AT NEHGS, DEBORAH M. CHILD PRESENTS SOLDIER, ENGRAVER, FORGER

Deborah Child presents her newly published book, SOLDIER, ENGRAVER, FORGER
 at the New England Historic Genealogical Society     Photo by Marash Girl

Yesterday evening, at the NEHGS on Newbury Street in Boston, Deborah Child, author of  SOLDIER, ENGRAVER, FORGER, presented a fascinating look into the life of her subject, Richard Brunton, who, as her title suggests, was a deserting soldier for the Brits in the Revolutionary War, settled (unsettled, actually) in America . . . an artist and engraver, and a forger of currency.  Included in her presentation were slides of his work which included counterfiet paper  currency and coins as well as some of the earliest pre-printed family registers in the new world.  "Despite his many talents, he spent years living on the fringes of society, forging and counterfeiting currency, until his death in a New England poorhouse in 1832."  He was, apparently by necessity, always on the move, in and out of New England towns, in and out of prison.  But he survived by dint of his artistry and his cunning.  (For more information on Richard Brunton, buy the book!)

All this brings to mind Marash Girl's Uncle Paul (Boghos) who loved to tell tale of his namesake, the engraver Boghos who was Armenian, a master counterfeiter of United States paper money. According to Uncle Paul,  counterfeit bills and counterfeit anything became named "bogus" after the the master counterfeiter Boghos.

No indication of this story on the internet, but a tale that Marash Girl grew up with.  Have any of you, dear readers, heard this tale? Is it only a tale, or is there some truth to it?