Forgive me if this one has already been brought up but I have to say that the new American currency is horrible. The new 100's, 50's, 20's, and 10's look like play money.
I don't mind the new gold coin though.
There's new 5s in the same style. I got one as change yesterday. They may or may not get down to 1s someday, but I hope not.
I think it's the giant block number in the corner of the back side. Throws the balance all off. It's nice that visually impaired people can now see it, but couldn't they have done something a bit more tasteful?
The bills seem easier to counterfeit to me.
With today's scanners and printers, the old lithographic tricks to foil counterfeiting would no longer be a barrier, so they incorporated new high-tech anti-counterfeit measures. This change allowed them to design a simpler, "cleaner" bill.
But I agree, they look more like Monopoly® Money than like legal tender
ones are being removed from circulation and will be replaced by dollar coins.
I don't think so. I think they're going to release a new $1 bill, but I don't think the coins will ever cath on.
I got my first new $5 bill the other day. I'm not very sentimental about the old ones, so I don't really care that we have newly designed ones now. If they're gonna help deter counterfeiting, great, but whenever something new comes along to prevent crimes someone else always comes up with a countermeasure. That's very evident with electronics. Do I think the bills are ugly or not? Ain't no thang to me, just as long as it spends the same. Well, I'd like them to take "In God We Trust" off all currency, but I know that's not gonna happen anytime soon. At least not in my lifetime.
They only made 50 Million (500Million?) of the coins. The bills aren't gonna be phased out.
According to The US Mint's FAQ page, the dollar coing is replacing the SBA dollar. It doesn't look like the dollar bill is going away anytime soon. They make no mention of the dollar bill being phased out.
Incidentally, here are the FAQs for the Dollar Coin.
The problem with the new dollar coins are the backroom deals with companies like Walmart over the original distribution and the fact they didn't make enough coins to meat demand. I've had two of them (both from Walmart), and were promptly spent (like money should be). No one else seems to have ever had them.
The problem with the new dollar coins are the backroom deals with companies like Walmart over the original distribution and the fact they didn't make enough coins to meat demand. I've had two of them (both from Walmart), and were promptly spent (like money should be). No one else seems to have ever had them.
Up here in Canada, we phased out one and two dollar bills years ago. We now have the "loonie" (which has a loon on the back of it, hence the name) and the "toonie" (which has a polar bear on the backside). We'll never go back to paper for small denomination cash. Remember, coins last a lot longer than paper.
BTW, I love those commercials with George Washington!
Paper's easier to keep track of and identify. At least, it is with United States currency. For example, it's hard to distinguish quarters from nickels when standing a few feet away. However, since our bills have huge numbers and even huger pictures on them, it's easier to tell them apart. I'd rather bills than coins any day.
What really gets my goat is one vending machine at work that's so picky it won't take brand spanking new dollar bills. They have to be somewhat worn but not too wrinkly or damaged. Even crumpling or folding them lengthwise doesn't always work. Heck, the damned thing sometimes won't take coins, or even give you the right change back!
I think I read somewhere that the Treasury doesn't plan to make new $1 bills. They said there isn't as big a conterfeit problem with them as with the other denominations.
I like the idea of coins for the dollar. Like DW said, they last longer than paper, and the gold color makes them easy to distinguish from the quarters.
What would really make a difference would be if each denomination of bill were a different color. That would make it even easier to tell them apart, especially for people with poor eyesight. And counterfeiters would have to change the ink every time they wanted to make a different bill. It wouldn't stop them, I know, but it would make it a little harder, I think.
Now if only they'd issue more $2 bills!
The U.S. is unique in that any and all currency ever issued is still valid. Even Confederate banknotes, are valid currency, if you were stoopid enough to spend them.
You know, the dollar coin would catch on right away if they worked in vending machines. In any case, I've never even seen one in person...
Actually, I was in Europe about a month ago, and their money is cooler-looking than ours! I especially like the Dutch 50-guilder note, which has sunflowers on it... :-)
FYI, here in Canada it's easy to tell all the coins apart. Pennies are brown and somewhat octagonal, with flat sides. Dimes are silver, slightly smaller than the penny and they have ridged sides. Nickels are larger, with smooth sides. Quarters are larger still, with ridges. The loonie is gold and has octagonal sides like the penny. The toonie is silver with a gold center and it has a pattern of ridges and smooth areas along the side. The only ones which are easily confused are the quarter and the nickel because they're almost the same size.
When did the Canadian penny get octagonal sides? I have a few that I've gotten in stores (now I check my changs before I leave!) and the sides look smooth. Or do they become smooth after use? The other coins sound pretty much identical to the US equivalents, except that our quarter is large enough that it doesn't get confused easily with the nickel.
