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Artists producing art and engraving on United States banknotes began experimenting with copper plates as an alternative to wood engraving in the early 18th century. Applied to the production of paper currency, copper-plate engraving, and later steel engraving, enabled banknote design and printing to rapidly advance during the 19th century. This vignette, engraved by Frederick Girsch of the American Bank Note Company, was first used on the reverse of the one-hundred-dollar denomination of the first series of federally-issued United States banknotes issued in 1863. Produced for the Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the engraving is of John Trumbull's painting Declaration of Independence, depicting the Committee of Five presenting their draft of the United States Declaration of Independence to the Second Continental Congress.Engraving credit: Frederick Girsch, after John Trumbull; restored by Andrew Shiva