A Family of Forgers

Meet the Johnsons, a close-knit nineteenth century household devoted to each other and to the family business -- which happens to be counterfeiting.

The Johnson family, consisting of two loving parents, five sons, two daughters, and various spouses, were some of the most accomplished and prolific counterfeiters in North America during the nineteenth century.

They flourished at a time when national currencies were new, phony money was rampant, and even bank staff struggled to distinguish between real and fake cash.

Frequently jailed, though largely unrepentant, the Johnsons remained dedicated to family and forgery throughout their astonishing criminal career that spanned two generations and nearly five decades.

The Johnson era also marked the emergence of the Secret Service as a law enforcement power (originally founded to protect America's money supply, and not politicians as they do today) and increased government regulation to end currency chaos.