I also like the fact that US currency is always valid. I have some paper $1 & $2 bills from my only trip to Montreal that are useless now. I still see US pennies with the "ONE CENT" phrase on the back. When I was little I used to save them, but now I spend 'em!
The "wheat" pennies could be worth something, depending on condition.
The only US currency that is easily confused are the quarter and the SBA dollar. AFAIK, the only place really big on the SBA dollar is the post office. That's what you get in change from the stamp machines in the stamp lobby!
The similarity in size between the quarter and the SBA contributed to the failure of the SBA. This is part of the reason that the Sacajawea (USMint Spelling) dollar is golden in color.
Other fun fact from the Mint's web site... the golden dollars are designed to "antique" like brass.
The "wheat" pennies could be worth something, depending on condition.
The only US currency that is easily confused are the quarter and the SBA dollar. AFAIK, the only place really big on the SBA dollar is the post office. That's what you get in change from the stamp machines in the stamp lobby!
The similarity in size between the quarter and the SBA contributed to the failure of the SBA. This is part of the reason that the Sacajawea (USMint Spelling) dollar is golden in color.
Other fun fact from the Mint's web site... the golden dollars are designed to "antique" like brass.
I've collected several pre-1964 nickels, cuz I heard that 1963 was the last year they were made in silver. Or was it earlier or what? Have I been saving them for nothing? I used to save them from when I worked fast food, cuz sometimes people would spend them without realizing it. That's how I got ahold of a 1934 buffalo nickel! It's got an American Indian on the front. The other nickels are from the 1941-63, and I've even got a 1946 dime, and some German coins my brother gave me when we returned from Germany some years back. I also have a 1950 quarter. Is it worth more than 25¢?
My Dad was telling me the other day about a publicity stunt involving the new gold dollar coins. I think he said it was in New York. They were giving away several thousand coins in order to bring the new coin to peoples' attention. Judging from the result, they really need the attention; it took twice as long to give the money away as they anticipated. The reason? No one believed that the coins were legal tender. My Dad says it's amazing how little people know about what's going on in the country.
In Maryland people are hording them. I've talked with many people who have yet to see one.
I haven't seen many Gold dollars here in Kentucky. In fact, I have more steel pennies (from 1943) than the gold dollars. Why would anyone horde the gold dollars? They're only worth a buck a piece.
I have had one Gold Dollar coin in possesion. I had to ask for it from a small video rental business, because I had never seen one. I haven't seen one since, anywhere else.
Funny thing, I used to live on military bases overseas. SBA dollar coins were VERY prevalent back then. Apparently the coins didn't work so well so they shipped them off to overseas military bases. We didn't have pennies, though. The stores (commisary, BX, PX whatever) just rounded to the nearest nickel. Something I wish we did here in the States. But then every gas station/convenience store I've come across has a little bowl for pennies that one can donate or draw from.
Strange but true...the only places I have seen two dollar bills are in certain establishments that have women dancing topless for entertainment. I don't frequent these places as a rule, but when a gang of friends forces me to go, against my protests (being the good politically correct feminist male liberal that I am), I tend to notice these things. Apparently the reason is that when you buy an extremely expensive beer at the bar, using a twenty bill, your change comes back as two's. This is so you can't use your one's to tip the dancers, but the two's. Pretty crafty of them, I think.
Legal Tender: I don't think confederate money is valid as it was issued on the good name of the confederacy.
Jefferson Nickles were always made of Nickle copper alloy. 1964 is the last date the Dime, Quarter, and Half dollar were made out of 90% silver. Current coins are Nickle outside with a copper inside ,
The following coins are not Legal Tender:
Half Cents
Large Cents
Trade Dollars
Fun Fact- All coins (Foreign included) were legal tender before the year 1856.
I found a 1934 Quarter in change.
More fun facts
Illegal Coins
1933 $20
1964 $1
1975 Aluminum cent
One coin had the mintage of two.
Canadian Coinage- the Tin Lizze.
I placed a beaver of my car and a picture of QE, Does that make it a Bullion coin.
Has anyone Found a non 1979 SBA dollar.
One coin had the mintage of two.
That was in the papers a few days ago. It was a golden dollar, with a dollar back, but a quarter front.
And I was wrong. Matt is right, according to The Bureau of Engraving and Printing, because Confederate currency was not produced by the US Dept. of the Treasury, it is not legal tender.
I have some paper $1 & $2 bills from my only trip to Montreal that are useless now.
If you're talking about old Canadian $1 & $2 bills, they are still valid. That's why they have "This note is legal tender" written on them.