The New Color of Money

[WiredTigress]

Color Change to $20 Bills

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

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.

[Craig S.]

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

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.