New Look for the $100 Bill

[The_Admiral]

I guess on some level I still appreciate the classical design of our currency. There's something 1984-ish about this concept that I really dislike and I can't understand how anyone disagrees. I mean, a picture of Obama next to a "1" is almost a knowing self-parody of Obama cult worship. almost

[pianoknight]

I think our money is becoming too compositionally whacked out. Just plop as much stuff as you can wherever it will fit.

That's more for security than anything. More details and finer details make it exponentially harder for counterfeiters. I know that's not really a revelation, but it is what it is.

That doesn't preclude good design, but there are a number of little "randomness" things on the bills specifically for that reason. Lines don't match up, backgrounds fade without explanation, etc.

[pianoknight]

I've always been a fan of this concept design for our money:

this design while nice will never work. the different sizes would play havoc on the aready established register/vending machine system not to mention automatic bill counters would have to be retooled. too much cost would go into changing the size. This design originated the Dollar Bill redesign project (http://richardsmith.posterous.com/) which has alot of nice designs but it hasent been updated in awhile

The design scheme is amazing.

Content wise, if they replaced Washington with Obama on the $1, I would move to Europe. Actually, if they replaced any currency person with Barack Obama, I would move to Europe. Or replaced it with Bush. Or Clinton.

Presidents need not be on currency until history has vetted them out. Not saying it would happen, but as soon as you put Obama on the bill, he'd probably increase taxes 20% and pardon one felon every day. Nothing against Obama personally, it's just Murphy's Law. Give it time, people.

[BigBubba]

Those bills are the Diamondbacks TATC uniforms of currency.

[Lights Out]

I'm also a fan of these designs:

[IceCap]

I'm also a fan of these designs:

That's way to Euro-like to fly in the US.

That could work, but dropping Hamilton for Jefferson is a G-ddmaned travesty

[pianoknight]

I'm also a fan of these designs:

Also not a fan of how Grant and Franklin were transposed.

If they scrapped the $1 and added a $200, they would need to stick with the existing presidents. It would be too damn confusing to see Jackson on the old $20s and the NEW $50s.

[The_Admiral]

You know, the $2 bill does still exist. Might not be a bad idea to keep it around what with inflation and all.

Oh, that one $50 bill concept is Soviet like damn.

[Mings]

Different size bills are a great idea. I know the blind fold each type of bill in a different way to tell them apart currently. They wouldn't have to if the bills are different sizes (this is why the sizes are different for each Euro denomination). Unless you are going to put braille on the bills, that is the best way to keep them universally accessible.

[tBBP]

I've always been a fan of this concept design for our money:

this design while nice will never work. the different sizes would play havoc on the aready established register/vending machine system not to mention automatic bill counters would have to be retooled. too much cost would go into changing the size. This design originated the Dollar Bill redesign project (http://richardsmith.posterous.com/) which has alot of nice designs but it hasent been updated in awhile

The design scheme is amazing.

Content wise, if they replaced Washington with Obama on the $1, I would move to Europe. Actually, if they replaced any currency person with Barack Obama, I would move to Europe. Or replaced it with Bush. Or Clinton.

Presidents need not be on currency until history has vetted them out. Not saying it would happen, but as soon as you put Obama on the bill, he'd probably increase taxes 20% and pardon one felon every day. Nothing against Obama personally, it's just Murphy's Law. Give it time, people.

Please explain the process by which you applied Murphy's Law to draw that conclusion, specifically about Obama.

[charger77]

Because he is the only person alive from those samples, I don't think we have to worry about the eagle or FDR doing anything stupid any time soon.

The same logic would have applied if it was Bush or Romney (if he had won) on the bill.

Kinda like the saying "You don't build statues of living men".

See the Joe Paterno statue at Penn State

or

Mark McGwire freeway in Missouri.

[tBBP]

Well, Michael Jordan got a statue outside of the United Center, and he still alive, and he ain't did nothing stu—ehh, I see your point.

[BBTV]

Different size bills are a great idea. I know the blind fold each type of bill in a different way to tell them apart currently. They wouldn't have to if the bills are different sizes (this is why the sizes are different for each Euro denomination). Unless you are going to put braille on the bills, that is the best way to keep them universally accessible.

What you're saying makes sense, but having just experienced different sized bills, man are they tough to sort through. Granted I'm looking at it strictly from a convenience factor and as someone with perfect sight, but I found myself constantly sorting my cash to keep the bills in order by size so the small ones didn't get lost in the big ones. I'm sure that I (and everyone else) would get used to this, and I'm in favor of anything that makes life easier for people with disabilities, so I'd be fine with it if it was ever adopted, as long as the blind really felt that it was beneficial and we weren't doing it just on theory.

Curious - how to the blind do it today? You said that they fold bills differently, but how do they know which bill they're folding? I wonder if it's possible to incorporate braile into a polymer printing process, or maybe alter the position of a transparent piece (which does have a different feel than the rest of the bill) so that the bills can be the same size but more distinguishable by touch.

[BigBubba]

I wonder if it's possible to incorporate braile into a polymer printing process, or maybe alter the position of a transparent piece (which does have a different feel than the rest of the bill) so that the bills can be the same size but more distinguishable by touch.

Yes. Canada's polymer bills have raised "bumps", and while they aren't braille, they could easily be arranged as such. Look above the Queen's head to the left:

[Morgan33]

Our (Canada) 20's took the biggest aesthetic hit during the conversion to polymer... Can't stand that new shade of green.

[pianoknight]

Please explain the process by which you applied Murphy's Law to draw that conclusion, specifically about Obama.

Ummm.... specifically, Obama is the sitting president. That's all the rationale I need.

I forget the guy's name, but the University of Oregon named a campus building after a still-living faculty member a while back. Next thing you know, the guy was caught embezzling obscene amounts of money away from the University. They quickly renamed the building and made a policy never to name something after a living person again.

Also, the Big Ten Paterno-Stagg trophy anyone?

[BBTV]

A building can be renamed pretty easily. A statue can be torn down pretty quickly. Money stays in circulation for a looooong time.

I kinda wish that people weren't on money at all, because we all have different views of those people. Not even the founding fathers were above reproach. Honestly though, I don't even look at the face on the money, just the number.

[njmeadowlanders]

A building can be renamed pretty easily. A statue can be torn down pretty quickly. Money stays in circulation for a looooong time.

I kinda wish that people weren't on money at all, because we all have different views of those people. Not even the founding fathers were above reproach. Honestly though, I don't even look at the face on the money, just the number.

B-b-but.... 'MURRICA!

[pianoknight]

[jstraper]

A building can be renamed pretty easily. A statue can be torn down pretty quickly. Money stays in circulation for a looooong time.

I kinda wish that people weren't on money at all, because we all have different views of those people. Not even the founding fathers were above reproach. Honestly though, I don't even look at the face on the money, just the number.

I'd envision a currency that commemorates inventors and innovators. Or go full capitalism and auction off sponsorship rights to currency (sorta like "privatizing" currency like the postal service should be).