News Chemistry

How Benjamin Franklin fought money counterfeiters

Blue threads and muscovite, a reflective mineral, were incorporated into paper bills

An illustration of young Benjamin Franklin at the printing press.

Benjamin Franklin and his associates printed paper money for the mid-Atlantic region in the early colonial United States. His bills included blue thread and muscovite, possibly as a counterfeit tactic.

Library of Congress

By Joshua Rapp Learn

Though perhaps better known for its newspapers and almanacs, Benjamin Franklin’s printing business also churned out paper money to support the colonial economy.