Ok so Mr. Harper announced that Canada is taking the polymer plunge. That caused me to ask myself if the US would ever do likewise. Then I started to ask myself what will be the state of US money in 10 years. So the cynical side of me says: 1. The US government will spends millions of dollars on studies which all conclude that polymer banknotes are more secure and last much longer and make complete sense. However, those with interests in cloth paper for bills will hire lobbyists and Congress will stall any efforts to switch to polymer on the grounds that worthless paper fiat money is key to the cultural heritage of the US, democracy, etc. 2. Because of security concerns, the paper US bills will be revised 5 times in the next decade. However, North Korea will successfully print $37 trillion worth of 2020 series notes before the design is even released to the public. 3. If any polymer notes are made, they will only be available to collectors in sets for 5 times face value. The Fed will be banned from distributing them to banks because... "the American public will not accept plastic money". The polymer notes will be stored in a warehouse for 19 years before the idea is revisited. 4. The US Mint will still be fretting over how to get the $1 coins to circulate. Yet the $1 bill will still be produced - in paper of course. 5. Rising costs will cause the cent to be changed to a plastic disc painted brown to look like a cent. Congress will still be debating the merits of continuing to make cents. 6. Even though a Happy Meal at McDonald's will cost $37, the cent will still be relevant because wages and social security benefits will still be the same as now - no increases. 7. HSN will proclaim the 2020 will be the last year of satin finish coins for US mint sets. Even though the mint has a warehouse with a million uncirculated sets for sale for $150 each, you should still buy mint sets from HSN for $500 each because they will be rare and valuable someday. 8. The National Parks Quarter program will be winding down. So the US Mint will be starting the new Highways to Hope Quarter Program. Every state, county and local road in America will get its own quarter. That means 52 new quarters every year for 200 years. 9. The mint promises that a standard quarter design will return in the year 2220. 10. The Highways to Hope quarters will each be accompanied by a one metric tonne gold bullion coin. 11. Due to the continued, sustained demand for gold and silver bullion, proof American Eagle coins will still not be available. 12. The US Mint computer system will suddenly process all of the "lost orders" for Lincoln Coin and Chronicle Sets back in 2009. Since there are none to send out anymore, the mint fulfillment center will send out ziploc baggies with 4 beat up old memorial cents rather than refund all the mistaken charges. 13. I still will not have seen a 2009 cent in circulation anywhere. 14. There will probably still be more wheat cents in circulation than shield cents. Any others? :bow:
It,s really anybody,s guess what will happen to money in the future But wait a minute let me consult my Crystal Ball
I had a nice chuckle with this post. Some of it is probably gonna happen, like the Highway Quarters....Cant wait to get the 405 freeway here in L.A.
Congress will pass a law for the striking of a $1 commemorative honoring the mint. It will have a large ? on the obverse, an appropriate design based on it's total mintage, which will not be released to the public through official mint records. It will be weakly struck on the obverse and mistakenly printed with the reverse of the 1878 Morgan Silver Dollar. Over 3.2 million of these will be shipped before the error is discovered.
mlmummert: Run a search for keyword "polymer" in CoinTalk's Paper Money section using the search tool above. There are several recent theads worth reading on the move to polymer notes being issued by treasuries around the world. Here are a few... Canada to make plastic bills Polymer $1 & $2 bills: The solution to $1 bills wearing out too fast? Brand New Mexican Commemorative Banknotes for 2010
The vast majority of transactions will be Virtual Money, which exists only in accounts - just like now. It will continue to get better, faster, more secure, more widely accepted, and more pervasive. And that is a good thing. All the meaningless nonsense about the cost of making 1c coins, dollar notes v dollar coins, and paper v polymer will still be going on. Those issues will still have almost zero effect on anyone's life... and yet some will get really excited. Yawn.
Had a good laugh too. Now as for "your" quarter, what do you mean you cannot wait? With the 405, you will just have to ... Christian
Small correction to #8, the Parks quarter program will not be winding down in 2020, it will just be reaching it's mid-point because in 2018 the Sec of Treas decided to exercise his option to do a second run through the states. Rather than delay the Highways quarters, they will be switched over to the dime. This provides an added benefit in that the small size of the dime makes the design process much simpler. The sign with the highway number will be large enough to make any other design details unnecessary.
