2014 Marines Intaglio Print from Defenders of Freedom Series

New from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is its 2014 Marines Intaglio Print, the third of five cards from the Defenders of Freedom series.

This year’s print series commemorates the five branches of the United States Armed Forces where last year’s Ideals in Allegory series celebrated the female allegorical figures symbolizing peace, justice, and liberty.

"This print features an exquisite compilation of unique engraved vignettes focusing on the age-old art of intaglio printing," describes the Bureau of Engraving.

Officially entitled 2014 Intaglio Print Defenders of Freedom Marines, prints measure 8 1/2" x 11" and have a price tag of $22.50. The latest print features two major decorative designs:

• Top and centered is the vignette Iwo Jima Flag Raising. Engraved by Matthew D. Fenton in 1950, the vignette is a rendering of the historic photograph taken on Feb. 23, 1945 which shows five U.S. Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman as they raise an American flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.

• Centered at the bottom is the vignette $10 Military Payment Certificate, Series 521. Engraved by G.F.C. Smillie in 1917, the vignette shows the Series 521 $10 MPC note issued in May 1954 and withdrawn in May 1958. The BEP notes that the female portrait has also been used for various bonds and other government obligations.

Separating the two vignettes, printed in offset and embossed in gold foil is the official seal of the corps. Appearing topmost on the card is a banner with the words: DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM while bottommost there is a banner stating: Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Ordering and Subscription Discount

Orders for the 2014 Marines Intaglio Print may be placed from around the world by visiting the BEP’s online store at www.moneyfactorystore.gov.

While each print has a price of $22.50, there is a subscription option that remains available for all five Defenders of Freedom Series prints. At $85, the subscription price marks a savings of $27.50 when compared to buying each print individually. Subscribers will automatically receive the next print as it becomes available. Subscription orders may also be placed from the BEP’s online store.

Past and Upcoming Intaglio Prints

Past and upcoming Intaglio Prints in the Defenders of Freedom series include:

• Army launched on February 27, 2014
• Navy launched on April 14, 2014
• Marines launched on June 16, 2014
• Air Force will launch on Aug. 5, 2014
• Coast Guard will launch on Sept. 22, 2014

About the BEP

While the Bureau of Engraving and Printing makes and sells detailed intaglio prints and engravings, it is best known for producing American currency. The bureau prints billions of Federal Reserve Notes for delivery to the Federal Reserve System each year. These notes are produced at facilities in Washington, DC, and Fort Worth, Texas.