I'm curious if there's any actual silver or gold-embedded paper money. I've seen some bills with after market silver and gold foil layered on top, but is there any currency where silver/gold is "sandwiched" between paper by the mint (anywhere in the world)? I know the gold and silver content won't be significant, and I'm not sure how much of the luster can be seen through the paper... and it may be a gimmick, but it would be neat to know if there are any. Thanks in advance!
I don't know of any actual government that has made anything like this, but this is the closest thing that I can think of. http://www.papergold.com
Models of so-called "digital paper" technology have been around for quite a few years. This BBC article I read and bookmarked long ago, goes back to 2007. Talking paper made by scientists. Embedding technology into paper (or cloth, clothes, etc.) which is a big area of research and development with the push towards wearable tech, would almost ensure precious metals are/will be used in paper and it could certainly be conceivably used in currency, though I doubt any will be developed due to the costs of the current technology. IF secure 3D printing that enables mass production of currency with such technology built in, that seems entirely within the realm of future potential, though all hinges on actual need and whether physical cash is even relevant at that point in time. Perhaps you already know of the Valcombi cards introduced a few years back, credit card sized 1 gram bars you can snap off and use in transactions.
I know that they have the technology to do it, the hundred dollar notes have the hologram foil thingy on it, it is even embedded in part of the note. I'm just not sure that anyone would want to put gold in paper money for general circulation, maybe for special notes just for collectors but that is a different story.
How about any one-off silverpoint paper or bank notes? Silver wire/rod was used since ancient times to draw (manually by hand, not by any sort of press to my knowledge, so it's not practical for widespread use). It doesn't erase, at least not at all easily, so it should last a long time depending on the note material. In fact, many of Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael's drawings were silverpoint and they're still in existence today. Maybe some bank or mint over the centuries made one (?). Maybe even just silverpoint signatures on paper notes. Some of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings with silverpoint:
Nothing like that. Silver point is an antiquated rendering method, but about the equivalent of asking if gold or silver leaf has ever been applied to bank notes. Both are simply not secure, as bank notes are designed for security and to avoid the necessity of physically trading physical commodities such as gold and silver. Now, there is a clever instrument for computer and electrical engineers, and perhaps artists alike, in the tool known as Circuit Scribe. The Silver Institute has helped to promote the development of this device, but I think like most things, it would not be useful nor secure for application on securities. Still, it's brilliant and just as beautiful as silver point ever was, at least to me it is.
