Chris Higgins
New $100 Bill: “Unveiling Video”
by Chris Higgins - April 22, 2010 - 2:09 PM

Okay, so there’s a US government website called newmoney.gov. That’s the first problem. We need a whole website with its own domain name to talk about updated currency? The updated currency that isn’t being released until February of 2011? Okay, I get it, everybody needs a website (although I thought the US Treasury already had one). But what I really don’t get is that you can “Follow the $100 Note Unveiling on the U.S. Currency Social Media Pages [links to Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube].” What is the $100 Note going to post as a status update? “Having an awesome time in your rich friend’s wallet!” I’m really wondering what big news they’re going to unveil between now and February 2011. Should I be a “Fan” of the new money on Facebook? Do I “Like” it?

newmoney.gov also gives us this intense “unveiling video” explaining the “features” of the new $100. I remember when only cars and computers had features.

Don’t miss the Educational Games & Resources page at newmoney.gov, including an interactive video quiz about the new $100 bill. Sorry, “$100 note.” Oh, and here’s the Twitter feed. My favorite update is from April 2: “Are you a fan of U.S. currency? Visit us at the official U.S. Currency Facebook fan page at facebook.com/uscurrency.”

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Comments (10)

  1. It’s like a few years ago when they kept running commercials for the new dollar coin. What were we supposed to do, rush out to the bank and ask for our pay in dollar coins? On the rare occaisions that I came across one, I’d spend it, no big deal. Why do he feel this need to spend all this effort and money on “awareness”?

    posted by PartiallyDeflected on 4-22-2010 at 2:36 pm

  2. Over the last 15 years, the look of our money has changed dramatically. For people who don’t keep up with the newest trends, especially the elderly, the US Treasury Department MUST spread the word often about the new currency. Otherwise, many people may believe it to be counterfeit when it actually does come out.

    posted by AHI on 4-22-2010 at 2:58 pm

  3. @AHI, I don’t know if the elderly are going to be friending the $100 note on Facebook, though.

    posted by Liz on 4-22-2010 at 3:43 pm

  4. As the Fed continues to create money out of thin air, a new bill is released to prevent counterfeiting. Gotta love the humor. And, to boot, Ben Franklin, the inflationist, graces the front of the bill.

    posted by Karen on 4-22-2010 at 6:49 pm

  5. Whoa. That video is crazytown.

    posted by Miss Moneypenny on 4-22-2010 at 7:07 pm

  6. Okay, I get that they need new security “features” on the bills. But what’s up with the glitter? Can someone explain to me why our currency has to look like it was decorated by a class of kindergarteners? I’m just not sure why the money has to look more and more like play money.

    posted by KC on 4-22-2010 at 8:03 pm

  7. The US Treasury lost a lawsuit several years ago, resulting in an order that they were supposed to, eventually, make changes to the currency to make it easier for the blind to distinguish different bills (or “notes”, I suppose). Since that order came down, they’ve changed pretty much every bill at least once, and some of them twice. What gives, treasury? Got something against blind people?

    posted by Jeremy on 4-22-2010 at 10:00 pm

  8. Is it just me, or is it kind of idiotic for a government concerned about counterfeiting to put up videos highlighting all the security features the counterfeiters need to make sure they don’t miss when they print fake bills? *rolling eyes* What really astounds me is that half the places you go these days won’t take cash, including places where you might need $100 for a night, like a Holiday Inn or other hotel. They all want a card, in case you steal something, so they can charge you for it later. Shouldn’t the feds be printing extra secure debit cards for us or something instead? Seems like it would make more sense (though honestly I wish the world would go back to cash and coin — so much more culturally interesting than our silly little plastic cards in our wallets).

    posted by Stacy on 4-23-2010 at 2:40 pm

  9. p.s. What happened to the reCaptcha-s on the comments? Are they gone for good?

    posted by Stacy on 4-23-2010 at 2:41 pm

  10. To learn more about security features, anti-counterfeiting measures and banknotes, visit http://www.globalpapersecurity.com

    posted by Trevor J. Murphy on 4-23-2010 at 3:01 pm

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