# Can the Treasury Department was any more money? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 29, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982 "2003-04-29T19:46:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/1 "2003-04-29T19:46:55Z")
I was looking over CNN’s website and I see this little doozy - [New U.S. $20 bill won’t be green](http://money.cnn.com/2003/04/29/news/twenty/index.htm). It looks like the government wants to redo the $20 bill, followed by the $50 in 2004, and the $100 in 2005. Gee, good fucking way to spend money. They redesigned the $20 only 5 years ago - “The last redesign of American currency was in 1996, when a new $100 bill was introduced with new features to thwart counterfeiters. A new $50 came in 1997, followed by the $20 in 1998”. Back in the mid 90’s, the new designs were supposed to be counterfit-proof but NOOOO - didn’t work “The Secret Service says the percentage of counterfeit bills produced digitally has grown from 1 percent of bogus bills in 1995 – before the last redesign – to a whopping 40 percent in 2002.” And then the experts say “Unless there’s some sort of penetrating ink, the new bills won’t fix that problem.” Instead of doing something good, like replacing the $1 bill with $1 coin (i.e. removing the $1 bill from circulation instead of replacing them) - and saving about $200 million a year, they do this. The Treasury department is full of fucktards. And don’t even get me started on the colors. ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/2 "2003-04-29T19:48:10Z")
DAMNIT!!! **WASTE** any more money. I need to proofread better. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/3 "2003-04-29T19:51:32Z")
Dude, it’s about time the US caught up with the rest of the civilized world and made some multi-colored money. Not only is it more difficult to counterfeit, but it’s much easier on the visually impaired. You’re right about the one dollar coins, though. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/4 "2003-04-29T20:00:50Z")
So keeping up with counterfeiting isn’t something the Treasury Department should be doing? Wouldn’t that waste more money than making another currency change? I’m confused. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/5 "2003-04-29T20:10:26Z")
I miss the old pieces of eight. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/6 "2003-04-29T20:12:02Z")
What I never understood about the currency redesigns was that there were no plans to pull the old bills out of circulation ever. The genuine bills would eventually wear out and be pulled by banks or whoever, but counterfeiters could continue to make old style bills and "age"them for years or decades after the last real bill was destroyed. Pointless to change the design unless you sunset the old ones. ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/7 "2003-04-29T21:19:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Munch \* > \*\*So keeping up with counterfeiting isn’t something the Treasury Department should be doing? Wouldn’t that waste more money than making another currency change? > > I’m confused. \*\* As I see it, they had a problem they tried to fix in the 90’s. Didn’t work. They are trying to fix it now but the experts say it won’t work. That, in my opinion, is a waste of money. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/8 "2003-04-29T21:27:10Z")
$1 coin is the devil. Sacajawea can sacajaeat me! ---
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/9 "2003-04-29T22:36:53Z")
I’m a big fan of bills myself, and like to have as little change rattling around in my pockets. Whenever I go to Canada… all those $1 and $2 coins in my pocket… :twitch:. I’m with **friedo** on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/10 "2003-04-29T22:51:27Z")
Yeah, genuine british person here and I can attest that £1 and £2 coins piss me off (particularly £2 - they’re like fricking discuses). I’m not rich enough to have bigger denominations than a fiver on me often, and if I were, I’d just use the 1s and 2s to line my hamster’s cage. More power to colourful notes, that’s what I say. As long as they’re not too big. ---
**Author:** ![j\_kat\_251](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@j\_kat\_251](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_kat_251)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/11 "2003-04-29T23:25:01Z")
Australian two dollar coins are notoriously tiny and easy-to-lose when dropped under your car seat. So don’t come crying to us about large coinage. You don’t know how lucky you are. ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/12 "2003-04-29T23:37:25Z")
It’s a secret Canadian plot to take over America. Once they introduce more and more coins instead of paper money, the americans will be so weighed down by them that they won’t be able to move. Then, when the Americans aren’t able to move due to too many coins in their pockets, we will strike up against them with our fishing boats coming from the east. Maybe I said too much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/13 "2003-04-29T23:39:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aslan2 \* > \*\*It’s a secret Canadian plot to take over America. Once they introduce more and more coins instead of paper money, the americans will be so weighed down by them that they won’t be able to move. Then, when the Americans aren’t able to move due to too many coins in their pockets, we will strike up against them with our fishing boats coming from the east. > > Maybe I said too much. 🙂 \*\* But since those Canadian $1 and $2 coins are worth what, $0.05 and $0.10 American, we will use them as ammo. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/14 "2003-04-30T00:23:28Z")
Another vote for saying that a dollar coin is an abomination in the eyes of, well, me. The most common bills I carry around are ones, and if we switched to coins, I would need to carry a friggin purse. The people of the US don’t want it, and this being a democracy (well, techniquely a republic with democratically elected representatives, but lets not quibble) the people should get what they want. As for the new $20’s, I would love it if we switch to plastic bills that would last longer. ---
**Author:** ![MrTuffPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MrTuffPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrTuffPaws)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/15 "2003-04-30T02:17:27Z")
One dollar coins and get rid of the fucking penny. I hate those little shits. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/16 "2003-04-30T03:11:21Z")
Ah, that cursed dollar bill. It is the cause of all our problems. And to the original question… did you hear they are coming out with new nickel designs to commemorate the Lousiana Purchase? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/17 "2003-04-30T03:34:54Z")
> [@](#): > > The $1 and $2 bills, however, will not be revamped. They still make $2 bills?!? 😕 Tripler I thought they were only printed in the 70s and early 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/18 "2003-04-30T03:36:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MrTuffPaws \* > \*\*One dollar coins and get rid of the fucking penny. I hate those little shits. \*\* If you have $1 “Sackies”, send 'em to me. It’s much easier to empty out my piggy bank for the casinos with them things than to have to fish out the bills with a coat hanger. Tripler No, really. Send 'em to me. In bulk. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/19 "2003-04-30T05:10:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\*$1 coin is the devil. Sacajawea can sacajaeat me! \*\* You, sir, are hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982/20 "2003-04-30T05:44:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tripler \* > \*\*They still make $2 bills?!? 😕 > > Tripler > I thought they were only printed in the 70s and early 80s. \*\* Yep. They give 'em out at the annual stockholders meeting at the company where my dad works. The bills don’t look like they’ve been circulated though. I’ve heard stories about people attempting to spend $2 bills and having the money rejected because the cashier didn’t recognize it or thought it was counterfeit or play money. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-treasury-department-was-any-more-money/171982.md?page=2)