First, some quick background. English currency always has a picture of the Queen on the front, and on the back, a picture of some historical person, and a scene showing what they were famous for. For example, the 5 pound note has Goerge Stephenson and his first steam locomotive.
Well, a new ten pound note just came out with Charles Darwin on it! The scene is a hummingbird, the HMS Beagle, and what looks like a magnifying glass. I can just imagine the fundies in the States storming the mints over something like this!
BTW, I’m American, so don’t have a go at the Brits here for this.
What is the relevance of the hummingbird btw? IIRC, Darwin made his breakthrough re Survival of the Fittest by observing numerous species of finches on some Galapagos island.
I could be wrong though - I only half-remember this stuff.
I was having a discussion with a friend about this the other day. We concluded that it was to enable them to add a bit more colour to the note (the hummingbirds is in three colours, IIRC). Personally, I thought it should have been a Galapagos turtle.
Incidentally, Darwin was chosen, like his predecessor Dickens, for his bears. Apparently hair is extremely difficult to forge so the Royal Mint favours men with facial hair. Elgar on the £20 has a bushy moustache and Stevenson on the £5 has sideburns and flowing locks. This revalation has provoked some controversy since it implies that women are less likely to be selected than men.
As for mannequins, I beleiev that some have nipples and some do not. What’s the problem with that?
The first time my father came to visit me here, he tagged along with me to the grocery store. I noticed him staring at the display of condoms at the check-out counter. One pack had bright cartoonish drawings of peppermint candy; the next, of strawberries (I believe they were supposed to be scented condoms). After a little consideration he looked at me and said: “Those aren’t chewing gum, are they.”
Check out counter condoms are evil! Or well - the absence of them…
cause once I was searching for condoms in this damn store and thought they might be next to bubble gum and candy (where they belong… to the two other neccessery things of life) and I found them. I grabbed some only to find it only was plasters with little animals on em… damn well looked like condoms to me…
They should stop making condoms looks so childish - cause after all that ll make some busy buyers end up with patches and kids will try to heal their wounds with condoms…
The fact that Darwin has been put on currency is great and all but I am more in awe of the nipples. I mean, wow, if that isn’t a progressive society I don’t know what is. Nipples, what will you crazy Limeys think of next?
well, a lot of the mannequins are gold coloured at the moment, if that counts as crazy…I think it may be to avoid any possible accusations of racism. It does work quite well for some clothes, but gold seems to be in for Christmas clothes this year & gold on gold doesn’t work too well!
We used to have Florence Nightingale on one of the notes, but I don’t think she is anymore. I guess we need a famous British woman with facial hair…can’t have been too many of those! I didn’t notice the hummingbird on the one and only new tenner that I have had so far, so I shall investigate further!
I think Lizzie is on the notes, and I don’t know much about her facial hair. OK, I admit I haven’t seen Florence Nightingale for a while, but I don’t tend to keep those bits of paper for long enough to look at them carefully. I find I have a £10.00 note with a picture of Mary Slessor (missionary person, terrifed of little mice, but OK with elephants) on it. And I found I had a note with the queen mum ("gawd bless 'er) on it.
Anyway, I have now found a good excuse for examining my money carefully before I part with it in shops - it’s not meanness - it’s research for Straight Dope!
The current one cent coin was introduced in 1909. The nickel (5c) and quarter were designed before World War II. If President Kennedy hadn’t been assasinated, we’d still be using Ben Franklin halves, also designed before the War. The Roosevelt dime is just a small design update of the Mercury dime, designed around WWI.
That’s not to say that old coins are uglier, but c’mon – the popularity of the state quarters and the new dolalr coin (granted, everyone is hoarding 'em, but I’ve heard few negative things about them) are proof that US coinage needs some updates. US coinage is also “internationally hostile” – there is no numerical designation of the value anywhere on US coins. “ONE DIME.” “QUARTER DOLLAR.” About as user-friendly as pre-decimalization British coinage to those who aren’t familiar with our monetary system.
US currency – UGH! I know that the old black n’ green theme was maintained in order to present an image of stability and security, but US currencty still looks similar to miniature versions 19th century stock certificates – ornate yet drab. It sais “America’s backward-thinking, slow to change, and not in the least bit dynamic.” Why not at least have the reverse in color, with national landmarks instead of boring government buildings or memorials? Wouldn’t you rather see the Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Pacific coast or the New York skyline on the back of a bill instead of the Treasury Building or a spooky pyramid with an eye hovering over it?
Of course, in a years time we’ll be switching them for Euros. Frankly, although not as imaginative as the Guilder notes, I think they’re pretty attractive as well.
