Having just spent a week in Boston, how do Americans cope with having all your money (notes not coinage) all the same size and colour?
And is there any particular reason for making them so indistinguishable?
Having just spent a week in Boston, how do Americans cope with having all your money (notes not coinage) all the same size and colour?
And is there any particular reason for making them so indistinguishable?
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself.
It seems just normal to me... I don't know, you just get used to it (especially if you got a lot to go around, which, unfortunately, I don't )
This is my signature. Remind me to change it.
I circumvented the problem as much as possible by using Mastercard, mostly through not wanting to look stupis by having to carefully go through my wallet trying to tell the difference betweens dollars and 20's. It didn't seem very satisfactory though.
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself.
Because we can read.
-Govtcheez
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But there are states that can't even count... how can you assume all can read ?
hth
-nv
She was so Blonde, she spent 20 minutes looking at the orange juice can because it said "Concentrate."
When in doubt, read the FAQ.
Then ask a smart question.
> how can you assume all can read ?
That's true... That's why we have pictures of presidents on them. That way the old people can say "I remember when he was president. THe world was different then. People had respect for one another, and...". By the time the decrepit old man finishes telling his story the store's sold out of anything he wanted to buy anyways, so it's not a problem.
-Govtcheez
[email protected]
Well I find that a standard shape and size for currency makes it easiar to carry with you. Of course I have never lived in an area where the size varies, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I find that the system we use makes money quite portable.
As for the color, I don't know, I suppose if the ADA was around in the early days of America then maybe we would have different colors, but it also helps somewhat in preventing counterfitting by only using one special typer of ink, to which more effort and energy can be applied.
By the way, I think there is some special system of folding bills in one's wallet that allows the vision impaired to distinguish currency.
Also, another advantage of a single size of currency - vending machines.
When I was thinking about it, one size and colour makes a lot of sense for a new currency. Ie when the dollar was invented it was cheaper to have identical sized presses and templates (not the proper printing term but that escapes me) and only one source of ink in order to make your fledgling nation cost efficient and profitable.
Surely one special ink makes counterfeitting harder up until the point at which your source is comprimised when someone can print whatever denomiations they like, rather than needing a much broader range of specialised inks.
As a general continuation, how do any American's reading this keep their bills in their wallets\purses to make it as quick and easy as possible to pull out what they want.
I entirely agree with the vending machine thing though, that kind of makes sense, but presumably wasn't an original design consideration.
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself.
> As a general continuation, how do any American's reading this keep their bills in their wallets\purses to make it as quick and easy as possible to pull out what they want.
Well, on the rare occasion that I actually *have* any money, if I've got a bunch of bills in my wallet, I just pull them out and sort them quick - takes me about 10 seconds.
> Surely one special ink makes counterfeitting harder up until the point at which your source is comprimised when someone can print whatever denomiations they like
There's more to it than that - new bills have watermarks and other anti-counterfeit measures.
> I entirely agree with the vending machine thing though, that kind of makes sense, but presumably wasn't an original design consideration.
Probably not - not many vending machines around in the 19th century
-Govtcheez
[email protected]
I have a method for ordering the bills in my wallet:[list=1][*]All bills face to the left.[*]All bills are "right side up".[*]Bills are in order of denomination - larger bills are to the right of smaller bills.[/list=1]I never gave it much thought until you asked :)Originally posted by RobS
As a general continuation, how do any American's reading this keep their bills in their wallets\purses to make it as quick and easy as possible to pull out what they want.
Jason Deckard
Deckard's method sounds about like the way I sort them (again, if I actually have any money...)
-Govtcheez
[email protected]
well, since I only ever have the $1 bills, it's never a problem =)... I do sort them so they all face the same way and smallest to largest... I think as long as you have the money, sorting it should not be the problem (I wish I knew this on personal experience though =)
This is my signature. Remind me to change it.
I feel weird. On the rare occasion that I have money, I just stick it in my wallet. When I go to a counter or fast food place or something, I take out my wallet and quickly skim through and pick the bill I need. It's not hard. I just look at those big numbers on each corner.
Originally posted by Govtcheez
(again, if I actually have any money...)Originally posted by dbaryl
(I wish I knew this on personal experience though =)Wow, you'd think I was the only one here with a scanner and color printer... ;)Originally posted by Hillbillie
On the rare occasion that I have money
Jason Deckard