Quote: zooo @ 20th September 2018, 9:01 AMAre your notes still all the same colour?
They've all been the same green for more than a century, but over the last 10 years or so they've started adding colors, shading, and other security features to all but the $1 and $2 notes. You can see how they've changed over the years here:
https://www.uscurrency.gov/denominations
They're all still the same size, however.
Ooh, thanks. I like the purple on the 5.
I had no idea there was a $2 note.
Quote: zooo @ 20th September 2018, 1:25 PMI had no idea there was a $2 note.
You'll almost never see one in circulation. They used to be popular at racetracks for $2 bets, but I doubt they're still used there. Some people ask for them at banks to use as gifts (tooth fairy, etc.) for kids because they're unusual and likely to be saved.
$2 bills are a bit more uncommon than dollar coins. The only place you'll typically get a dollar coin is at a government post office stamp vending machine. Put in $20 to buy a book of stamps and you get a pocketful of coins that nobody wants to use. Now that most machines also accept debit/credit cards there's not much use for the coins anymore.
The government has been pushing the dollar coins as a cost saving measure for almost 40 years, but the public resists them. The main complaints are that nobody wants a pocketful of heavy change and the fact that vending machines and cash register drawers would have to be reworked.
Sooner or later we'll get rid of the 1-cent coins. They're practically worthless and they literally cost more to make than they're worth. We should probably get rid of the 5-cent coin, too, and round everything to the nearest 10 cents. While we're at it, the 50-cent coin is HUGE and almost never used. It should be redesigned.
I've always wished we had £1 notes. Change gets so heavy it's ridiculous.
Quote: DaButt @ 20th September 2018, 2:56 AMDefinitely not, as far as coins are concerned. I've never heard of anyone counterfeiting any coin other than a rare, collectible one. We have dollar coins and 50-cent pieces, but they are rare as hens' teeth when it comes to circulation. I doubt I see one of either denomination most years.
' '''''Wow. I guess people could do the same thing with our $1 coins, but it's hard enough getting the real things accepted at a store. A young cashier is likely to ask for managerial assistance if handed one. At least the newer ones are bronze colored, the originals looked very similar to a 25-cent coin and were often accepted as such.
Hand someone a $2 bill and their eyes will bug out. Sometimes they'll even try to give you change for a $20 note.
I actually have a "Silver Dollar" coin here in the UK, acquired one one of my trips to the USA back in the 70's. As far as I recall it was given to me as change in 'normal' circulation. It's much bigger than a 25c coin though.
I just tried to find it, I put it in the same folder as my UK Millenium Crown coin, but I can't find it off hand. I have put it somewhere safe, but can't recall where. 
Quote: billwill @ 20th September 2018, 5:00 PMI actually have a "Silver Dollar" coin here in the UK, acquired one one of my trips to the USA back in the 70's. As far as I recall it was given to me as change in 'normal' circulation. It's much bigger than a 25c coin though.(
It's probably an Eisenhower dollar coin. They were huge (even bigger than the 50-cent piece) and were minted between 1971 and 1978. The reverse featured an eagle flying over the Moon. During the bicentennial year in 1976 it featured the Liberty Bell over the Moon. Prior to the current small, gold-colored dollar coin (featuring Sacajawea) there was a small, silver-looking coin featuring Susan B. Anthony, that was often mistaken for a quarter. It began production in 1979, I think.
Prior to the Eisenhower, there was a period of about 40 years where no dollar coins were minted. The last were the Peace dollars in the 1920s and 1930s. It's one of my favorite coin designs.
A friend gave me a silver dollar when I visited New York in 95 but I can't remember what was on it. It was shiny and in very good condition so I'm kicking myself for not taking care of it. I kept it in a small box full other coins and left it in the parents garage for years and I'm not sure it's even there anymore. I wouldn't care about the financial value of it but it was a gift from a good family friend and he would love it if I found it and posted a picture on facebook. I've also seen some silver dollar coins selling for tens of thousands on Pawn Stars. There are some minted with an M stamped on them that can be very valuable. Makes you wonder how many times we handle valuable currency and spend it without realising. There were some 20p coins minted that don't have the date on them and they can get thousands but after a short craze I don't think anyone checks every 20p they get anymore.
Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 20th September 2018, 10:10 PMI've also seen some silver dollar coins selling for tens of thousands on Pawn Stars. There are some minted with an M stamped on them that can be very valuable.
I don't recall a mint that used an M as a mint mark. Silver dollars with a Carson City (CC) mint marks can be very valuable.
The U.S. stopped minting silver coins for general circulation after 1964. My father was stationed in Las Vegas from 1957-8 to support dozens of above-ground nuclear tests. Back then the slot machines used actual silver dollars, so he started collecting every one which was dated prior to 1900. He amassed 1200 of them and many were Carson City coins. When he shipped off to the Pacific (more nukes) they were too heavy and bulky, so he traded them in for paper notes. That stash would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars today.
My neighbour steals my feather collection. Really gets me down.
Quote: zooo @ 20th September 2018, 4:51 PMI've always wished we had £1 notes. Change gets so heavy it's ridiculous.
Are you being serious?
Maybe....
If you are we used to have them. I think the Scotch and Manx still have one.
No, we no longer have pound notes, sadly.
I have vague memories of having £1 notes as they didn't go out of circulation until 1984.
I've just noticed the new £5 and £10 notes no longer have those coloured symbols that were used to help identify them.
Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 21st September 2018, 9:24 PMI have vague memories of having £1 notes as they didn't go out of circulation until 1984.
I've just noticed the new £5 and £10 notes no longer have those coloured symbols that were used to help identify them.
I think they now have tiny protrusions like braille in a pattern (though it is not an actual braille character).This can be done now that the note is plastic, when they were paper the markers would get flattened.
Online forms that don't like an answer you gave and reset the whole form back to blank.
Trying to renew my car insurance and I spend 10 minutes filling in my details - press submit and the form clears
with the message 'we don't have any record of that email address'
You bleedin sent me an email to that address to renew my insurance.
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 24th September 2018, 8:11 AMOnline forms that don't like an answer you gave and reset the whole form back to blank.
Trying to renew my car insurance and I spend 10 minutes filling in my details - press submit and the form clears
with the message 'we don't have any record of that email address'
You bleedin sent me an email to that address to renew my insurance.
