# Why Some Currency Numerals Dark?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 20, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660 "2015-07-20T01:01:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660/1 "2015-07-20T01:01:14Z")

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Most of my currency has light numerals, but I’ve noticed some have dark numerals. What is the reason for that? The large numerals on the corners.

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660/2 "2015-07-20T01:02:50Z")

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Are you talking about US currency, or some other country?

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660/3 "2015-07-20T03:36:16Z")

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If you’re talking about the large numerals in the lower right corner of the reverse, it’s to help people with poor vision identify the bill.

Assuming this is US currency, of course.

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**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660/4 "2015-07-20T12:39:26Z")

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> [@dtilque](#):
>
> If you’re talking about the large numerals in the lower right corner of the reverse, it’s to help people with poor vision identify the bill.
> 
> Assuming this is US currency, of course.

Yes, of course.

Thanks for the information regarding the reverse lower right corner. To clarify, my question is about the corner numerals on the obverse. Most of my notes have light numerals on all four corners, but a few have dark numerals on all four corners.

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660/5 "2015-07-20T13:19:07Z")

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Do the “dark numerals” look like the ones on [this $20 bill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_%2420_Series_1996_Obverse.jpg)? If so, that’s just an older design.

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660/6 "2015-07-20T13:20:45Z")

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> [@GreenElf](#):
>
> Yes, of course.
> 
> Thanks for the information regarding the reverse lower right corner. To clarify, my question is about the corner numerals on the obverse. Most of my notes have light numerals on all four corners, but a few have dark numerals on all four corners.

Old bills. I presume you are talking about a $20. All 4 numbers were dark 1998 - 2003. Here:

[http://www.newmoney.gov/uscurrency/20.htm](http://www.newmoney.gov/uscurrency/20.htm)

You can look at the other bills there as well. Only the 20 and 100 seem to have had 4 dark numbers in earlier design. The 5 and 10 had 2.

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**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660/7 "2015-07-20T13:25:33Z")

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Thanks. Yes, I was looking at the $20.

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**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-some-currency-numerals-dark/725660/8 "2015-07-20T15:39:27Z")

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Did your printer run out of dark ink?