Bureau of Engraving and Printing facts for kids

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Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Agency overview
Seal of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Flag of the U.S. Department of the Treasury
Formed	August 29, 1862; 162 years ago (1862-08-29)
Headquarters	300 14th St SW Washington, D.C., U.S.
Employees	2,169 (2006)
Agency executive	Patricia S. Solimene, Director
Parent agency	Department of the Treasury

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is a special government agency in the United States Department of the Treasury. Its main job is to design and print important security documents for the U.S. government. The most famous thing they make is Federal Reserve Notes, which are the paper money we use every day.

Besides paper money, the BEP also prints other important items. These include Treasury bonds, special certificates for military awards, invitations, and different kinds of identification cards. The BEP is one of two agencies that make U.S. money. The other is the United States Mint, which makes coins. With large printing factories in Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas, the BEP is the biggest producer of government security documents in the United States.

How the BEP Started
- Becoming an Official Agency
How Money and Stamps Are Made
- Printing Postage Stamps
- Printing Paper Money
Where the BEP Is Located
BEP Police
See also

How the BEP Started

Aerial view of the BEP in Washington, D.C. around 1918

A souvenir card from the BEP, made for a stamp exhibition in 1970

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing began during the American Civil War. In July 1861, the U.S. Congress decided to print paper money instead of using coins. This was because the government needed more money to pay for the war. These paper notes were like government "IOUs" and were called Demand Notes. People could exchange them for coins at certain Treasury offices.

At first, the government didn't have its own place to print money. So, private companies printed the Demand Notes in sheets of four. These sheets then went to the Treasury Department. There, many clerks signed the notes, and workers cut and trimmed them by hand. In July 1862, Congress allowed the Treasury Department to print its own notes. These new notes had special designs with fine lines, detailed patterns, a Treasury seal, and engraved signatures. These features helped prevent people from making fake money.

Becoming an Official Agency

When the currency operations first started, they weren't very organized. In 1863, they became part of the "First Division, National Currency Bureau." For many years, people called the currency offices by different names, like the "Printing Bureau" or "Small Note Room." It wasn't until 1874 that the "Bureau of Engraving and Printing" officially became a recognized agency. Congress gave it specific money to operate for the year 1875.

From its early days, the BEP printed more than just money. As early as 1864, the BEP made passports for the State Department. They also printed money orders for the Post Office. Today, passports are printed by a different agency. The BEP also printed other government papers, like special notes and bonds. In 1894, the BEP started printing postage stamps. For almost 100 years, the BEP was the only place that printed postage stamps in the country.

The BEP in Washington, D.C.
The 15th Street SW entrance to the BEP in Washington, D.C.
The 13th Street SW entrance to the BEP Annex in Washington, D.C.
The BEP's Fort Worth location, which offers visitor tours.

How Money and Stamps Are Made

Garfield, Issue of 1894
The first postage stamp printed by BEP

Printing Postage Stamps

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing officially began printing postage stamps for the U.S. government in July 1894. The first stamps printed by the BEP went on sale on July 18, 1894. By the end of that first year, the BEP had printed over 2.1 billion stamps. The United States Postal Service stopped using the BEP for stamps in 2005, after 111 years. However, starting in 2011, the Postal Service began printing all its stamps in-house again.

Printing Paper Money

A Federal Reserve $1 note from 2009

Over the years, the BEP improved how it printed money. In 1918, during World War I, they needed to print much more money. So, they increased the number of notes printed on each sheet from four to eight.

In 1929, the design of U.S. paper money changed a lot. It was the first big change since money was first issued in 1861. The new designs were standard, and the size of the notes was much smaller. Because the notes were smaller, the BEP could print 12 notes on each sheet instead of eight. This change helped save money on paper. It also made it harder to make fake money because people could recognize the real features better.

Three $2 notes from 2009, with numbers in order

In 1952, the BEP found a way to print even more notes per sheet. They developed new inks that dried faster. This meant they didn't need to put thin tissues between sheets to stop the ink from smudging. The faster-drying ink also allowed them to keep the back of the sheets damp until the front was printed. This reduced how much the paper changed shape during printing.

By reducing paper distortion, the BEP could print 18 notes per sheet in 1952. Five years later, in 1957, they started using a "dry intaglio" printing method. This method uses special paper and inks that don't smudge. This allowed them to print 32 notes on each sheet. Since 1968, all U.S. currency has been printed using this dry intaglio process. With this method, the paper doesn't need to be wet before printing. Fine designs are carved onto steel plates. Ink is put on the plate, then wiped clean, leaving ink only in the carved lines. The plate is pressed very hard onto the paper, pushing the paper into the lines to pick up the ink. Both the front and back of the money are printed this way, with the backs printed first. After that, the sheets are overprinted with the Treasury Seals and serial numbers.

In the 2013 fiscal year, the BEP printed 6.6 billion notes. Each note cost about 10 cents to make.

Where the BEP Is Located

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing has two main locations: one in Washington, D.C., and another in Fort Worth, Texas.

Washington, D.C. Location

The BEP facility in Washington, D.C., has two buildings next to each other. The older, main building was built in 1914. It has a neoclassical style with a steel frame and fireproof concrete. The outside is made of Indiana limestone and granite. The front of the building faces Raoul Wallenberg Place (15th St), the Tidal Basin, and the Jefferson Memorial. It has stone columns along its 505-foot front. The building is 296 feet deep and 105 feet high. It has four wings that stretch back toward 14th Street. This building is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

In May 1938, an addition was finished to the Washington, D.C., facility. This "annex" building helped make space for more workers and more production. The annex is on 14th Street, across from the main building. It is 570 feet long and 285 feet wide. It is made of reinforced concrete with a limestone outside. The building has a central part running from 14th Street to 13th Street, with five wings extending north and south.

The Washington, D.C., location offers free 30-minute guided tours. These tours show how currency is made. You can take a tour Monday through Friday. The Bureau is closed on all federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Fort Worth, Texas Location

In 1987, construction started on a second BEP facility in Fort Worth, Texas. This new location helped meet the growing demand for money. It also served as a backup in case of emergencies in the D.C. area. Plus, it reduced the cost of sending money to Federal Reserve banks in San Francisco, Dallas, and Kansas City. Currency production began in Fort Worth in December 1990. The official opening was on April 26, 1991. Any money printed in Fort Worth has a small "FW" on it, usually to the left of the bill's front plate number. Most also have larger back plate numbers.

Past Locations

The BEP moved into its own building in 1880. This building was at 14th St. and Independence Ave. SW, and is now called the Sidney Yates Building. An addition was built on the south side of this building in 1891. The BEP then moved to its current Washington location, just south of the original building, in 1914.

Future Locations

On April 27, 2022, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that the BEP would move from its historic Washington, D.C., location. The new site will be in Beltsville, MD. It will be at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The U.S. Department of Treasury received ownership of 114 acres within this center. The new facility is expected to be finished in early 2027.

BEP Police

A Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police (BEP) patrol car.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing has its own police department. It is called the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police Force. Their job is to protect BEP workers and buildings. The BEP Police make sure federal and local laws are followed. They also enforce Treasury Department rules and regulations. In 2004, there were 234 police officers. By 2020, this number was 187.