Collection Inspiration: Inventors

It’s hard to imagine where we would be without the marvelous inventions from the past several centuries. We often take important inventions such as vehicles, modern medicine and even the light bulb for granted, but there was a time where these things didn’t exist. In honor of Thomas Edison’s birthday being in February (more on him later), PMG is showcasing 10 banknotes that feature some of history’s greatest inventors.

Ten Banknotes Featuring Inventors

Leonardo da Vinci

Pictured on the front of this Italy 50,000 Lire note is Leonardo da Vinci, one of the world’s greatest polymaths and an important figure of the Renaissance. While da Vinci is most well-known for his achievements as a painter — his artwork includes timeless paintings such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper — he was also adept at technology. During his lifetime, da Vinci conceptualized the flying machine, concentrated solar power, ratio calculators and more.

Christiaan Huygens

Christiaan Huygens is featured on this Netherlands 1955 25 Gulden note. Huygens contributed to the fields of mathematics, physics, engineering and astronomy in multiple ways, including discovering Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. As an inventor, Huygens invented the pendulum clock, which was used throughout the 18th and 19th centuries as the most accurate way to keep time.

James Watt

Although Thomas Newcomen was responsible for inventing the first practical steam engine in 1712, James Watt improved on the concept in 1776, creating the design that was crucial to factory production lines during the Industrial Revolution. Unlike Newcomen’s steam engine, Watt’s steam engine introduced a separate condenser, reducing energy waste while improving power output. Watter developed the idea of horsepower — and the unit of measurement for power transfer was named the “watt” after Watt himself. He is pictured alongside his business partner, fellow inventor Matthew Boulton, on the back of this Great Britain 2010 (ND 2015) 50 Pound note.

Francisco Jose de Caldas

The front of this Colombia 1923 1 Peso Oro note depicts Francisco Jose de Caldas, a businessman, scientist and inventor. Caldas is most well known for his contributions to natural sciences, including his invention of the hypsometer, a device used to measure elevation. Sadly, Caldas was executed during the Spanish American Reconquista for being a prominent supporter of the independence of New Granada (modern-day Colombia), and many of his contributions to science and mathematics went unsung.

Josef Ressel

Josef Ressel, who is featured on the front of this Austria 1965 500/- Schilling note, is credited as the inventor of a propeller. An Austrian forester, Ressel tested his propellers on the Krka river in Carniola while gathering wood for the Navy. In 1821, he was transferred to Trieste to do further tests, which were successful. However, a propeller test in 1829 caused the steam conduit on a steam-powered boat to explode, and further tests of his propellers were banned by the police. The screw propeller wasn’t officially adopted until 1845, when it was used by the SS Great Britain on a transatlantic journey.

Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist who laid the foundations of hygienic practices and modern medicine. Not only did Pasteur discover principles regarding vaccines and microbial fermentation, but he also discovered pasteurization (a technique that is named after him). Altogether, Pasteur’s works are credited with saving millions of lives through vaccines, modern medicine and health practices. He is featured on this France 1967-70 5 Francs note in honor of his accomplishments.

Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin

Thomas Edison is featured on the right of this $5 Military Payment Certificate, while Benjamin Franklin is shown on the left. Franklin pioneered the idea that lightning is electricity with his famous kite experiment; he invented the lightning rod, which diverts the destructive power of lightning. More than a century later, Thomas Edison pioneered electric power distribution and the first practical lightbulb.

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla conducted several experiments involving electricity in the late 19th and early 20th century. His inventions included the AC induction motor — which paved the way for the modern AC electric supply system — and one of the first wirelessly controlled boats. In the early 1890s, Tesla introduced the concept of wireless communication but ran out of funding before putting it into widespread use. As Tesla was a Serbian-American, he is featured on the front of this Serbia 2013 100 Dinara note.

David Unaipon

This Australia 1997-99 50 Dollars note immortalizes David Unaipon, an Aboriginal Australian inventor, author and activist. His lifelong interest in the concept of perpetual motion led him to develop several inventions, including a device for shearing sheep’s wool by hand using linear motion instead of circular. Unfortunately, Unaipon was never compensated for this invention and was only credited in a 1910 newspaper article. Unaipon never got the full patents or funding for his other proposed inventions, which included a helicopter design, an anti-gravitational device and a multi-radial wheel.

Henry George “Harry” Ferguson

Harry Ferguson was the first Irishman to build and fly his own airplane. After accomplishing this and having a fallout with his brother — who disagreed on the safety and future of aviation — Ferguson went on to found a tractor and car retail company. He noticed the weaknesses of having tractor and plough as separated units and worked to develop his own tractors with a three-point linkage system. Ferguson also pioneered the use of four-wheel drive systems in Formula One racing cars. He is featured on this Ireland – Northern 1999 20 Pound commemorative note.

If you're interested in learning more about other prominent historical figures, check out our Collection Inspiration columns about Explorers and Famous Women. For more inspiring banknotes, check out our other Collection Inspiration columns for more collecting ideas, including ones on Nobel Prize winners and painters. Also, be sure to follow PMG on Facebook, on Instagram and on Twitter for other articles and interesting notes posted daily.