# Why didn't the US put "windows" in their redesigned currency? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210 "2006-05-25T18:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/21 "2006-05-26T01:13:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I didn’t know about the color-shifting 20, but on checking it just now, it looks pretty subtle… I think I’ll just stick with the watermarks. The newer, all-over green $20 bills’ holographic prints shift from gold to green, much higher contrast than the older green-to-black. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/22 "2006-05-26T02:14:50Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wednesday. Whenever I get cash from the ATM, I always check the watermarks before walking away from the machine. Doesn’t everybody? > > I didn’t know about the color-shifting 20, but on checking it just now, it looks pretty subtle… I think I’ll just stick with the watermarks. I’ve no idea how safe you feel doing that, but when I use an ATM, I do the quickest of checks to see the number of notes looks about right (I’ve never had a problem with the machine not giving enough), then the money’s in my wallet, the wallet’s in my pocket, and I’m outta there. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/23 "2006-05-26T03:03:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wednesday. Whenever I get cash from the ATM, I always check the watermarks before walking away from the machine. Doesn’t everybody? I’ve never seen that, and I’ve never done it. Plus, if you found a bill that was fake, how would you prove it to the bank? “You got that bill from somewhere else and are trying to scam us!” ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/24 "2006-05-26T05:16:56Z")
I have seen various places use different means of verifying bills, ranging from running the bill through some kind of machine (which I assumed checked for the magnetic strip imbedded in some US currency) to a kidn of marker that apparantly turns a certain color ONLy when used on a legit bill ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/25 "2006-05-26T05:33:35Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > I have seen various places use different means of verifying bills, ranging from running the bill through some kind of machine (which I assumed checked for the magnetic strip imbedded in some US currency) to a kidn of marker that apparantly turns a certain color ONLy when used on a legit bill I was wishfully thinking that some new advances had made the pens more effective, but it seems that is not so: At the James Randi message boards a recent discussion shows that the pens are still one of the weakest ways of detecting counterfits (The pens are virtually useless): [http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=54592](http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=54592) > [@](#): > > This drives me nuts. I manage an auto parts store. I am well aware of the ineffectivness of those pens. When I first started working here I saw they the counter people were all using these pens. I informed the owners that the pens not only will not catch fake bills but also gives the countermen a false sense of security. I took the time to teach the guys what to look for and more importantly what to feel for in currency. One day, one of my guys ended up taking 3 fake $100.00 bills. These bills looked excellant and passed the pen test, but I caught them the second they were handed to me. They were flat. No texture at all. If you run your fingernail over the jacket of the president, you will feel the texture. I was able to determine who was passing the bills and we had a nice visit from the Secret Service. They were very willing to help us, and gave us some great information on what to look for. I now have a very nice UV light on my key ring that makes the stips in the bills glow. > > … > > While talking to the agents , I made mention of the fact that I watched James Randi demonstrate the ineffectiveness of the detector pens. The one agent simply asked “the magician?”. > Still funnier is that our insurance company still insists on the use of the pens. So now I have some very well trained guys, a super high tech UV light, and still need to draw silly lines on the bills. > JPK ---
**Author:** ![Twotwofive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Twotwofive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twotwofive)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/26 "2006-05-26T15:01:10Z")
Unfortunately, putting a banknote through the wash in the pocket of your jeans will also make it glow under a UV light, just like a fake. I’ve had at least one argument with a cashier over that one (cue money laundering joke). Incidentally, if you get annoyed by cashiers cheking your notes, just get them back by painstakingly checking the change they give you. This is even better when the change comes in coins, as you can bite each one individually to check that it’s real (thanks to Peter Kay for that one). ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/27 "2006-05-26T15:06:33Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I was wishfully thinking that some new advances had made the pens more effective, but it seems that is not so: > > At the James Randi message boards a recent discussion shows that the pens are still one of the weakest ways of detecting counterfits (The pens are virtually useless): > > [Counterfeit money "detector" pen revisited - International Skeptics Forum](http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=54592) Thank goodness. Our Wal-Mart still uses them, and I get dirty looks from customers when I hold their money to the light to check for the strip. I think I almost got fired once. The conversation went like this. ::checks the money against the light to check for strip:: Customer: Yeah, I just got through printing that. Me: I’m sorry, I’m not going to be able to accept this money. Customer: WHAT?! ON WHAT GROUNDS?! Me: You just told me it was counterfeit. Customer: I was joking!! Me: Counterfeiting is nothing to joke about (completely straight-faced, somehow.) ::finishes sale and thanks customer:: ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/28 "2006-05-26T16:45:40Z")
