# How do blind people read money? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-blind-people-read-money/49513 "2001-01-11T14:26:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-blind-people-read-money/49513/21 "2001-01-12T17:18:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Celyn \* > **Am I right in thinking that the U.S. bill are the same size?** Same size, same 2 colors, 1 color per side. The Bureau of Engraving just changed the design to combat counterfeiting, including adding watermarks, but they missed a major opportunity to do it more thoroughly. Public acceptance may have a lot to do with that - witness the resounding apathy the latest $1 coins have been met with. Vending machines and cash registers in the US are all made to accommodate same-size bills, so that change may not have been practical. ---
**Author:** ![TheThill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheThill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThill)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-blind-people-read-money/49513/22 "2001-01-12T21:38:22Z")
Yeah, it’s almost as likely that the U.S. will introduce new paper money as it is that they will adopt the euro. :rolleyes: By the way, why does everyone expect New Yorkers to behave more cruelly than everyone else? Gimmeabreak! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-blind-people-read-money/49513/23 "2001-01-18T04:51:25Z")
[This](http://ca.dailynews.yahoo.com/ca/headlines/ts/story.html?s=v/ca/20010117/ts/economy_canada_cash_col_2.html) is a bit late, but it did seem apropos given the multiple references in this thread to “Braille” dots on the currency of various countries (and, of course, to the OP). Another Canadian first, eh? ---
**Author:** ![TheThill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheThill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThill)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2001, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-blind-people-read-money/49513/24 "2001-01-18T11:05:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KarlGauss \* > \*\*[This](http://ca.dailynews.yahoo.com/ca/headlines/ts/story.html?s=v/ca/20010117/ts/economy_canada_cash_col_2.html) is a bit late, but it did seem apropos given the multiple references in this thread to “Braille” dots on the currency of various countries (and, of course, to the OP). > > Another Canadian first, eh? \*\* Your link was no longer valid. Do you mean that Canada was the first country to have braille dots on the paper money? ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2001, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-blind-people-read-money/49513/25 "2001-01-18T12:32:19Z")
The embossed identification marks on the Irish notes are not Braille; there’s a triangle on the fifty, a diamond over a horizontal line on the twenty and a diamond on the ten. I don’t know what’s on the five because I haven’t got any fives. On notes that aren’t brand new, it’s hard to distinguish them by touch (or maybe it takes practice). Better go and spend it now before I get mugged:) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2001, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-blind-people-read-money/49513/26 "2001-01-18T13:48:31Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by TheThill \* \*\* > [@](#): > > Your link was no longer valid. Do you mean that Canada was the first country to have braille dots on the paper money? \*\* Geez, that link died quickly. Maybe [this one](http://ca.dailynews.yahoo.com/ca/headlines/ts/story.html?s=v/ca/20010117/ts/economy_canada_cash_col_2.html) will still work. Regardless, it was a news item from the Canadian mint asserting that with the introduction of the new Canadian $10 bill this week, Canada becomes the _first_ country to use Braille on its bank notes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-blind-people-read-money/49513.md?page=1)