New US $20 bills Released, Colors & Layout Change

JayBonci writes "CNN is running a story with the newest advances in the original copy-protection arms race, a new US $20 dollar bill. From the article, specifically color and different number arrangements as an improvement over 1996's "Big Face" dollar bills." Little off the norm for Slashdot, but it's interesting since computers have vastly simplified forgery.

Comments

Better pics

[Kaeru the Frog]

You can find some better pics here.

Re:One change we won't likely see

[antelopelovefan]

I've talked about this problem with several blind people and most of them have a system (usually involving) folding the money in different ways so they know which bills they're dealing with. Several of these methods are described in the Int'l Organization for the Blind web page.

Re:One change we won't likely see

[meloneg]

Unfortunately, I can't see the Treasury Department putting some sort of Braille marker or other deliniating factor into future money production.
Definately not likely.

US $2 Bill Fact Sheet/Pictures

[burgburgburg]

Treasury Department $2 bill fact sheet

Pictures

The President on the $2 bill is Thomas Jefferson.

www.moneyfactory.com hosting service

[jea6]

We run the web infrastructure for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on our DataHost platform. Starting about 2 hours ago (when the unveiling press conference ended) we've been sustaining over 20Mbits per second of traffic. As I look at the monitor now, we're doing 33Mbits/sec. Most of the traffic has been US-based, though we expect an overnight surge as Asia wakes up. Gotta go back and look at histograms now - Bolivia just took a keen interest in the new $20 note. Don't forget to stop by the BEP store (http://www.moneyfactory.com/store) and pick-up some neat collectibles (though, nothing with the new twenty until later this year). All the info on the new twenty is at http://www.moneyfactory.com/newmoney.

Re:Hmmm

[weave]

This is an excellent point and one that i was wondering about. Unlike other countries who routinely decommission monetary instruments (with a brief trade-in period), the United States refuses to do so. Why? It helps support the dollar's strength. Everyone all over the world knows if they stuff chests full of american currency inside their walls, it will still be good in the future. They won't have to drive it to some US bank to exchange it for the latest bills. Why do you think Saddam had so many dollars stashed?

So, basically, in order to keep our currency the choice of the (under)world, we refuse to expire it.

Re:The most ridiculous thing I've read...

[hackstraw]

1. The new design is different from the old one.

Doesn't matter, the old design is still (il)legal tender.

2. A new design takes time to counterfeit.

Exactly, so they'll keep using the old ones (see #1). However, their are the "king of the mountain" counterfeiters that are just in it for the accomplishment of gettting away with a phony bill, but they also do not typically do large runs of their bills.

3. New designs incorporate tougher security measures.

See #2 and #1.

4. New note designs promote consumer vigilance.

I guess, but if I have only explicitly checked my money for fun to see the different things added to the new bills. I don't really care if I have a phony bill, if it was good enough to be given to me, its good enough to spend.

5. New bank notes are successfully introduced and old ones replaced every day.

No, the old ones are not replaced, they are still valid money, and every 20years is hardly every day. Plus the note in question has been replaced in 1996 so the new one would be 7 years.