The New Color of Money

[WiredTigress]

Color Change to $20 Bills (http://money.cnn.com/2003/03/05/news/money/)

Personally, I'm surprised it took this long to add color to our bills. Looking at other foreign currency you'd think we'd have done this earlier. I wonder how fast it'll really take to be seen heavily in circulation. I have only seen one Sacajewea dollar coin since their implementation more than a year ago!

[KCBOOMER]

If you have looked at other countries colored currency (notably Canada's) your impression is how cheap it looks. Even in Canada they call it "Monopoly" money.

I don't think adding color adds anything to our currency.

$1 coins just don't fly. There is no place in most cash tills for it. I usually see a dozen or so Sacajawea coins year. If you buy stamps using a machine at the post office and you have more at least $1 in change coming you will get Sacajawea's for change. They are beautiful coins, but not very usable. also people that get them tend to hang on to them.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Germany is full of two-dollar bills.

At least it was when I was stationed there. Two-dollar bills everywhere you looked, but no pennies. It wasn't worth the expense to ship pennies over there, so all the BX's and PX's simply rounded prices to the nearest nickel.

[pathogan]

Originally posted by WiredTigress
Color Change to $20 Bills (http://money.cnn.com/2003/03/05/news/money/)

Personally, I'm surprised it took this long to add color to our bills. Looking at other foreign currency you'd think we'd have done this earlier. I wonder how fast it'll really take to be seen heavily in circulation. I have only seen one Sacajewea dollar coin since their implementation more than a year ago!

In NYC, when you buy a Metro CARD form the machines, they give you change in the Sacajewea dollars, and sometimes the Susan B Anthony's, too!

[JamesI]

Great, we're going to have monopoly money now...20's are blue right?

[Craig S.]

Here's my Canadian perspective on this. Two things:

1) Colored bills are good - It's nice to flip through your wallet, and be able to identify your bills quickly without having to look at the picture or number. Calling it "monopoly money" or whatever else only shows that the Parker Brothers are smarter than the government, since they did it long ago. This should have been a long time ago. Believe me - you might not like it at first, but it does work.

2) Dollar coins are awful - In Canada, where we were stupid enough to actually get coins in both $1 and $2, you could easily end up with a heavy pocketful of change. Horrible, horrible idea. Terribly inconvenient for both consumers and retaiers. Good only for soda machines.

[Skip]

Originally posted by JamesI
Great, we're going to have monopoly money now...20's are blue right? 20's are green ... 50's are blue. :p

[Craig S.]

Originally posted by Skip
20's are green ... 50's are blue. :p

Cool, green 20s. It's gonna' feel just like home!

[Gosfgiants]

American money is the most boring money in the world. Yes, some foreign currency can be garish, but if done properly colored bills can be beautiful. Holland has some of the most interesting looking currency.

As far as dollar coins go, America needs to get with the rest of the world. We are one of the few countries that do not prominantly use a coin to represnet a single. I like the Sac coins. I get them fairly often, and I use them for things like coffee and the bus.

[Craig S.]

Originally posted by Gosfgiants
As far as dollar coins go, America needs to get with the rest of the world. We are one of the few countries that do not prominantly use a coin to represnet a single. I like the Sac coins. I get them fairly often, and I use them for things like coffee and the bus.

I guess the single could work, but do you really want to get 4 coins back when you pay with a $5 bill? Maybe it's just me, but I hate being loaded down with change like that.

[KCBOOMER]

Originally posted by Craig S.
Here's my Canadian perspective on this. Two things:

1) Colored bills are good - It's nice to flip through your wallet, and be able to identify your bills quickly without having to look at the picture or number. Calling it "monopoly money" or whatever else only shows that the Parker Brothers are smarter than the government, since they did it long ago.

I will concede the utility of color in identifying bills but you must concede that the main reason Canadian money is referred to as "Monopoly" money is not the color but the very cheap paper they use in making it.

[SmedIndy]

Well, it will be easier to avoid giving someone the wrong bill after a night of libations!

[Craig S.]

Originally posted by KCBOOMER
I will concede the utility of color in identifying bills but you must concede that the main reason Canadian money is referred to as "Monopoly" money is not the color but the very cheap paper they use in making it.

The paper has gotten better, but it still tears very easily. It's interesting that you raise that point, because I hadn't thought about it before. Also, the Canadian dollar isn't worth all that much more than Monopoly money!

[KCBOOMER]

Yes, let's hope the Canadian economy will finally get out of the doldrums.

