Ores That Shaped America

A currency concept connecting American history with the minerals that shaped it.

The project

This currency redesign pairs historical portraits with mineral imagery across a coordinated family of banknotes. The supplied designs also extend the visual system into debit cards.

Design direction

Each denomination has its own mineral and accent color, supported by consistent placement of portraits, values, and typography. Front-and-back studies show how the system holds together across the entire series.

Scope of work

Banknote series, front and back
Debit card concepts
Multi-note mockups

A closer look

18 images

Ores That Shaped America — $100, $50 and $20 notes, fronts — 01$100, $50 and $20 notes, fronts

Ores That Shaped America — $10, $5 and $1 notes, fronts — 02$10, $5 and $1 notes, fronts

Ores That Shaped America — $100, $50 and $20 notes, backs with ore imagery — 03$100, $50 and $20 notes, backs with ore imagery

Ores That Shaped America — $10, $5 and $1 notes, backs with ore imagery — 04$10, $5 and $1 notes, backs with ore imagery

Ores That Shaped America — Matching debit card designs — 05Matching debit card designs

Ores That Shaped America — Note and debit card styled with palm leaves — 06Note and debit card styled with palm leaves

Ores That Shaped America — $100 note front — James W. Marshall — 07$100 note front — James W. Marshall

Ores That Shaped America — $100 note back — gold ore — 08$100 note back — gold ore

Ores That Shaped America — $50 note front — J. Robert Oppenheimer — 09$50 note front — J. Robert Oppenheimer

Ores That Shaped America — $50 note back — uranium ore — 10$50 note back — uranium ore

Ores That Shaped America — $20 note front — Andrew Carnegie — 11$20 note front — Andrew Carnegie

Ores That Shaped America — $20 note back — iron ore — 12$20 note back — iron ore

Ores That Shaped America — $10 note front — Thomas Edison — 13$10 note front — Thomas Edison

Ores That Shaped America — $10 note back — copper ore — 14$10 note back — copper ore

Ores That Shaped America — $5 note front — portrait side — 15$5 note front — portrait side

Ores That Shaped America — $5 note back — zinc ore — 16$5 note back — zinc ore

Ores That Shaped America — $1 note front — James Watt — 17$1 note front — James Watt

Ores That Shaped America — $1 note back — coal ore — 18$1 note back — coal ore

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