MetaFilter posts tagged with money and currency

Use the $2, Track the $2, $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100

MrBCID — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:28:06 -0800

Use the ($2) Two / Track the ($2) Two (and the $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100) One site is dedicated to spreading the $2 bill, the other is dedicated to tracking it (and other denominations too). Two Dollar Bills Considered Unlucky? Every Tuesday is TWOsday!

Design with Currency

Atreides — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:21:14 -0800

"If the Swiss can do it on a regular basis, why can't we North Americans too." The Dollar ReDe$ign Project believes its time for the United States to switch from the old to something new in the field of American currency. As a result, a contest was developed and submissions accepted. They range from the cultural to the cynical, and a salute to American space achievements to update designs to the present content.

Berkshares

kliuless — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:56:38 -0800

The Goat Who Took on the Fed: WSJ's Andy Jordan spends time in the Berkshires to see how locals make the case for "slow money" with their own local currency, "The Berkshare". (previously 1 2 3 4) cf. George Dyson on Exchequer Tallies

As early as the twelfth century it was realized that money, like information but unlike material objects, can be made to exist in more than one place at a single time. An early embodiment of this principle, preceding the Bank of England by more than five hundred years, were Exchequer tallies — notched wooden sticks issued as receipts for money deposited with the Exchequer for the use of the king... Until the Restoration tallies did not bear interest, but in 1660, on the accession of Charles II, interest-bearing tallies were introduced. They were accompanied by written orders of loan which, being made assignable by endorsement, became the first negotiable interest-bearing securities in the English-speaking world. Under pressure of spiraling government expenditures the order of loan was soon joined by an instrument called an order of the Exchequer, drawn not against actual holdings but against future revenue and sold at a discount to the private goldsmith bankers whose hard currency was needed to prop things up. In January 1672, unable to meet its obligations, Charles II declared a stop on the Exchequer. At the expense of the private bankers, this first experiment with derivative financial instruments came to an end. Today's Exchequer, distributed across the global banking network, splits digital tallies by the millions in milliseconds: above human scale in magnitude and beyond human scale in time. High-speed trading programs not only have access to unlimited funding; by dividing time into ever-smaller increments they also, effectively, have access to unlimited time, and, in the words of Ampère, "must then be considered as a single opponent whose fortune is infinite." Can this be stopped? Financial systems exhibit the Gödelian incompleteness characteristic of all sufficiently powerful formal systems: within the given system it is possible to construct statements (or financial instruments) whose value appears to be sound, but cannot be proved within the system itself. No financial system can ever be completely secure and closed. There is no limit to the level of concepts (including fraudulent ones) that an economy is able to comprehend. The system depends on trust. [...] Establishing a bank requires secure information storage to keep accounts, a license from the government (or an entity beyond government), a small amount of capital, and a large amount of trust... We should be less concerned with loss of money and more concerned with loss of trust. If we have to start over with more trust and less money, is this really so bad? ... Charles II had the right idea. He trusted (and endowed) the small group of oddballs who were forming the Royal Society, and put a stop on the Exchequer. If he had rescued the bankers, and ignored William Petty's band of Natural Philosophers, where would we be now?

BONUS

Replacing Scarcity with Trust - Francis Ayley established over a dozen local currencies in the UK before moving to the U.S. He contrasts our standard, scarcity- and debt-based money system with local currencies in which "there's always as much as you need."[1]
Money Monopoly - Marshall Auerback says California is challenging the federal monopoly on money creation: "In effect, what you have is a state of the union creating a sovereign currency right under the noses of Treasury, Fed."
Wealth Inequality - Wolff provides a chart of the share of marketable wealth held by the top percentile in the UK, Sweden, and the US, from 1920 to 1992. The graph is striking: we are roughly back to where we were in 1920 when it comes to wealth inequalities in the United States.[2]
Geithner vs Geithner - If Timothy Geithner is as bad at handling the economy as he is at picking bathroom tiles, he won't need to sell his house.
Alain de Botton on Success and Failure - A kinder, gentler philosophy of success: He makes an eloquent, witty case to move beyond snobbery to find true pleasure in our work.[3]
~~Money~~Monkey Herding Goats - A monkey in India has learned, without any training or supervision, to tend herds of goats, cooperating with a human farmer. Even more amazing: It's a formerly wild monkey who is free to return to the wild at any time.
Pet cat catches the daily bus for four years - "Casper is quite quick for his age so he just hops on to the bus before the doors close. He catches the 10.55am service and likes to sit on the back seat." A spokeswoman for First Bus said the firm has put a notice up in the office asking them to look after the non-paying passenger.[4]

