Part of the Our Universe Revealed Lecture Series

Benjamin Franklin, Early American Money, and Scientific Techniques

Dr. Khachatur Manukyan
Notre Dame Physics 

Benjamin Franklin has a legacy which best recognizes him as being one of the Founding Fathers. However, his legacy is far more extensive covering numerous areas – he was a strong supporter of the use of paper money, printing it himself and using his professional network of printers to create clients for his monetary designs and materials. He has shaped the money we use today.

Join us as we use the latest scientific tools to study the historic money of Benjamin Franklin’s time held within the collections of Hesburgh Libraries at the University of Notre Dame. We’ll unlock the ingenious techniques he invented to safeguard his bills’ integrity and explore the composition of papers, additives, and inks used in printing paper bills. We’ll also discuss Franklin’s innovative ideas and his extraordinary ability to persuade the public in the creation of practical solutions for the common good!