Who Makes Paper for US Currency and How It's Made

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is responsible for producing the paper used in US currency. The BEP has two locations, one in Washington D.C. and another in Fort Worth, Texas.

The paper used for US currency is made from a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. This unique blend gives the paper its distinctive feel and durability.

The cotton and linen fibers are mixed with water and other chemicals to create a pulp, which is then formed into a sheet. The sheet is then dried and cut into individual sheets of paper.

The BEP uses a specialized machine to cut the paper into individual sheets, which are then packaged and shipped to the Federal Reserve.

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The Crane family has been making paper for American currency for over 140 years, with seven generations contributing to the development and supply of paper for U.S. currency.

The company's history dates back to 1770 when Stephen Crane established the Liberty Paper Mill, one of the first paper mills in the country.

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In 1806, the Crane Paper Company printed and developed cotton currency paper for banks, which was later adopted by the government.

The company remained a staple of Berkshires culture and was eventually contracted by the government to provide paper for U.S. currency in 1879.

Winthrop M. Crane won the contract that made Crane the official U.S. paper provider, a position the company still holds today.

Crane Currency, now owned by Crane & Co., is the sole provider of paper for U.S. currency, with every dollar bill, to one-hundred-dollar bill, produced at the company's Massachusetts production facility.

The company's valuation is over $500 million, and it has expanded to own several other businesses, including Crane Stationary, Crane NXT, and Crane Payment Innovations.

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The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is responsible for manufacturing Federal Reserve notes. They have facilities in Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas.

To produce these notes, the Bureau receives print orders. They then manufacture the notes using specialized equipment and techniques.

The Bureau's facilities in Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas, play a crucial role in the production process.

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The paper used for paper money is made from a special blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. This unique blend gives the paper the proper feel.

The paper contains small segments of red and blue fibers scattered throughout for visual identification. This helps to prevent counterfeiting.

Starting in 1990, the paper for $10 bills and higher denominations was made of two plies with a polymer security thread laminated between them. This thread is visible only when the bill is held up to a light.

The inks used for printing are made from dry color pigments blended with oils and extenders. This produces especially thick printing inks.

Black ink is used to print the front of the bills, while green ink is used on the backs of the bills.

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The design of U.S. currency is a collaborative effort between multiple agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the U.S. Secret Service.

The Secretary of the Treasury has final approval of the designs of Federal Reserve notes.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing manufactures Federal Reserve notes at its facilities in Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas.

The process of making banknotes is quite fascinating, and you can learn more about it by discovering how banknotes are made.

Crane Currency, the sole provider of paper for U.S. currency, has been doing so since 1879, with seven generations of the Crane family involved in the production process.

Every single dollar bill to one-hundred-dollar bill to ever exist started at Crane Currency's Massachusetts production company, located 2.5 west of Boston and minutes from Northampton.

Crane Currency specializes in the banknote industry, focusing on the production and security of paper currency, and has been doing so since 1801.

The company's solutions are tailored to enhance the security and longevity of banknotes, ensuring their integrity in the global economy.

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The quality control process for currency paper is extremely rigorous. Anything as important as money requires strict quality control standards.

Flawed money is bad money and cannot be placed into circulation. The raw materials used to make currency paper, such as the inks, are tested for color, viscosity, and other properties.

The paper itself is produced by a single manufacturer in a secret, tightly controlled process. It is illegal for anyone else to manufacture or possess this specific paper.

The finished bills are tested periodically for durability, with some bills being put through a washing machine to determine the colorfastness of the inks. Others are repeatedly rolled into a cylinder and crushed on end to determine their resistance to handling.

A bill can withstand being folded and crumpled up to 4,000 times before it has to be replaced.