No, Mr. Secretary, You Can't Be on a $500 Bill [and it's true!]

TBO.com ^

[Sub-Driver]

No, Mr. Secretary, You Can't Be on a $500 Bill By Jeannine Aversa Associated Press Writer Published: May 28, 2003

WASHINGTON (AP) - Treasury Secretary John Snow is the nation's top money man, but he might need a refresher course on the greenbacks the United States makes these days. Snow was asked during an online "chat" Wednesday what form of currency he would like to have his image on.

"I would put it on the $500 bill," Snow replied. "It has the least circulation. That way I wouldn't have to see myself too often."

Oops.

The United States stopped printing new $500 bills in 1945 and stopped issuing them altogether - along with $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 notes - in 1969, due to lack of use, says the Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Since 1969, the $100 bill has been the largest denomination note cranked out by the bureau and in circulation.

The image of William McKinley, the 25th president, appears on the front of the $500 bills, which along with the other higher, discontinued denominations are more likely to be turn up in the hands of collectors than in cash registers.

Even if the $500 bill were brought back, Snow's image couldn't be put on it, at least not right now. Living people's visages cannot appear on U.S. currency.

Afterward, Treasury spokesman Rob Nichols said that Snow was joking when he made the comments during an interactive exchange posted on the White House Web site.

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On the Net:

White House: www.whitehouse.gov

[Sub-Driver]

dope........

[Tamar1973]

Apparently FReepers can't take a joke.

[My2Cents]

"I would put it on the $500 bill," Snow replied. "It has the least circulation."Well, a "zero circulation" indeed qualifies as "least."

[Grando Calrissian]

That's odd. All the $500 bills I bought from the collector at the flea market had John Kennedy on them.

[evolved_rage]

$500 Note* (Face) - William McKinley (25th U.S. President) (Back) - Numeral 500 and the ornamental phrase "Five Hundred Dollars"

$1000 Note* (Face) - Grover Cleveland (22rd & 24th U.S. President) (Back) - Numeral 1000 and the ornamental phrase "One Thousand Dollars"

$5000 Note* (Face) - James Madison (4th U.S. President) (Back) - Numeral 5000 and the ornamental phrase "Five Thousand Dollars"

$10,000 Note* (Face) - Salmon Chase (U.S. Treasury Secretary under Lincoln) (Back) - Numeral 10,000 and the ornamental phrase "Ten Thousand Dollars"

$100,000 Note* (Face) - Woodrow Wilson (28th U.S. President) (Back) - Numeral 100,000 and the ornamental phrase "One Hundred Thousand Dollars". This note never appeared in general circulation, and was only used in transactions between Federal Reserve Banks (1934)

[bruinbirdman]

You can turn in the $500 Kennedy for gold.

yitbos

[skinkinthegrass]

That's odd. All the $500 bills I bought from the collector at the flea market had John Kennedy on them.

Better than 3-dollar "Bill Clinton" Bill...anybody got one to post?

[Grando Calrissian]

Well the $3 bills I got from Berkeley have GW Bush in a noose.

[Grando Calrissian]

I hoarded more than enough gold during the y2k crisis.

[bruinbirdman]

I went to earthlink chat for a problem. I got a dude in India. He knew everyting I have on my computer before I mentioned anything. I wanted to change credit card account #. He knew that already. I wanted to change my address. He knew my new address already. : )

yitbos

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

I didn't hoard any gold, but... wanna buy some slightly dated tuna fish?

[JCG]

$100,000 Note* (Face) - Woodrow Wilson (28th U.S. President) (Back) - Numeral 100,000 and the ornamental phrase "One Hundred Thousand Dollars". This note never appeared in general circulation, and was only used in transactions between Federal Reserve Banks (1934)

I saw one of these in a coin shop in Springfield, MO a few months ago. It can be had for about $1200.

America's Fifth Column ... watch Steve Emerson/PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
Download 8Mb File Here (Requires RealPlayer)

Who is Steve Emerson?

[Jack Black]

The government doesn't trust us with cash. It hates cash. It treats us like small children, who you would not give a large denomination bill to, though you'd happly give them a one dollar bill. My grandfather in 1901 could have had a $1000 bill. These were not that rare. Maybe even the $10,000. I'm not sure how rare those were. But lets stick with the everyday $1000. If we still could use those it would only be worth $48. But we can't. We are only trusted with the $100, which is only worth $4.80.

(Based on Univ. of Oregon conversion factors at this site: http://eh.net/hmit/compare/)

That's pretty pathetic even leaving out the biggest bill we're only given a bill that is worth 1/2 of 1 percent of what our grandparents had.

Or to put it another way to simply restore the "true" $100 bill you would need to have a $2,100. bill. To restore the $1000 bill you would need a $21,000 bill. And to bring back the majestic buying power of the big spenders of the day, the $10,000 bill (why do you think they put Wilson on it? Payback for shoving the Fed through... nah, couldn't be) the Treasury/Fed would have to issue a $210,000 bill. You know a bill you could buy a house with!

But we can't be trusted with cash. We're children. Or sheep.

What do you think grandpa would have said if someone from the Fed had told him: we're recalling all bills bigger than the $5? That's what they did to you.

Baaaa, bhaaaa, baaaaa.

[bruinbirdman]

"We are only trusted with the $100, which is only worth $4.80."

But, whereas he had one $100bill at $4.80 each, I have 100 $100bills worth $4.80 each.

yitbos

[Jesse]

The way that Bush and the GOP are burning through tax money and funny money, the only way the debt will be paid back is from inflation.

10 years from now, the 500 dollar bill will probably be the lowest paper currency denomination in circulation...

[FreedomCalls]

[FreedomCalls]

[FreedomCalls]

[FreedomCalls]

[evolved_rage]

Woo-hoo!!!! This a broadband only thread now!!!