# Missing $10 bills **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 1999, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661 "1999-11-09T17:58:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/1 "1999-11-09T17:58:00Z")
You know, I thought I was going nuts, but confirmation from my friends in retail tells me it’s not all in my mind… There seem to be less $10 bills in general circulation than in the past. Peer in the cash register of any store when it opens and look how few they have. Where are they all going? Is this still more proof of an Illuminati conspiracy? ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 1999, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/2 "1999-11-10T06:06:00Z")
Hmmm… good question! I’ve been thinking that most of the $10 bills I’ve handled recently are looking rather ragged. Perhaps US B&E is planning to issue the new $10, ala the $20, $50, & $100 bills, and wants to phase the old ones out quicker than the last denominations. (After 2 1/2 years, there are _still_ ticket machines in the Washington DC Metro System that won’t take the new $20!) ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 1999, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/3 "1999-11-10T06:10:00Z")
## Don’t recall where I heard this but I thought part of the problem was the number of currency “slots” in a cash register, so stores stopped carrying tens. Not that they wouldn’t accept them, but you wouldn’t get them back in change. But maybe it’s a UL. “Vandelay!! Say Vandelay!!” ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 1999, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/4 "1999-11-10T06:43:00Z")
I think if you went into any bank or similar financial institution, you can probably get a whole wad of fresh sawbucks. However, since most of us get our cash now from ATMs, we only get twenties. My experience from working a register is that you go through tens very quickly. I usually have a Hamilton in my wallet and I try to spend it when I am buying something that costs between $5-10 only. I feel the cashier’s pain. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/5 "1999-11-09T19:37:00Z")
I read somewhere that the Treasury Department is indeed going to reissue new $10’s, and possibly 5’s and 1’s eventually. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/6 "1999-11-09T19:42:00Z")
\*rastahomie: I read somewhere that the Treasury Department is indeed going to reissue new $10’s, and possibly 5’s and 1’s eventually. \* Oh, I hope they don’t do the $1. I hope they just @!#?@! get rid of it. If they could just issue a decent looking $1 coin (and $2). ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/7 "1999-11-09T19:48:00Z")
A $1 coin? How the hell am I supposed to keep those in my G-string? * * * Back off, man. I’m a scientist. ---
**Author:** ![Keeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Keeves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeves)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/8 "1999-11-09T19:49:00Z")
nope, not true. they’ll redo the 10 and 5, but not the $1. ---
**Author:** ![heretic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/46a35a/32.png) [@heretic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heretic)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/9 "1999-11-09T20:23:00Z")
I think the new $1 coin is a thing of great beauty. [http://www.usmint.gov/dollarcoin/default.htm](http://www.usmint.gov/dollarcoin/default.htm) ben ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 1999, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/10 "1999-11-09T20:32:00Z")
By the way, this isn’t really relevant to the topic at hand, but the last time I used the ATM, it spit out $50 bills. Maybe the twenty-dollar bill will also slowly fade away. * * * La franchise ne consiste pas à dire tout ce que l’on pense, mais à penser tout ce que l’on dit. H. de Livry ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/11 "1999-11-11T15:57:00Z")
Last time I went to the ATM, I took out $400, and it spit out 40 $10 bills. Maybe I’M the reason no one has any… ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/12 "1999-11-11T16:40:00Z")
All the ATMs in the DC area spit out $20 of both varieties. Bank of Virginia (13 years ago) used to emit $10’s as well. But I’ve never seen $50’s come out of one. And to Alphagene, who asked, “A $1 coin? How the hell am I supposed to keep those in my G-string?” Good question! As a former regular at “exotic dance clubs” ( 🙂 ), I did use $1 bills quite a bit. When I was in Canada, I did go to topless club, but all their tips came from lap dances at $10. (I didn’t get one, but overheard the price.) But here in Virginia, dancing is strictly on-stage only and no touching. I wouldn’t tip $5+ on a regular basis if $1 & $2 bills weren’t available. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-10-bills/4661/13 "1999-11-11T16:55:00Z")
> [@](#): > > A $1 coin? How the hell am I supposed to keep those in my G-string I wondered why my wallet smelled funny… * * * TT “Believe those who seek the truth. Doubt those who find it.” --Andre Gide