US strikes colourful note with new greenback

Financial Times ^ | 6-21-02 | Jenny Wiggins

[inquest]

The end of the greenback could be nigh. The US government on Thursday announced plans to introduce other colours on dollar bills to help tourists tell the different notes apart.

"International visitors complain 'We can't tell your denominations apart,'" said the Bureau of Engraving and Printing which will release new versions of the $20, $50 and $100 bills next year.

US notes are all the same colour and size, which makes them hard to distinguish quickly - a boon for swindlers.

The size will not be changed, but the Treasury believes introducing "subtle background colours" will ease the problem and make counterfeiting more difficult.

It will be the first time since 1862, when the first $1 and $2 notes were issued, that another colour has been used.

Green was originally selected because large amounts of green ink were available and because the colour was identified with "the strong and stable credit" of the government, said the bureau.

It is unlikely the US government will emulate the Australians' bright orange $20 notes or the red and purple of the old Dutch 250 Guilder note. The bureau is "not ready" to decide on a colour, "but each denomination will be different."

Colour will also help features that will make the notes harder to fake. The Treasury and Federal Reserve now changes the design of the currency every seven to 10 years to try to deter counterfeiters.

Some $47.5m of counterfeit money entered circulation in the 2001 fiscal year.

The notes will carry portraits and historical images like their predecessors. The $5 and $10 notes may be redesigned in future but $1 notes will for now remain green.

[inquest]

Well, so I guess the tourists are in charge now. Why should our opinions count? We're only employees, apparently. Customers first.

[dawn53]

'We can't tell your denominations apart,'" said the Bureau of Engraving and Printing which will release new versions of the $20, $50 and $100 bills next year

>Huh, does the fact that one has a 20 on it, one a 50 and the other a 100 help to recognize the difference.

[shadowman99]

You're offended that there's going to be some color other than green on our money?

Do you own all green clothes? A green house. Green car? Green sofa and chairs?

No? Well, shame on you!

And on behalf of everyone who is not easily offended by every little thing I think it will be nice to see our currency look as cool as some of the other, more colorful money from around the world.

[SoDak]

Keep it green! I happen to like the color of money.

[jdege]

I don't want my money to be cool, I want it to be worth something.

[Dialup Llama]

>I think it will be nice to see our currency look as cool as some of the other, more colorful money from around the world.

Like Monopoly money? Everyone knows what the color of money it. Its not purple.

[RonF]

Not being able to read English is one thing. Not being able to read Arabic numerals is another. And why do we care what the tourists think?

Gee, I thought every illegal arms merchant and drug runner in the world recognized "100" and Ben Franklin, what happened to the tourists?

[Dialup Llama]

>I don't want my money to be cool, I want it to be worth something.

And give me back the old, crabby looking Presidents on the portraits. The young, hip, relevant, gay looking portraits on the new money just aren't the same.

[joeyman]

With the dollar dropping like a rock, I wonder if this new currency will buy as much as the currency it replaces.

[gcruse]

And on behalf of everyone who is not
easily offended by every little thing...

Hah!  Well said.  Global warming
they make excuses for, but god
forbid you change the color of
government issue.

[gcruse]

With the dollar dropping like a rock...

How can that be?  It is still green, isn't it?

</sarcasm>

[The Old Hoosier]

"International visitors complain 'We can't tell your denominations apart,'"

This explains a lot.

[Marobe]

but the Treasury believes introducing "subtle background colours" will ease the problem It eases the problem of sheeple in America getting their bowles in an uproar when they realize the former People's Republic of America currency is now EU colored. The first step was the Clintoon dollars, all green but designed to resemble EU bills. Now Herr Globalist Bush will slide us up a notch to further erase the Sovereignty of American currency. Friggin traitors !

[Marobe]

but the Treasury believes introducing "subtle background colours" will ease the problem It eases the problem of sheeple in America getting their bowles in an uproar when they realize the former People's Republic of America currency is now EU colored. The first step was the Clintoon dollars, all green but designed to resemble EU bills. Now Herr Globalist Bush will slide us up a notch to further erase the Sovereignty of American currency. Friggin traitors !

[Marobe]

but the Treasury believes introducing "subtle background colours" will ease the problem It eases the problem of sheeple in America getting their bowles in an uproar when they realize the former People's Republic of America currency is now EU colored. The first step was the Clintoon dollars, all green but designed to resemble EU bills. Now Herr Globalist Bush will slide us up a notch to further erase the Sovereignty of American currency. Friggin traitors !

[inquest]

>Huh, does the fact that one has a 20 on it, one a 50 and the other a 100 help to recognize the difference.

Well, now you're expecting people to pay attention to what they're doing, in this Land of the Chad. How insensitive.

[inquest]

It could use some color.