U.S. Secret Service and Postwar Counterfeiting

The United States Secret Service was established in 1865 within the Treasury Department, initially focusing on counterfeit currency rather than presidential protection. The Civil War had left a fragmented monetary system in which false notes circulated widely and damaged confidence in federal finance.

Agents worked through informants, surveillance and raids against printers, distributors and organised networks. Investigations often crossed state lines and involved veterans and civilians whose wartime experience shaped the postwar economy.

The Keys to Gramercy Park connects a veteran agent with counterfeit notes discovered in a modern Manhattan apartment.