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US notes vs. most world notes ...


AuldFartte

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As most of us know, the US currency notes are typically the same regarding design, color, legends, etc.

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... yet the vast majority of world currency notes are done in differing designs and colors, and most are quite beautiful.

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... now, why on earth won't the US make some decent looking notes for a change?

 

Anyone else feel the same way???

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I would agree with you on the USA, but there is hope, and the USA has created lovely stuff, just not seen by 98% of the population:

 

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So see, the talent is there, but the desire is not. Too bad more people do not think that only beautiful women belong on money.

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I do like the US designs myself but they should have changed a logn while ago

 

I think the best series we had here in the UK were the Series D & original Series E banknotes. The Series E revision weren't bad either but didn't look as good. Series F will be interesting. Shame only the £5 got a B Series design.

 

I also like the Spanish final series (I Have a 1000pts version).

 

Interestingly seeing images online I notice that Brazil & Canada had a similar design to the US but have since moved away from these designs.

 

Good to see that the US are finally starting to move away from this design after 100 years and moving on to colours other than black & green

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As for British banknotes, nothing beats the Scots banknotes, the only one with a fighting chance would be the helmeted Britannia series of the 1950's in England.

 

But this is my favourite note issued in the British Isles:

 

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Do you mean the Series A britannia's (10' & £1's) or the Series B of which cashier Beale didn't like & was only used on the £5 note

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It is the series B issue, and actually it was stopped not because Beale didn't like the notes, but rather the designer of the £5, Stephen Gooden, died before completing the other designs.

 

Interesting, I have actually mis-read the information in the "Rotographic - Collectors' Banknotes" book. it states the following:

 

...but various reasons, including WWII, the Chief Cashier (Beale at that time) not being too struck on the designs, and not to mention a minor disagreement with the designer, deayed their issue...

 

Although I have to say, re-writing that from the foremention book it seems odd that the £5 was the only one to be made, so I think your explination is more plauseable, not dissing the book in anyway.... I'll shut up now :ninja:

 

That £5 is one handsome note though, would love to own one, however I need to find a good quality one first

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I owned a nice crisp uncirculated Helmeted Britannia, but sadly I sold it for a handsome price several years ago, and still kick myself for selling out. Wisht I had kept it and sold something else. I also regret selling my early Guernsey Fiver from the early 1970's in crisp unc. Maybe someday I will buy the tenner and make myself happy again.

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One of my favourite Scottish banknotes:

 

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Nice :ninja: Alot of Scottish & Northern Ireland banknotes are rather nice.

 

Here's a weblink to this excellent £5 :

 

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/trev.rh/Notes/series-b.htm

 

Personally I think if we do get rid of the Monarcy that Britannia should be adopted on both the Coins & Banknotes

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... now, why on earth won't the US make some decent looking notes for a change?

 

Anyone else feel the same way???

 

 

Of Course! But I remember watching a TV Show on the making of US Banknotes. I am not certain if it was the head of the Fed Reserve or a chief engraver or who, but there was an official who addressed this subject. Note that this show was BEFORE the recent color additions to US Currency. To paraphrase to the best of my ability, he said that the designs stay about the same with only minor modifications because it helps to show the world that we are a stable economy and that the money that the people have will be recognizable and usable regardless of how long they have had it. So, sad news for us I thought, but it wasn't too long after that that the money started to change with the bobble-head looking currency and then some color. So it looks as if there is some newer thinking in the ranks, so who knows? Hopefully it won't be too long before it starts getting some newer designs and vignettes.

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SNIP

 

To paraphrase to the best of my ability, he said that the designs stay about the same with only minor modifications because it helps to show the world that we are a stable economy and that the money that the people have will be recognizable and usable regardless of how long they have had it.

 

What?!?! the reason most countries change their designs (UK for example) is to combat forgeries, that's the very reason that the US has (or had seeing as the designs have changed) a large amount of forged currency in circulation, as soon as the Bank Of England finds a high number of forged notes coming back to them they work on a new design, hence why the £20 is been changed, majorly, this year when the current one was introduced in 1999

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Well, you could bash US currency, but just remember you are only really looking at the most recent designs (like your 1957 B silver certificate). If you look further into our history, particularly to the large size notes, I have no doubt you will see some of the most beautiful note designs in history. Look at the series 1896 educational notes, $1, $2 and $5, they are magnificent. Look at the series 1914 FRNs, the vignettes on the back are superb. Once the transition to small size notes was made in the 1920s, we were stuck with the mediocre and practically unchanging design we see today.

