Old coins (fun one)

[Geek King]

Even funnier though cuz the highest common tendered bill ($100) has Ben Franklin on it, and he was never Prez.

That just proves that Franklin was as smart as they say he was.

[Brightglaive]

Not sure. Canadian money has gone through some changes over the years and I'm liking the new money a lot better.

Those stripes down the left sides are holographic strips. In the picture the 5's and 10's don't have the strips, but now they do.
Our new money has a crazy amount of security features on it.

One thing I don't like about American money is we don't get a lot of training on the security features short of, "Hold it up to the light and look for the strip," which doesn't do much.
I also really wish American money would react under blacklight like ours does, though maybe the new bills do and I'm just not aware of it.

Here's an abbreviated list of security features on the new $5 bill

watermarks (2 of them)
Security strip (glows blue under UV light)
Low vision feature (big purple 5 on the back)
Microprinting
Federal reserve indicators
Serial numbers

Most of the new US currency has the same security features. One additional security feature that I have seen on the $20 is the special ink (holographic based) on the lower right 20 printed on the front. It will turn black or green depending on what angle it is viewed at. Additionally, different colored ink has been used in certain portions of the new currency.



The following is an excerpt from:

http://www.moneyfactory.gov/newmoney.../currency/new5

Watermark:
There are now two watermarks on the redesigned $5 bill. A large number "5" watermark is located to the right of the portrait, replacing the previous watermark portrait of President Lincoln found on older design $5 bills. Its location is highlighted by a blank window incorporated into the background design. A second watermark — a column of three smaller "5"s — has been added to the new $5 bill design and is positioned to the left of the portrait. Hold your bill up to the light and look for the two new watermarks.

Security Thread
The embedded security thread, which is located to the left of the portrait on older-design $5 bills, has moved to the right of the portrait on the redesigned $5 bill. The letters "USA" followed by the number "5" in an alternating pattern are visible along the thread from both sides of the bill. The embedded security thread glows blue when held under ultraviolet light. Hold your bill up to the light and look for the embedded security thread.

Design Features

Color:
Because color can be duplicated by potential counterfeiters, it should not be used to verify the authenticity of paper money. Adding color to the bill’s design, however, does add complexity to the design. The most noticeable difference in the redesigned $5 bill is the addition of light purple in the center of the bill, which blends into gray near the edges. Small yellow "05"s are printed to the left of the portrait on the front of the bill and to the right of the Lincoln Memorial vignette on the back.


Symbols of Freedom:
A new American symbol of freedom has been added to the background of the redesigned $5 bill—The Great Seal of the United States, featuring an eagle and shield, is printed in purple to the right of the portrait of President Lincoln. An arc of purple stars surrounds the portrait and The Great Seal. The symbols of freedom differ for each denomination.

Portrait and Vignette:
The oval borders around President Lincoln’s portrait on the front and the Lincoln Memorial vignette on the back have been removed. The portrait has been moved up and the shoulders have been extended into the border. Engraving details have been added to the vignette, framing the Lincoln Memorial against a sky full of clouds.
Other Features

Low-Vision Feature:
The large, easy-to-read number "5" in the lower right corner on the back of the bill, which helps those with visual impairments distinguish the denomination, is now enlarged in the new $5 bill design and printed in high-contrast purple ink.

Microprinting:
Because they are so small, microprinted words are hard to replicate. The redesigned $5 bill features microprinting on the front of the bill in three areas: the words "FIVE DOLLARS" can be found repeated inside the left and right borders of the bill; the words "E PLURIBUS UNUM" appear at the top of the shield within the Great Seal; and the word "USA" is repeated in between the columns of the shield. On the back of the bill the words "USA FIVE" appear along one edge of the large purple "5" low-vision feature.


Federal Reserve Indicators:
A universal seal to the left of the portrait represents the entire Federal Reserve System. A letter and number beneath the left serial number identifies the issuing Federal Reserve Bank.

Serial Numbers:
The unique combination of eleven numbers and letters appears twice on the face of the bill. On the new $5 bill, the left serial number has shifted slightly to the right, compared with previous designs.

If you want to look at different denominations you can find them at:

http://www.moneyfactory.gov/newmoney...ncy/aboutNotes

[Mark Healey]

Note: Something I've always wondered, did canadian money copy ours, we copy them, we (Us and them) copy someone else, or did it just happen by chance? They look too similar for coincidence.

Back in the day before fiat money (money that is money just because some govenment says so) a dollar was 1/20 oz. of gold or 1 oz. of silver. The prices of various metals didn't varry that much relative to each other so the copper and nickel used on other coins also represented real value based on their relative sizes.

This also eplains why the 5 cent (were made of nickel) coins are larger than the10 cent (were made of silver) coins.

[Andara Bledin]

In the end the bitch (and that's explaining her attitude lightly) got a 5cent tip. A CANADIAN 5cent tip.

Heh. She got what she deserved, I'd say. So, so rude.

I just saw my first new $5 and it was a bit of a shock. But I think it looks rather striking.

^-.-^

[Aethian]

See I'm like Evil Queen, whenever I come accross canadian money I put it into a special jar and I'll get bill money out of it the next time I go to Canada. Cause I was curious I counted it last night and I'm already just over a hundred dollars. Of course I have been saving for over two years but I just know one of these days I'm going to go and see a play with my Aussie and be able to not have to trade monies.

