http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29385566/ Authorities say an antique $1,000 bill proved the downfall of three teenagers on the run in Michigan. The Kalamazoo County sheriff's department said the trio stole a safe containing antique money from one of the youth's parents. The Kalamazoo Gazette and the Birmingham News said they drove a stolen van to Birmingham, Alabama, where an 18-year-old tried to exchange the $1,000 bill Thursday at a Service First Bank branch. The U.S. Treasury stopped printing $1,000 bills in 1945, so the bank called police. Officers arrested the teen and two 15-year-old companions.
Yet another example of potty thieves failing to recognize the value of their loot beyond its face value. How many times have we heard of thieves spending silver dollars, rare coins or obsolute currency for beer and cigarettes?
Glad they caught them, but why would the bank call the police merely for trying to use the $1000 bill? It is still legal tender right? SOunds like there must be more to the story.
Exactly my thoughts. I know little about paper currency but I thought that the only bill that isn't really legal tender any more (or ever was?) is the $100,000 bill.
there must be more to the story. If a teller gets a 1000, they might not even recognize it.. we are collectors, so we know of them. Not all bank tellers are all that knowledgeable about the history of currency. So not ever seeing a not like that .. You might automatically think its fake ... if it were me, and i didnt think it was real, i might question the customer ... depending hon how 'fishy' they act... police is always 1 short call away! hard time is not good enough any more, im sorry to say... Alot of states have these state of the art facilities that resemble more of a resort then prison... hard labor... thats more of a detterent. . but i digress into a polictical realm.. my apologies
Knowing how young the kids were and how old the $1000 bill was....I would call the cops to make sure it wasn't stolen. Correct the $100,000 bill was only used for bank transactions.
The bank teller(s) did a fine job. Sure "technically" one can spend a $1000 note but does anyone here see them in everyday transactions on a daily basis? We no longer circulate anything higher than a $100 note largely due to the drug trade. A $500 or higher denomination note is a sure tip off. Look at it this way. If I wander into a bank with a St. Gaudens and ask for 20 Sacagaweas do you think it would raise a few eyebrows? Hey, they're legal tender too. These idiots should do time for more than just theft. Is there a "blatantly stupid" charge they can nail them on?
These guys are geniuses compared to Alice Regina Pike, a 35-year-old Georgia woman who tried to pass a $1,000,000 bill at a Walmart. Beyond the stupidity of expecting anyone to think it was real, she seemed to be under the impression that the cashier would be able to give her $998,328.45 in change for her $1671.55 purchase. see http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/fakemillion1.html
Haha that's hilarious. Do they come anymore stupider? I sure am glad they got those dumb@$$ robbers. Hope they get what they deserve. My dad was just telling me a story about when my great grandmas coffee can of Morgan dollars was stolen while they were on a trip and a week before it was stolen her son showed one of his friends the Morgans. Never trust teenagers. Except me
