Nothing gets past E-Sylum readers, a sharp-eyed bunch. Here's the commentary around Michael Merrill's altered fractional currency portrait. -Editor

"The altered note shown is not just an "old man". I'm certain it's intended to be the infamous and thoroughly corrupt William Marcy "Boss" Tweed of New York City."

"When I saw the illustration in last week's E-Sylum, I immediately thought back to one that had been in my American history textbook from high school. The corpulent fellow was "Boss" Tweed. I wonder if that was the intent of the alteration."

"I'm sure I'm only adding my voice to a growing chorus of comments, but the altered fractional note recently highlighted in The E-Sylum is much more interesting than an aging portrait of Secretary of the Treasury William Meredith. It's certainly intended to be a caricature of Boss Tweed, head of the infamous Tammany Hall political machine in New York City."

Bill provided this political cartoon by Thomas Nast. -Editor

Thanks also to Erik Goldstein of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and Stuart Weinerman, who also caught the reference. -Editor

"Who would have thought this would have turned out to be Boss Tweed? Cheers to the unknown artist and those history buffs who recognized this handsome dude!"

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