Our story kicks off in 1897 in Philadelphia, USA. Meet Baldwin Bredell and Arthur Taylor, two young men in their mid-twenties working at a printing company. These guys weren't just any printers; they were considered the absolute best in their field. Baldwin was the energetic, outspoken mechanical genius, while Arthur was the quieter, incredibly talented artist – the reason he was hired in the first place. Now, their job wasn't printing books; they were responsible for printing stamps. And as anyone in the know will tell you, after stamps, the most complex and delicate thing to print is banknotes. We're talking about the Holy Grail of printing. Trying to make fake money isn't just about drawing or printing; it's not even about watermarks or the fancy security features we have today. Back then, the real challenge was the paper. Banknote paper is incredibly secure.