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The Money Forger That Was Honored By Becoming The Face On A Banknote
The convict who became a respected architect
I didn't realize I was carrying the face of a criminal in my wallet for many years. And so were most people in Australia. The face was that of Francis Greenway, a convict sent to Australia for financial forgery who became one of the most highly respected architects in Australian history—so respected that his face was chosen to appear on the $10 note.
He is the only convicted forger in the world depicted on a banknote.
The budding architect
Greenway was born in the United Kingdom in 1777.
He came from a family of architects, builders, and stonemasons and followed in their footsteps, training under the well-respected British architect John Nash.
Greenway set up a thriving architecture business in the city of Bristol, where he designed several important buildings. This included the Clifton Club — the only one of his buildings in the United Kingdom that remains.
