Gualtiero Giori

Induction Year: 2011

Gualtiero Giori, descended from a long line of Italian security printers established in Milan in the 19th century, was the first to sell the revolutionary 6-colour intaglio printing press in 1947. “Organisation Giori” became the first company in the world to design, produce, and supply machinery and specialised equipment for printing banknotes and security documents.

Throughout his involvement in the industry, Gualtiero Giori was seen as a pioneer and visionary. He invented many technologies still in use. In addition to his contributions to his work and the company, Gualtiero Giori was recognized for his support of many charities, especially in what later became his home country of Argentina.

Gualtiero Giori’s grandfather purchased a small printing company and increased it in size rather quickly. The printing company did well, gaining an excellent reputation in the lithographic field.

During the 1930s, the family obtained from Societe Serge Beaune the exclusive sales rights for a new polychrome (multi-colour) intaglio printing press in Italy.

During the war years, Gualtiero Giori had time to think about the future of security printing. He was convinced that it required new ideas and new techniques to get away from the bland single-colour image and design of banknotes the way they had been printed until then.

Under his guidance and following Serge Beaune patents and ideas, he had a prototype of a revolutionary 6-colour intaglio printing press built by a company personally known by him – Fratelli Bonvini S.p.A. of Milano.

This press was even conceived to change from intaglio to a 7-colour letterpress (typographical) print, although the latter was actually never tested in real production.

The cooperation between Gualtiero Giori and Koening & Bauer began in 1952. A five-colour recto-verso dry offset printing press called SIMULTAN, for the simultaneous printing of three back and two front colours, was first delivered to customers in 1956.

A two-colour numbering letterpress for banknotes, known as NUMEROTA, was delivered in 1958. Today the Super-Orlof, the Super-Simultan, and the Super-Numerota are the direct descendants of the presses that were built in the 1950s. Gualtiero Giori joined Thomas De la Rue in 1965, to extend the company’s relationships with larger suppliers as well as both state and private security printers. The arrangement lasted 36 years.

The years after 1952 were marked by tremendous success, thanks largely to Gualtiero Giori’s vision, his tireless energy, and technical knowledge, couple with his natural talent as a first-class salesman.