New High Tech $100 Bills Start To Circulate Today 302
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "New $100 bills made their debut today in the U.S. They include high tech features designed to make it easier for the public to authenticate but more difficult for counterfeiters to replicate. Those measures include a blue, 3-D security ribbon, as well as color-shifting ink that changes from copper to green when the note is tilted (PDF). That ink can be found on a large '100' on the back of the bill, on one of the '100's' on the front, and on a new image of an ink well that's also on the front. 'The $100 is the highest value denomination that we issue, and it circulates broadly around the world,' says Michael Lambert, assistant director for cash at the Federal Reserve Board. 'Therefore, we took the necessary time to develop advanced security features that are easy for the public to use in everyday transactions, but difficult for counterfeiters to replicate.' The bill was originally due to reach banks in 2011, but three years ago the Federal Reserve announced that a problem with the currency's new security measures was causing the bills to crease during printing, which left blank spaces on the bills. This led the Feds to shred more than 30 million of the bills in 2012. The image of Benjamin Franklin will be the same as on the current bill, but like all the other newly designed currencies, it will no longer be surrounded by an dark oval. Except for the $1 and $2 bill, all U.S. paper currency has been redesigned in the last 10 years to combat counterfeiting."
Re:but all the old stuff is still good, right? (Score:5, Informative)
That's why forgers have found ways to "age" their bills. It works a bit like aging jeans to give them that appealing "ruggedly used" look.
Yes, "laundering money" gets a whole new meaning that way.
Re:Looks European.... cue the conspiracy... (Score:0, Informative)
Re:All that, and yet ... (Score:2, Informative)
I like how euros (and most European currencies in general, IME) physically scale(d) with value, very handy even for a person with good vision.
Whereas I dislike that.
I think Canada has enough, between the colors, and the tactile feedback.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_currency_tactile_feature [wikipedia.org]
My grandmother lived a sighted life but her vision is deteriorating with age, and while she is unlikely to ever learn braille she had no problem mastering the new "not really braille" on the new bills. I think its a good solution.
Definitely disagree on the 1/2 bills though. Canada got rid of both years ago, and there's just too much bloody change. I need to get suspenders or something.
Heh, i just throw my days change accumulation into a jar and take it the bank every couple months. TD and BMO and others have been rolling out free automated coin sorting machines -- and that works well for me.
And while I can see the argument that paper was more convenient -- the higher value coins are almost a necessity for modern vending machine prices / parking meters / etc although most are taking plastic now. And I agree with the financial argument that the coin is cheaper for the government to circulate so its an inconvenience I don't object to.
As for the penny - yeah we agree there - they did a good job on getting rid of the coin, while implementing sensible pricing and rounding policies. Its loss isn't hurting anyone except maybe charities. But I've got to believe there are better ways to collect money for charity than one penny at a time.
Re:Looks European.... cue the conspiracy... (Score:4, Informative)
No, you could go to any Federally Charted bank and get Silver Dollars (which at that time were in fact silver).
You didn't need a truckload, you could do it bill by bill. Only after 1968 did they abrogate the promise
of silver. This was preceded by a years notice, and was sort of a big deal at the time.
I distinctly remember many people gathering silver certificates and turning them in for silver granules.
This they thought was a hedge against inflation. Shortly after 1968, the price of silver crashed, and many sold at a loss.
By 78, silver had doubled from its 68 price, and by 88, it had risen ten fold.
It was only the bills marked Hawaii and North Africa that cold be canceled upon invasion.