--- [1] Building a Better (Secular) 'Religion' [2] The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class [3] Help a Fellow Out [4] your leisure is my pleasure

alternative currencies

kliuless — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 08:32:36 -0800

Hard up for cash? Roll your own :P just like Walmart and Amazon coexist with Costco and Craigslist, or like closed and open source software and operating (eco)systems often feed off of one another (and keep each other 'honest') to make a more vibrant market (and community), I think having various kinds of 'complementary' currency systems and transaction mechanisms alongside fiat central banking would help encourage and enable a greater multitude of economic activity than is currently the case. like having the right tool (or program) for the right job, I think it only makes sense that some currency systems are better suited for certain applications and activities than others, and people would therefore benefit from having a choice (freedom to choose!) of currency to use and conduct business in... along with, for that matter, what laws and accounting frameworks they are governed by and where they reside (freedom to move ;) [incidentally as it stands, (some) privileged people, corporations and 'capital' already enjoy these freedoms and benefit from practising regulatory arbitrage; I do not see why this cannot be extended to everyone] btw, post inspired by pharm, thanks!

Dollar for Dollar?

jabberjaw — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:59:45 -0800

Stemming from a lawsuit that has gone on for several years, a recent Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. government must make bills with distinguishable tactile features to benefit the blind. While the U.S. government disagrees, the judges say: "The government might as well argue that, since handicapped people can crawl on all fours or ask for help from strangers, there's no need to make buildings wheelchair accessible." Not all blind people agree with the decision. A link to the court decision.

Inflation in Zimbabwe

splatta — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:24:42 -0800

Inflation in Zimbabwe recently reached 160,000%. Get in on the ground floor now by purchasing a $50,000,000 bill (currently selling for 20,000x its value). Dare to become a millionaire!

Cui bono?

Pastabagel — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:41:30 -0800

On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.5%. Wall Street aggressively demanded the cut to stop the sub-prime mortgage contagion from triggering a credit crisis among large US and foreign investment banks and the collapse of their over-leveraged hedge funds, which ultimately threatened to drag the US economy into recession. The market rallied this week in response to the Fed's move. But there is no free lunch. Oil rallied also, to an all-time high of $81/bbl. The rate cut shattered the dollar, sending it to new lows against the Euro and to parity with the Canadian dollar. The falling dollar puts pressure on China, whose dollar-pegged currency has attracted the ire of many US politicians, causing China to threaten the US with the "nuclear option" of diversifying its foreign currency reserves away from the dollar. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia refuses to cut its interest rates in lockstep with the US for the first time ever, signaling that it may break its long standing dollar peg as well. In other words, foreign investors who currently own roughly 50% of the publicly-owned portion of the US national debt may flee the US bond markets. Result? We'll probably slide into recession anyway. But there is a silver lining: it turns out that many of those large investment banks and hedge funds were making far more money than anyone thought all along. Confused? Some background: Currency carry trade - how currencies are related to one another How interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, and trade deficits are interrelated How interest rates and bonds are related Peviously 1 2 3 4

Skylines Carved Into Currency

jonson — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 18:37:19 -0800

Australian art student Nicholas Manion has hit upon a clever idea: delicately cut paper currency forming the skyline of major cities. Via.

Make Your Own Coin

mr_crash_davis — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:39:41 -0800

Online coin generator. Sure, it's in German, but you can figure it out.

cool cash

nickyskye — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:24:24 -0800

Banknote art by Justine Smith. Alternating currency: by Marshall Weber, portraits in money by Mark Wagner, a Ganesh out of Rupee notes by CK Wilde (a spectacular previously). Beautiful banknotes at the World Paper Money Image Gallery. Unusual coins. Unique banknotes, like the 100 Million Dinara note from Croatia. U.S. currency and the pictures behind the portraits. Mildenberg's Dream Collection of Greek Coins at the Money Museum.

Alternative forms of money

Brandon Blatcher — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 10:46:52 -0800

"I'm all outta dollars, you got any Berkshares?" Several Great Barrington, Massachusetts businesses have developed a local currency to promote local business.

