Just a few idle questions after a couple glasses of respectable Pinot Noir . . .
While cleaning out my wallet of various detritus such as old business cards, receipts, and such I laid out several notes of currency and considered the (recently larger) visages staring back at me (well, ‘cept for poor old George; he’s still old school.) Four are presidents; two are statesmen. Washington is on the one; appropriate I suppose, given that he was the first president. Lincoln is on the five; Alexander Hamilton (George’s Sec. of the Treas., yes?) is on the ten; Jackson is on the twenty; Grant is on the fifty, and Benjamin Franklin (hey, he’s Ben Franklin—‘nuff said) is on the 100. The higher denominations are no longer produced, according to the U.S. Treasury link below–
Quote from the U.S. Treasury site: link—“…unfortunately, however, our records do not suggest why certain Presidents and statesmen were chosen for specific denominations.”
So, who do you think should be in your face on our currency, alive or dead (despite the treasury’s standard of only the deceased being considered)? Is George too “old”? Should Tommy Jeff (that $2 bill gig doesn’t really count) be given a real place of honor? What about the recently deceased? Rappin’ Ron? Tricky Dick? Should Bubba or Dubya be “billed” in the future? Care to rank your choices in order of denomination? Who might you envision gracing our legal tender in the future? Curious minds want to know . . .
No more Presidents. They have enough bridges and buildings named after them. Mark Twain on the one, Homer Simpson on the two, Humphrey Bogart on the five, Willie Mays on the ten, Orville Wright on the twenty, Florence Nightingale on the fifty, and Martin Luther King on the hundred.
$1 - Elvis (King of rock n roll)
$2 - Aretha Franklin (Queen of Soul)
$5 - Duke Ellington
$10 - Prince
$50 - James Brown (Godfather of soul)
$100 - Benny Goodman (King of swing)
$1 - Fred Rogers
$2 - Fred Flintstone
$3 - Fred Phelps (because everybody knows a three-dollar bill is “queer.”)
$5 - Fred Astaire
$10 - Fred Allen
$20 - Frederick Douglas
$50 - Frederick Chopin (So he was Polish. So what!)
$100 - Freddie The Freeloader, A.K.A. Red Skelton
I dunno…I was just in a Fred kind of mood I guess.
Why are we restricted to just one person per denomination??!
If I were making the rules, the bills would be color coded for instant recognition, and different denominations would feature different types of people, perhaps entertainers, authors and sports heroes on the $1, scientists and inventors on the $5, statemen on the $10, “movers and shakers” on the $20, national heroes on the $50, and endangered animals on the $100.
I’d also institute a program where indiviudals could purchase limited runs to have their own visage put on legal currency. Perhaps it would be possible to buy $100 worth of such one dollar bills for $200 or something like that. It would be a fun novelty gift and raise extra cash.
For that matter, why not subsidize the currency by allowing advertisng on it? That would be perfect for a so-called capitalistic society!
Congress has declared that the one dollar bill must not be redesigned or cancelled. (Getting rid of it would save a basket of money.) As someone said, enough with the Presidents (Generally).
In no order:
Martin Luther King (Farm scene on the reverse)
Thomas Edison (Factory on the reverse)
General Eisenhower (not his brother the President) (New York Skyline on the reverse)
‘The American Indian’ (The guy from the old nickel) (Bison on the reverse)
‘The American Pioneer’ (Steam train on the reverse)
Martha Washington (Women sewing a flag on the reverse)
Teddy Roosevelt (White House on the reverse)
Neil Armstrong (Moon landing on the reverse)
Frederick Douglass (California Redwoods on the reverse)
Ben Franklin (Sailing ship on the reverse)
We have to do something. US bank notes are getting uglier all the time.
The old Dutch notes had barcodes, each one’s denomination and serial number. Very handy when you want to pay a large ransom but the kidnappers insisted on unmarked bills.
A few off the top of my head:
[ul]
[li]Jonas Salk[/li][li]Elizabeth Cady Stanton[/li][li]Mark Twain[/li][li]Georgia O’Keefe[/li][li]Louis Armstrong[/li][li]Norman Borlaug (stealing from someone else’s list, but it’s a good choice)[/li][/ul]
Thanks for the replies, folks. Some great ones in there; I particulary agree with Twain, for some reason. I’ve been reading a little bit of Letters From the Earth lately. (Link to an old Times review for the curious.)
This is one of his later works and a rather dark affair, but amusing in its own way.
Paul in Saudi, I didn’t delve too deep into the Treasury site and didn’t realize the one dollar bill was protected. Interesting. Dollar coins would last so much longer; too bad the general public doesn’t accept them as readily as the bills. Not to hijack my own thread, but how many here would use dollar coins? I like them, or rather liked them the few times they were introduced in recent years. If they build up in your pockets, spend them instead of breaking a bigger bill. Would you support dropping the dollar bill for a coin, and what size should it be? Thanks again for your opinions.
