Counterfeiting money in the United States has occurred since the dawn of the nation. The craftsmanship can be traced back to men in Europe who counterfeited coins and then brought their art to the New World. Records will show that colonial Americans were arrested for producing counterfeit money or spending it. Replicating coins was a laborious task, but fortunately for counterfeiters this was made easier with the presentation of paper money. Near the time of the American Revolution, the counterfeiters' transition from coins to paper money occurred. Paper money was first printed in 1775 at the start of the Revolutionary War. Although the colonies depended primarily on gold coins, the use of paper money had become an increasingly common practice. This innovative paper money was lighter and easier to carry. The main reason why it was decided to change the currency median was not to prevent counterfeiters, but simply for consumer convenience. Over the centuries the government grew tired of these counterfeiters and further developed money to prevent the creation of counterfeit banknotes, but as money evolved, so did the counterfeiters. Counterfeiting remains a viable crime regardless of security measures and technology created to prevent it. In 1716, security was low and counterfeiting was still a difficult task. A notorious impersonator named Mary Peck Butterworth was prominent in Rhode Island. Instead of using the common method with metal plates, "Butterworth used starched cotton cloths to produce counterfeit banknotes." With the help of a slightly dampened piece of starched cloth he could lift the ink from a genuine banknote. Then, with a hot iron, he moved the design from the fabric to the center of the paper... he quickly began purchasing the banknotes with Upham's novelties, cutting out the notice at the bottom and circulating these fake banknotes. . Unknowingly these Southerners began ruining their own economy due to inflation. Upham then began producing them on a larger scale as demand increased. Two years after founding his business, Upham was in trouble with Union authorities who believed Upham was creating not only counterfeit Confederate notes but also fraudulent Union money. Just like Mary Butterworth, Upham escaped from prison and had his case thrown out of court. By the end of the war other printers were producing and selling their own counterfeit banknotes following in the footsteps of Samuel C. Upham (Laws.com). On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln created the Secret Service because a third of the currency in circulation was counterfeit..