As for the Aussie's not having cent coins he just gave me a weird look when I pulled some out when he visited and the bill came to xx.03

Oh, I buy two dollar US bills too...anyone got any they want to trade me for a couple ones? :P

[retaildrone]

The new $5 bills are pretty cool.

I was about to say that. I got some the other day and was all like "it's.....PURPLE!!"

[RetailWorkhorse]

Agreeing with the Queen, here, I used to use the foreign stuff at face value, took it from the tourists, and switched it out with whatever I had in my wallet to cover. I got money fom all over now. ^_^

Oh, I buy two dollar US bills too...anyone got any they want to trade me for a couple ones? :P

Yes, I do. 22 of them, including one silver note, but they aren't for sale. :P

[Gurndigarn]

Agreed! When I was in NYC I had to scrutinize my money to make sure I was using proper amounts, rather than just looking at the colour.

You would still have to scruitinize it, because I don't think we use the same colors, so your color recognition would be off.

Especially seeing as when I was last in Buffalo me and my friend hadn't changed our money because we were only going to be there for a few hours and weren't expecting to spend any. He asked the waitress at the restaurant if they accepted Canadian money at face value (at the time the Canadian dollar was above the American) and the waitress said, and I quote, "Uhhh, no. This is America. If you want to use Canadian money use it in Canada."
She said it in such a rude way me and my friends were all taken aback by her audacity. Whenever she came over to check on us she got ignored by everyone except me.

Rude? Possibly, but my experience with New Yorkers is that the entire state is paranoid about Canadian money. (Yeah, I'm sure I'll get a few of you telling me you're not... this is just based on my experiences.) So I can understand her response: she probably thought you were trying to pull a fast one on her.

Even funnier though cuz the highest common tendered bill ($100) has Ben Franklin on it, and he was never Prez. Personally I think Washington should be on the $100, not the $1 & .25c.

You see a lot more ones than hundreds... this is the guy that they want us to see all the time.

But can we lose Grant and Jackson, please? They've been around just too long and there are a few other people I think deserve a spot on the money.

[Evil Queen]

Oh, I buy two dollar US bills too...anyone got any they want to trade me for a couple ones? :P

I do that too. I was once told that the banks don't like to take them so I buy them off people at the grocery store, work, restaurants, any place really.

[uciobert]

I do that too. I was once told that the banks don't like to take them so I buy them off people at the grocery store, work, restaurants, any place really.

I remember once a kid in front of me paid with nothing but those $2 bills, the cashier was a little perplexed, but I ask that she make my change with those $2 bills, so I could add them to my collection.

[BusBus]

I like the Canuck money! The colours are really nice and the people and images on them are relevant to today's Canadian culture and history (i.e. The back of the $5 bill references the classic story of the boy and toronto maple leafs' jersey, the $10 bill is a tribute to our veterans, and the $20 bill refers to native artist Bill Reid...I really don't remember what's on the $50 and $100 bills though).

Although, I really wish we could get rid of pennies. Yuck.

[earl colby pottinger]

Really dumb

He asked the waitress at the restaurant if they accepted Canadian money at face value (at the time the Canadian dollar was above the American) and the waitress said, and I quote, "Uhhh, no. This is America. If you want to use Canadian money use it in Canada."

Which is one of the dumbest things she could have done. At it's peak a Canada dollar was worth about $1.08 American. Assuming a $40 dollar meal for your group she could have collected an extra
three dollars tip, not to mention any tip you guys would have given if she had not been so rude.

[Estil]

Even funnier though cuz the highest common tendered bill ($100) has Ben Franklin on it, and he was never Prez. Personally I think Washington should be on the $100, not the $1 & .25c.

But don't you know the old saying? First in war, first in peace, and first on the dollars of his countrymen.

[edible_hat]

Hey Hat - how are you with NZ or Solomon Islands coins?

My coin "collection" (family heirloom piggy bank full of random coins and coin-like objects, my favourites are the tokens from the now-defunct Downtown amusement center and the USSR coins) has so many that I've stopped grabbing them (same with Fijian coins). I only swap them for proper 'Strayan money if somebody complains. Or I would if anybody noticed, so far it hasn't happened.

A while ago I had one of the older round 50 cent coins from 1966... they had 50 cents worth of silver in them, nowadays they're worth around $5. I swapped it for a regular 50 cent coin from my pocket.

Also last week I had an old paper $20 note. I put it in a safe drop and forgot about it until today when I saw it in a plastic sleeve taped to the owner's computer. He has a hunch that it's worth a bit more than $20, he's going to keep it until he gets around to taking it to a collectable banknote trader.

Those new Canadian notes look like Australian ones! Are they plastic?

GAH! Not Bush coins!

I believe that in America you have to be dead before you can appear on money. So depending on your political views, Bush coins could be either a good thing or a bad thing.


Weirdest coin I've got in change was an American quarter in place of an Australian 5 cent coin. WTF? They're not even the same size! Even so I think I think I got a great deal there.

[Gurndigarn]

Which is one of the dumbest things she could have done. At it's peak a Canada dollar was worth about $1.08 American. Assuming a $40 dollar meal for your group she could have collected an extra
three dollars tip, not to mention any tip you guys would have given if she had not been so rude.

Minus the bank's exchange rate (probably about 5%), and minus the nuisance value of finding a bank that will do it— probably not worth it in the end. (My wife sold a story to a Canadian publisher last year— it took us a while to get the check cashed, so I can appreciate the nuisance value).