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Well, you could bash US currency, but just remember you are only really looking at the most recent designs (like your 1957 B silver certificate). If you look further into our history, particularly to the large size notes, I have no doubt you will see some of the most beautiful note designs in history. Look at the series 1896 educational notes, $1, $2 and $5, they are magnificent. Look at the series 1914 FRNs, the vignettes on the back are superb. Once the transition to small size notes was made in the 1920s, we were stuck with the mediocre and practically unchanging design we see today.

 

 

I have seen images online of some of the older notes and they have some excellent designs, but like you said from the 1920's-1999 they were virtually unchanged.

 

I do like those style of notes but they ran on for far too long, Much like the A series 10' & £1 notes

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Well, you could bash US currency, but just remember you are only really looking at the most recent designs (like your 1957 B silver certificate). If you look further into our history, particularly to the large size notes, I have no doubt you will see some of the most beautiful note designs in history. Look at the series 1896 educational notes, $1, $2 and $5, they are magnificent. Look at the series 1914 FRNs, the vignettes on the back are superb. Once the transition to small size notes was made in the 1920s, we were stuck with the mediocre and practically unchanging design we see today.

 

I quite agree. The old pre 1920s notes were wonderful, but then so were the US coins of the majority of the 19th century. Since then, we in the US have had mediocre (at best!) designs of all our money.

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Here is one of my favorite backs of a 1914 FRN, one side is Columbus landing in the new world, the other is the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock:

1914fr869rev.JPG

 

Here is another favorite and recent purchase, the design celebrates the opening of the Panama Canal, the woman at the center represents Panama:

1914d50drev.JPG

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Here is one of my favorite backs of a 1914 FRN, one side is Columbus landing in the new world, the other is the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock:

1914fr869rev.JPG

 

Here is another favorite and recent purchase, the design celebrates the opening of the Panama Canal, the woman at the center represents Panama:

1914d50drev.JPG

 

 

Those two are excellent banknotes, shame they didn't continue down this route

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Do you know what is painfully humourous?

 

Take a look at current Japanese notes and with American banknotes. They look somewhat AWFULLY similar and in fact I believe the model of Japanese banknotes are based strictly on US notes design which is a shame. The only difference that Japanese banknotes have is that they have some UV light protection, banknote denomination size difference and unusual paper quality which I heard is bamboo based and hence extremely hard to duplicate, instead of the world standard of cotton-paper mixture.

 

In fact back in 1999, Prime Minster Obuchi pushed Japan to release a 2000 yen note to commemorate the millenium as well as commenting that major countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and US all have 20 dollar bill notes - why Japan doesn't have one. It was a bitter success as there were many oppositions as well as the doubt of circulation. Sadly, he passed away due to stroke before he got to see the notes released into circulation, which led the 2000 yen note into instant disaster. ;) Try to find one in circulation next time you go to Japan!

 

Now look at the current American and Japanese banknotes - they both have the pretty color tint to them! Oh my - I wonder where the Japanese get their ideas from :ninja:

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In fact back in 1999, Prime Minster Obuchi pushed Japan to release a 2000 yen note to commemorate the millenium as well as commenting that major countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and US all have 20 dollar bill notes - why Japan doesn't have one. It was a bitter success as there were many oppositions as well as the doubt of circulation. Sadly, he passed away due to stroke before he got to see the notes released into circulation, which led the 2000 yen note into instant disaster. ;) Try to find one in circulation next time you go to Japan!

 

Now look at the current American and Japanese banknotes - they both have the pretty color tint to them! Oh my - I wonder where the Japanese get their ideas from :ninja:

 

 

I really like the old Yen notes from the 19th century, they were Japanese and not western influenced. I never saw 2.000 yen notes, only 1.000 etc.

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I understand your point completely, my old roommate brought me back a 1000 yen note from a trip to Japan in 1997, and I always remarked that it was the only foreign note I had that looked like money!

 

:ninja:

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both the color u.s. notes and the new series of japanese notes were released in 2004, but i don't see any obvious idea copying. the color in the newer japanese note seems more of an expansion from the color on the center of the older japanese note. if anything, i think it would be kinda neat if the u.s. borrowed from the japanese note and added some sort of hologram...maye the federal reserve seal?

 

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