The Mexican 20 peso note has a window. It’s really cool. Also a little bizarre, since that is the smallest note and is worth $2. You would think they would put the anti-counterfeiting features in larger bills first. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/29 "2006-05-26T17:54:13Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > The Mexican 20 peso note has a window. It’s really cool. > > Also a little bizarre, since that is the smallest note and is worth $2. You would think they would put the anti-counterfeiting features in larger bills first. When they redid Canadian banknotes, they started with the ten-dollar note because that was apparently the most commonly-counterfeited one. Then they did the five, the hundred, the fifty, and the twenty, in that order. The twenty is what money machines give out; you get tens and fives in change; fifties and hundreds are fairly uncommon in daily use. I suspect they followed some kind of ranking of total value of counterfeited notes. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/30 "2006-05-26T19:58:35Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wednesday. Whenever I get cash from the ATM, I always check the watermarks before walking away from the machine. Doesn’t everybody? > > I didn’t know about the color-shifting 20, but on checking it just now, it looks pretty subtle… I think I’ll just stick with the watermarks. Maybe in the Wild West where you are that is not a problem. In some areas it is not smart to wave a handful of twenties in the air out in public. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/31 "2006-05-26T21:36:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Maybe in the Wild West where you are that is not a problem. In some areas it is not smart to wave a handful of twenties in the air out in public. I’m sure there are such places. And I would make it a point not to frequent an ATM in any such place. I mean, a crook hardly needs to see you holding bills up to the light to deduce that a person walking away from an ATM is likely to have cash on him. I did the other day at lunch see a fellow the next table over brandishing a fan of at least $400 in twenties, but I’m not sure exactly what that was all about. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/32 "2006-05-27T00:33:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m sure there are such places. And I would make it a point not to frequent an ATM in any such place. I mean, a crook hardly needs to see you holding bills up to the light to deduce that a person walking away from an ATM is likely to have cash on him. It depends. I’m decidedly large, and I put on my mean face when using an ATM, so I’m not worried too much about being mugged. The concern is more about a fast snatch and grab when I’m brandishing the cash about. I’m big, but I’m also slow, so some teenager on roller blades at the ATM is more of a danger to me than a guy demanding for the already-in-my-pocket wallet further down the street. I’ve used ATMs in very, very dodgy areas, and I’ve used them in Double Bay (Sydney’s Beverly Hills), downtown, uptown, tourist areas, suburban areas, country towns, you name it. I’m equally wary everywhere. I’m not paranoid, and I’ll still use the machine, but I keep an eye out. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/33 "2006-05-27T05:33:01Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > You’ll have a hard time duplicating the [watermark](http://www.moneyfactory.gov/newmoney/main.cfm/currency/new10#watermark) with any modern printer. Watermarking isn’t that hard of a technique to master. I doubt anyone is going to handmake paper for counterfeiting money, though. I think it would be impossible to get the paper right (texture, weight, durability, etc.), let alone make a perfect, tiny, complicated watermark. ---
**Author:** ![xicano69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@xicano69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xicano69)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/34 "2006-05-27T06:19:56Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > I’m not sure what you mean by a window, but they do a lot of testing for durability when redesigning the currency. One of the requirements is that the bill be able to be crumpled and uncrumpled without damage. If you’re suggesting a transparent plastic window, that may not be durable enough. I think the OP is referring to what Mexico has in their current currency: [$20 Pesos](http://mgossart.free.fr/images/OCTAVA/8_20peso_detalles_2.jpg) Notice where it says in Spanish “ventana transparente” (clear window) on the lower left to indicate the “plastic window” on the left on the mid section. It has worked well (I am not sure if excellent) in Mexico, but then Mexico has a very strict law on how you handle your currency. For example, banks, businesses, and money exchange businesses can deny you service or accepting your currency if the bill your submit violates Mexico’s law against defacing bills, having cuts on the bill, etc. This means that most Mexicans that value their money and purchasing power are very careful on how the bills are handled. No Mexican would take a $20 pesos bills that has something written on it or even has a minor cut on the bill. That would void its use. ---
**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210/35 "2006-05-27T18:20:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wednesday. Whenever I get cash from the ATM, I always check the watermarks before walking away from the machine. Doesn’t everybody? I’m curious what you believe you could do about it **at the machine** if you did find a problem? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-us-put-windows-in-their-redesigned-currency/358210.md?page=1)