

I agree, they are too pretty as they are. Maybe Stacy will drop by with some bit of esoteric knowledge that will answer the question.
 
I believe that they will be mild steel. The printing process is not very wear inducing. Copper plates last a long time. Steel plates can print into the thousands easily. There is a documentary on how they make the modern money plates, but I can't remember who did it.

Wayne Suhrbier
 
Thanks, Sam. I'm not quite ready to part with them yet, but I'll keep you in mind if I change my mind.
 
OK, since I was asked:

In the summer of 2001, I went to NYC for some research at the Museum of Natural History. I had been granted curator privileges to examine some of their preserved Great Auk specimens. There are less than 50 in the world, and seven are in the vaults at MNH. They guard them like the Mona Lisa.

While in NYC, I went to a flea market in lower Manhattan, literally in the shade of the WTC. I found a guy that had cleaned out an old printing building, and he had boxes of old type sets and plates. One box had half a dozen really neat plates of letterheads, post cards, and business logos. I bought it and made a few unique things from them.
I sent one with the logo and info from an old wood company in NY, to Miles Gilmer, of Gilmer's Exotic Woods, as a desk ornament/paper weight.
I made one with the 1950's Ford Motor Co add "Is there a Ford in Your Future?" into a desk ornament and pen holder for a friend who worked at the Ford plant.

The neatest one was the American Cancer Society post card plate for the 1954 cancer drive. It was really unique in the fact that there was no postage required, and no address on the card. You put your name and address in a box, and the PO would take care of the rest. A volunteer would come to see you and collect your donation. The card merely said:

I wish to help cure cancer
Name____________________
Address__________________


Postmaster - Your Town
Please deliver to American Cancer Society


I made a brass mounting frame to hold the 3X5" plate with curved arms that pivoted.....like a tiny printing press. I mounted it on a piece of burl wood, and placed a small stack of cards that I printed from the plate in brass corner holders, so that the plate aligned with them when pivoted. The effect was that you could rotate the plate and see how the reverse image "printed" on the card. I mounted a hand turned pen and pencil set on the ends of the burl slab, and added an engraved plate that said:
"This plate was from the American Cancer Society 1954 Cancer Drive.
It was found at the World Trade Center Flea market, in NYC one month prior to September 11, 2001"

I donated it to the American Cancer Society charity ball and auction the next spring, It brought $2000 at auction.

So.....
Making a nice desk set displaying the First National Bank of Chattanooga Tennessee plate ( or similar) and a printed card of the impression would be a good use.
Get a friend who turns pens to make the pen from the same wood as the base. To make it knife related, there should be a letter opener with a matching turned wood handle. Woodcraft has these to match their pen/pencil kits. I like the Wall Street II series.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2005435/29010/Wall-St-II-Letter-Opener-Woodcraft-Gold.aspx
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2005435/15700/Wall-Street-II-Ballpoint-Pen-Kit--Standard-Gold.aspx

I'm sure you have a friend who turns pens, but if not, and this sounds like something you want to do, send me an email or PM.
 
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