Jim the Penman

The embedded video is a "teaser," because as far as I know the entire presentation is not available in video format.  The full podcast is a product of the Smithsonian, and as expected is exceedingly well done.

Note the detail on the forged banknote.  All of that was created by hand, one line and dot at a time, by tracing a valid banknote in the attic of a rural farmhouse in New Jersey.

"During the mid-1800s, one third of all paper money in America was thought to be fake. It was the golden age of counterfeiting, and one exceptionally talented con artist stood out from all the rest. His fakes were nearly perfect…but for a trademark tell. Known to law enforcement only as “Jim the Penman,” this celebrity criminal led many Americans to wonder—can great art truly be criminal?"

Click here to access the 20-page transcript or the 40-minute podcast.  I recommend the latter; you will know within 5 minutes whether you want to continue to the end.