Stock Paintings

grapefruitmoon — Sat, 19 May 2007 21:16:55 -0800

Proof that artistic inspiration can come from any walk of life, Anthony White has turned his former life as a stockbroker into inspiration for a series of Stock Code paintings. Also available - paintings depicting different values of British, American, Australian, and Euro currency.[via ArtNews Blog]

Moneygami

jonson — Sun, 06 May 2007 22:44:46 -0800

Moneygami is origami made from U.S. currency; the subtle genius lies in the way the artist incorporates the prints on the dollar bills into the facial characteristics of the finished figures. More moneygami here. Via.

Colonial Currency Exhibit

marxchivist — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 18:49:47 -0800

An online gallery of Colonial American Currency. You can browse by colony. They also have images of early lottery tickets. Plus brief and informative essays on subjects such as The Value of Money in Colonial America. You can also relive the Copper Panic of 1789-1799.

Now That Ain't Workin', That's The Way You Do It

fandango_matt — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 13:19:42 -0800

Art Money is an alternative, worldwide currency in the form of original works of art. The Bank of International Art Money is an independent organization directed by artists and free from any form of government financing.

That's 2 shillings and sixpence in old money

greycap — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 11:56:51 -0800

Ever wondered what old amounts of money would be worth today? Or what you could buy with your current salary if you went back 200, 400, or 600 years? Now you can find out with a tool that converts English currency from 1270 onwards into today's prices. Based on Treasury records, it tells you that Mr Darcy's £10,000 a year would now be worth nearly £350,000, or that your house would only have to be worth the equivalent of £500 now to qualify for the vote after 1832.

Currency Collages

peacay — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 07:40:55 -0800

Currency Collages from CK Wilde of Artichoke Yink Press [via]

Mo' money mo' problems

afx114 — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 13:43:35 -0800

It's all about the Hamiltons. The new US $10 bill makes it's debut on March 2nd, 2006. How will it 'stack up' against other nations' works of art?

Does Your Money Have Wings?

taz — Tue, 10 May 2005 00:44:24 -0800

A cool idea, and a fun allegory: Bird and butterfly collages made with old bank notes (two pages, horizontal scrolling). Click the images to view larger versions and see the notes that were used (scroll down). More here without the note source info.

From Now On, The First Thing To Tell Your Kids When You Want Them To Do Yard Work

Joey Michaels — Wed, 27 Apr 2005 14:25:23 -0800

Buried Treasure Found In Backyard. (Google cache) "The men were digging holes to plant trees in a friend's back yard when Crebase hit a wooden crate buried less than a foot below the surface. Inside were seven rusted cylindrical cookie tins, including one where 'National Biscuit Company,' and the word 'Ginger,' were legible through the thick rust. They flipped one of the tops, which was fastened with two hooks, and found it 'jammed' with the money."

What up, money?

gwint — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 08:17:56 -0800

Paper currency gallery. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

Euro's rise raises 'catastrophic' fears

Postroad — Fri, 24 Dec 2004 17:02:29 -0800

Euro's rise raises 'catastrophic' fears The euro rose on Thursday, topping $1.35 for the first time ever, amid speculation that the United States would not act to counter the dollar's decline. . "If we remain in a situation without any coordination, we can imagine a catastrophic situation" for the global economy, Finance Minister Hérve Gaymard of France told manufacturers during a factory visit Thursday in Strasbourg

New Nickels

ewkpates — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 12:02:46 -0800

New Nickels On The Way! My metafilter loving friend Jeff says, "Why bother." I'm excited about it though. I've got lots of change from everywhere. Am I barely qualified to do laundry around the world, or is it pretty neat that foreign money looks fake? Is Jeff right? Is small change a waste of time? Can you judge a state by its quarter?

Currency Den

hama7 — Mon, 23 Feb 2004 07:20:15 -0800

Currency Den.

Martin on the Money

Vidiot — Mon, 19 Jan 2004 17:56:18 -0800

Put MLK on the $20 Bill. Conservatives have clamored to put Ronald Reagan on the dime or the $10 bill. One outfit wants to name something after Reagan in each of the US's counties. Why not put one of "the greatest moral leaders of the 20th century" on one of our most commonly used pieces of currency instead? (Better to have King on the $20 than Andrew Jackson, whose unconstitutional Indian Removal policy created the "Trail of Tears.")