[WiredTiger]

I guess I don't mind color in my bills. As a male it would be very inconvenient to have $1 coins be the norm. Usually when I go to Canada I end up with about 10 pounds of coins in my pocket.

[satchel]

Originally posted by WiredTiger
I guess I don't mind color in my bills. As a male it would be very inconvenient to have $1 coins be the norm. Usually when I go to Canada I end up with about 10 pounds of coins in my pocket.

<off-topic rantlet> As a male you find it inconvenient? At least men's clothes have pockets. </off-topic rantlet>

On the topic, I think adding colors to US money is a long overdue change. I am fascinated by the way the technology of paper money advances to foil counterfeiters; each new permutation of the design contains some new features that are publicized ... and some that aren't. I bet there's some very cool chemistry going into the new inks.

As to the coins, I'd favor a $1 coin but it doesn't seem that the American public agrees with me because it has yet to catch on. Vending machines have to start taking them - it wasn't that long ago that vending machines were all retrofitted with bill-eaters, and retrofitting with machinery to accomodate new coins should be at least as easy. Right now only the Metrocard machines in New York, and the USPO vending machines take them.

(The T costs a exactly dollar in Boston, but what few token vending machines there are barely even work, much less take $1 coins. Don't get me started.)

I approve of a $1 coin for cost and efficiency. A bill lasts about 3 weeks in circulation; a coin costs a little more to mint but can circulate for decades! The treasury would actually save a great deal of money by taking the $1 bill out of commission.

[Skip]

satchel -

Regarding your rantlet: the point is guys ONLY have pockets while traditionally women have purses and large wallets, both of which are more suited for carrying change. (Now as to why women have purses and men don't ... I don't want to go there - :) )

Regarding the one dollar coin - I totally agree with the dollar coin in theory, it's definitely cheaper. However, until the gov't goes all the way and wipes out the dollar bill, I'll use paper over coin anytime just because it's more convenient for me.

[TGwynn19]

Originally posted by Skip
However, until the gov't goes all the way and wipes out the dollar bill, I'll use paper over coin anytime just because it's more convenient for me.

Skip,

is that because the coins dont stay in the g-strings?;)

[Skip]

Originally posted by TGwynn19
Skip,

is that because the coins dont stay in the g-strings?;) They do for the girls with real talent. <cringe>

[Max Power]

Roscoe W. Chandler: The nickel today is not what it used to be ten years ago.

Captain Spaulding: Well, I'll go further than that. I'll get off at the depot. The nickel today is not what it was fifteen years ago. Do you know what this country needs today?

Chandler: What?

Spaudling: A seven cent nickel. Yes siree, we've been using the five-cent nickel in this country since 1492. Now that's pretty near 100 years daylight saving. Now why not give the seven cent nickel a chance? If that works out, next year we can have an eight cent nickel. Think what that would mean? You could go to a newsstand, buy a three cent newspaper, and get the same nickerl back again. One nickel carefully used would last a family a lifetime.

Chandler: Captain Spaulding, I think that is a wonderful idea.

Spaulding: You do, eh?

Chandler: Yes.

Spaudling: Well, then there can't be much to it. Forget about it.

I feel the same way about colored money and dollar coins..............

[Skip]

Oh lordy, for a second there I thought the venerable Max Power was quoting Roscoe P. Coltrane.

[WiredTigress]

Originally posted by Skip
satchel -

Regarding your rantlet: the point is guys ONLY have pockets while traditionally women have purses and large wallets, both of which are more suited for carrying change. (Now as to why women have purses and men don't ... I don't want to go there - :) )


Most women I know spend their husband's unused change...I know I do! It supports my coffee habit! Some fail to see change as adding up as viable currency.
I think that's why the dollar coin (Sacajewea) is a woman! hee!

[pwdennis]

When I lived in England (1969-1970) the paper currency was differentiated by both color and size. The 10 Schilling note (at the time worth about $1.15 was slightly smaller (length & height than a US dollar bill. The pound note (then approximately $2.30) was both longer and taller than the US dollar. The five pound note was larger still with each succeeding bill being a hair larger than the note below it. The largest bill I ever personally saw was the 20 pound note so I can't say if the pattern held beyond than point. Shortly after that they currency wa decimalized and the old notes and coins pulled out of circulation.

[gyb13]

in zimbabwe, the highest denomination is the Z$500 bill (worth about US$ 0.33 in the parallel market). because of their red color and the fact that they move fast, they have been nicknamed 'ferraris'