U.S. Currency is now Monopoly money

[Orbert]

My son is a server at a rather high-end place nearby, and came home last night with tips from the last couple of nights.

I hadn't seen a $100 bill in a while, and the first thing I noticed is that it's rather bluish in color.  Then I noticed that the $10 is more yellow than green, while the $5 has a purplish cast to it.  Compared to the others, the $1 is nearly white.



The colors are somewhat muted, but what the hell is going on here?  Money used to be green.  When did U.S. currency become Monopoly money?

[bosk1]

Well, but in Monopoly, $50's are blue.

[The Walrus]

I thought they did this years ago. I've grown used to it.

[lordxizor]

It's been this way for a while. Harder to counterfeit or something I think.

[Orbert]

I guess I just don't deal with cash enough to have noticed before.  I rarely have more than a couple bucks in my wallet.

[Nekov]

That's pretty common in other parts of the world, I think it makes it a lot easier to identify at a glance.

[pg1067]

I guess I just don't deal with cash enough to have noticed before.  I rarely have more than a couple bucks in my wallet.

Same with me.  With almost everyone accepting credit/debit cards, it's become less necessary to carry cash.  It's rare for me to have more than $20 and not at all uncommon to have no cash.  On those rare occasions when I need cash (e.g., paying for parking at a concert), I have to make an effort to remember to hit an ATM.  Fortunately, my bank seems to have an ATM every other block.

[Orbert]

Right, and when I do hit an ATM, I get twenties, all the same color, and still basically green.

My son pulled out a stack of bills, and the first thing I noticed was that it seemed very "colorful".  I think I was vaguely aware of different hues creeping in, but never directly compared them like this before.

[El Barto]

I'm fine with colored bills to make it more easily identifiable. As was pointed out, the Europeans have been doing this for quite some time. Unfortunately, they also make the bills different sizes, increasing with the value. Pesos work the same way. This I am not fine with. It doesn't work right in wallets because they all have to fold in different places.

[Nekov]

I'm fine with colored bills to make it more easily identifiable. As was pointed out, the Europeans have been doing this for quite some time. Unfortunately, they also make the bills different sizes, increasing with the value. Pesos work the same way. This I am not fine with. It doesn't work right in wallets because they all have to fold in different places.

The different size bills makes no sense to me at all, as you say it's a pain to carry those in a wallet

[El Barto]

I'm fine with colored bills to make it more easily identifiable. As was pointed out, the Europeans have been doing this for quite some time. Unfortunately, they also make the bills different sizes, increasing with the value. Pesos work the same way. This I am not fine with. It doesn't work right in wallets because they all have to fold in different places.

The different size bills makes no sense to me at all, as you say it's a pain to carry those in a wallet

I gather it's help blind folk handle their money. I don't know why they didn't just make them shorter, though. Nobody folds their bills along the long axis, at least nobody I want to associate with, so the height doesn't make any difference. The length should always be the same, though.

And it occurs to me that punters in strip clubs fold their bills longways to stick them in women's underthings. However, that's hardly a basis for formulating standards for currency.

[jingle.boy]

For us, $5s are blue; $10s are purple; $20s are green; $50s are ... rosee?; $100s are brown.

Cool thing we did a number of years ago is get away from paper.  Our bills are more of a plastic material (big increase in durability), that have clear see-though "stripe" on the one side. 

[Orbert]

U.S. currency isn't paper, either.  It's actually linen (or was -- maybe they changed that, too).

[Grappler]

U.S. currency isn't paper, either.  It's actually linen (or was -- maybe they changed that, too).

Yeah, but it can still be torn and destroyed (via the washing machine, etc.).  I've seen and handled some foreign money that is truly printed on flexible plastic material that is impossible to tear by hand or ruin if it gets wet.  That's pretty neat.

[El Barto]

But can you still fold it into a bull?

[cramx3]

I'm fine with colored bills to make it more easily identifiable. As was pointed out, the Europeans have been doing this for quite some time. Unfortunately, they also make the bills different sizes, increasing with the value. Pesos work the same way. This I am not fine with. It doesn't work right in wallets because they all have to fold in different places.

True on both accounts.  I guess, I never really noticed this on a large scale though until this thread since I also don't really deal with cash at all as I am tied to my credit card for all my expenses.  I just hate dealing with cash so I really never have any on me.  And Venmo has made it easier to deal with owing your friend cash as well.

[ZKX-2099]

It's been monopoly money since 1913.

[black_biff_stadler]

But can you still fold it into a bull?

Not in this economy

[JayOctavarium]

For us, $5s are blue; $10s are purple; $20s are green; $50s are ... rosee?; $100s are brown.

Cool thing we did a number of years ago is get away from paper.  Our bills are more of a plastic material (big increase in durability), that have clear see-though "stripe" on the one side. 

I tripped out when I first handled a Canadian $5. I totally thought it was fake