George Frederick Cumming Smillie

George Frederick Cumming Smillie (November 22, 1854 – January 21, 1924) also known as G.F.C. Smillie or Fred Smillie was an engraver for the United States Treasury who engraved portraits for the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) from 1894 to 1922. The nephew of James David Smillie, he engraved the portrait of Running Antelope (1899 United States five-dollar Silver Certificate) and the presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Woodrow Wilson, and George Washington. Several of his engravings appeared on banknotes, including the Black Eagle Silver Certificate, the United States one-hundred-thousand-dollar bill, and Electricity as the Dominant Force in the World.

George Frederick Cumming Smillie
c. 1924
Born	(1854-11-22)November 22, 1854 New York City, US
Died	January 21, 1924(1924-01-21) (aged 69) Washington, D.C., US
Other names	Fred
Occupation	Engraver
Years active	1871–1922
Known for	Engraving portraits on US currency
Notable work	Banknote portraits of US presidents
Style	steel-plate engraving
Signature

Life and career

Fred Smillie was born in November 22, 1854, in New York City to David Smillie Jr. and Margaret Smillie. Several members of the Smillie family were associated with the design of currency. He showed an aptitude for art and engraving as a boy. When he was 17 years old he learned engraving by working with his uncle James David Smillie at the American Banknote Company. In his career he worked for several other banknote companies. In 1894 he began working as an engraver for the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), at which he was earning $6,000 (equivalent to $219,744 in 2023) per year in 1895. He was made the superintendent of portrait engraving in 1918. His portraits and vignettes appeared on stamps, currencies and securities. He was a steel-plate engraver and was known for his engravings of presidential portraits.

Smillie engraved the portrait of Chief Tatoka-Inyanka (Running Antelope) of the Hunkpapa Sioux which is found on the large size 1899 United States five-dollar Silver Certificate. During the photoshoot Running Antelope wore his three-feathered headdress but when engraving for the note, his headdress did not fit in the space of the 1899 five-dollar Silver Certificate. Smillie found an image of a feathered–war bonnet that was likely Pawnee and he used it in the engraving. Because of the incorrect headdress, the engraved portrait was controversial.

He also engraved the portraits of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant which are found on the obverse of the 1899 series Black Eagle Silver Certificate. Smillie also did the engraving for the portrait of Woodrow Wilson on the United States one-hundred-thousand-dollar bill. His engravings can be seen on the 1896 five-dollar bill (Electricity as the Dominant Force in the World), the 1899 five-dollar bill (Chief), the 1899 two-dollar bill, the 1923 one-dollar bill and other banknotes and checks. He also completed engravings such as "The Reapers" which were used in the background of banknotes. His engraving of George Washington was used on several different banknotes. Smillie retired from the BEP on March 31, 1922.

Gallery

• 1896 five-dollar bill
• 1899 Black Eagle Silver Certificate
• 1928 US one-dollar bill
• 1934 US $100,000 bill
• "The Reapers" by G.F.C. Smillie
• George Washington engraving by G.F.C. Smillie based on a painting by Gilbert Stuart
• 1897 Bald eagle signed by G.F.C. Smillie
• Woodrow Wilson engraving
• Left: 1872 Photograph of Chief Running Antelope by Alexander Gardner. Right: 1899 G.F.C. Smillie engraving of Running Antelope adorned with a different war bonnet

See also

• Art and engraving on United States banknotes

References

1. Fielding, Mantle (1926). Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors and Engravers. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Subscribers. p. 335. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
2. Schöne, Michael H. (19 December 2023). "G. F. C. Smillie - Der beste Graveur seiner Zeit". geldscheine-online (in German). Retrieved 20 September 2024.
3. Official Register of the United States. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1895. p. 85. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
4. The Outlook. New York: Outlook Company. 1922. p. 580. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
5. Schmidt, Tracy (12 November 2019). "Silver Certificates Rule Heritage Weekly Auction". Numismatic News. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
6. Bulfinch, Chris (26 June 2020). "Running Antelope and the 1899 $5 Silver Certificate". CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
7. Bisognani, Jim (28 July 2022). "The $5 Silver Certificate". Numismatic Guarantee Company. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
8. "1899 One Dollar Silver Certificate Black Eagle". worldbanknotescoins. World Banknotes Coins. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
9. "PMG Certifies Seldom-seen $100,000 US Gold Certificate Specimen". PMG. Paper Money Guaranty. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
10. Hessler, Gene (September 1990). G.F.C. Smillie. Colorado Springs, Colorado: The Numismatist. p. 1418. Retrieved 21 September 2024.