Off the beaten path - Bureau of Engraving and Printing 2

Took a tour inside the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) on Sept. 18 2007. Photography or videorecording is not allowed in those areas where the production of paper bills is going on, so I just took these videos outside the BEP, in the visitor reception area and in the gift shop.

The visitors get to see the machines, workers and bills behind glass walls. The tour is very regulated compared to other museums I have been to, which is quite understandable. An elevated walkway
lets the visitors look down and see what is happening (the ceilings are very low as a result). Some of the workers waved at us. One of them even dangled a huge stack of bills, pointing out that it was worth $10,000, which was pretty amusing. The tour lasted several minutes. Before that, we were presented with a short video on the design and making of the bills.

Some interesting facts I learned from our tour guide:
1. The "paper" bill is really fabric made of cotton and linen. The fabric already contains special markings (such as an image and other security features).
2. It is against the law to possess this
fabric.
3. The fabric is cut into sheets with 32 bills printed on each sheet.
4. Each sheet of 32 bills is then cut into two sheets of 16 bills.
5. The Bureau produces about $600 million worth of bills a day.

As another interesting side note, the Holocaust Memorial Museum is right next to the Bureau. This was my second time at the Holocaust Memorial, but my first time to view the permanent exhibit (this is where the heavy stuff is). I find the experience of visiting these two places on the same day and their proximity to each other a bit odd. On one hand, we know the fate of millions of people at the hands of the Nazi war machine. On the other hand, we have the BEP manufacturing dollar bills in huge quantities. We were told that the machines that do this are made in Germany.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Washington
• D.C.
• Engraving
• Printing

[muffet2200]

too bad you could not see them making money

[maxwellsdaemon7]

We actually did see the printing presses, but photography wasn't allowed in those areas.

[TexasGuy09]

i bet it's tempting ain't it?