THE DEFINITION OF SIDEROGRAPHY

While it is very kind of David Gladfelter to cite my book for a definition of siderography, there is a definition in the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, 1966:

It is this second definition that applied to the bank note industry.

One other comment on the discussion of siderography. David says in the last paragraph "Interestingly, the term "siderographer" did not catch on with the artisans themselves." Actually, in 1921, the "Steel Plate Transferrers Association of America" changed its name to the "International Association of Siderographers." This information comes from their 50th Anniversary commemorative booklet of 1949, the cover of which shows one of Foringer's allegorical figures looking at a transfer press and the union's name in rather modernistic script (the cover, which is naturally printed in intaglio, was produced by American Bank Note).

A 1970 membership certificate I have shows the same name.

Siderography lasted for about 150 years, with the photo-etch transfer replacing siderography in the 1980s-early 1990s. And since then the computer has replaced a lot more.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
ON SIDEROGRAPHIC BANK NOTE PRINTING (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n53a15.html)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web