Talked to the BEP about the new $100 bill, the $2 bill and the next currency redesign

I was bored a couple days ago, and seeing as I read on the Where's George? main public forum that NO new colorized $100 bills were printed in fiscal year 2011, due to the BEP having to work out that problem for the creasing of the paper when the $100s were being printed, which I was VERY disappointed about, and they said that they are NOW planning to print enough new $100s to meet the demand in fiscal year 2012, but the people on Where's George? were saying to keep our fingers crossed for a 2013 release date, which I hope is not true. Well, a couple days ago, I called the BEP out of a combination of boredom and curiousity, and asked them if they will be releasing the new $100 bills in before 2013, and their response was "That is unknown at this time" and I said, "Well, isn't another currency redesign coming soon? I mean, its been almost 10 years since this redesign started, and it has been stated that the currency is to be redesigned every 7-10 years" and the lady said "Yes there will be another redesign starting soon" and I asked "Do you know when?" and she said, "That is also unknown at this time" and I said "Well they better get that new $100 bill out soon, so that it can circulate for a while before that denomination is redesigned again. Oh, and does the next currency redesign require features for the visually impaired?" and she said "Yes, it does" and I said, "Well, I had one more question. My family both immediate and extended, on both sides, are visually impaired, and most of us wear glasses, except for the few who got lasik eye surgery, so, are there any plans to redesign the $2 bill for features for the visually impaired as well? Because the current $2 bill looks an awful lot like the current $1 bill, and I know they are not planning on changing the $1 bill, due to the fact that it would cost businesses too much to upgrade for a new design $1 bill" and she said, "It is also unknown at this time if they will make any changes to the $2 bill for the visually impaired" and I said "Well, I was hoping they would redesign it and put some bigger numbers on it, and I even had the vending industry agree with me, that a new $2 bill design should be released with the next new $5 bill design, so that they could program all of their machines to take new $2 bills when they program them to take the new $5 bills, but uh, anyway, thanks for the information" and she said "Thank you, and have a nice day" and I just said "You too. Bye" End of story.

But hey, about the $2 bill being involved in the next currency redesign, I must say that I was very glad to hear the line "It is unknown at this time if they will redesign the $2 bill for features for the visually impaired" instead of the usual "No, there are no plans to redesign the $2 bill" line that I heard in the past, before the American Council of the Blind got on the government's rear ends about all U.S. currency being discrimitory towards the blind and visually impaired. :thumb: And the law that was passed DID state ALL denominations EXCEPT the $1 bill MUST be redesigned to include features for the blind and the visually impaired, so, that SHOULD include the $2 bill, you would think. Because the currenct $2 bill discriminates against the blind and visually impaired just as any other denomination would, currently. I just hope the Treasury does NOT just decide to quit making $2 bills to avoid the bother of redesigning them.

 

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Hey, the next currency redesign will probably start after the Presidential election, right? Would that be a good time to pick up the fight for $200, $500, and $1,000 bills again? After the election? Because I figure a lot of people say that coin and currency redesign and reissue issues are minor concerns now, and will not be taken seriously, until after something as important as Decission 2012. And also, with a new currency redesign coming, that may be a prime time to take advantage of advocating new large denominations again, right?

Hey, thought I'd seperate this paragraph in another post so that it might get more attention.

 

The $2 bill will not be redesigned even if it is going to be used in everyday use, which is highly unlikely. It is a low-denomination bill, and it wouldn't be counterfeited. Nobody (except collectors) use it in daily use. It would be a waste of money, effort, and time to redesign it. It won't happen.

 

Look at the post better. The $2 bill would POSSIBLY have to be redesigned BY LAW PASSED FOR FEATURES FOR THE VISSUALLY IMPAIRED AND BLIND *NOT* ANTI-COUNTERFEITING MEASURES.

I'm NOT "shouting" with those "caps". Just pointing out your error and misunderstanding of my post. And also, if they are not redesigning the $2 bill just because it is not counterfeited, why are they redesigning certain coins, I mean, who counterfeits pennies? I know they were commemorating the 100th aniversery of the Lincoln cent and Lincoln's 200th birthday, but, if thats the case, why couldn't they have commemorated the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase on the back of a newly redesigned $2 bill with an updated front as well, and they could have done some beautiful artwork on the back of the $2 bill when they printed them in 2003 (the year of the bicentennial), much more beautiful art than on a coin. And if the $2 bill is not worth redesigning, why was the back of it redesigned in 1976?

It would likely only cost the government $500,000 to $1,000,000 (one million dollars) to redesign the the $1 and $2 bills a piece (to do the artwork and print the first batch of redesigned bills), according to a middle school, trying to pass a $1 bill redesign Act called the "Liberty Dollar Bill Act" and due to the cost of only redesigning the bills just to make the currency uniformed, and not add many, if any security features at all to those two lowly denominations, that two million dollars (tops) is not going to make or break the government. The $1 bill is just not redesigned, due to costs to small businesses, who could care less if the $2 bill is redesigned, however, obviously, since, although Congress always blocks a $1 bill redesign by law, they never block any redesigns of the $2 bill.

 

I don't mean any offense, but I laughed when I read this. I guess I am getting old in that the currency I grew up with was ALL like the one dollar bill in regard to general design. Back in the old days you had to pay close attention to the designs. All the faces were black and all the backs were green. No fancy designs, colors, oversized portraits, etc.

 

Ha! Ha! Ha! Exactly. I remember those days quite well, and had I known they were not going to redesign the $1 and $2 bills, I wish they would have NEVER would have redesigned ANY of the denominations of currency we have, because its too odd. We have two designs circulating. Old $1 and $2 bills, and new $$2-50 and $100s coming soon (I hope) and we ALMOST got stuck with THREE circulating designs. Remember, there were no plans to redesign the $5 bill to colorize it like the $10-$100, so we could have had small head $1 and $2 bills, non-colorized big head $5 bills and colorized big head $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills, which would have been rediculous, in my opinion.