Refacing government tender
April 30, 2008 12:12 PM   Subscribe

Refacing government tender It's not all about making George Washington smoke pot.
Some notables: The Anti-Lincoln.
Peanut butter washington
THIS IS JACKSONNNNN
posted by boo_radley (22 comments total) 17 users marked this as a favorite
 
I really like these, especially the Lincoln one. I think I'd have a healthier relationship with money if our currency was way crazier looking.
posted by Divine_Wino at 12:20 PM on April 30, 2008 [2 favorites]


Just for the record, "government tender" is nonsensical. The word "tender" on the bills refers to "something that may be offered in payment" (m-w, tender(5.3)). "Legal tender" is used to refer to the fact that it's legal to offer to pay debts in US currency.

"Government tender" would suggest that it's something that the government is offering to pay a debt to the author. It just doesn't make sense as a phrase. It's like the difference between "legal checks" and "government checks." The government cuts checks--those are "government checks"--but most checks in circulation aren't "government checks."

Alternatively, the government does tender bids for contracts or performance on contracts all the time. Those are also "government tenders" but probably not what the author had in mind.
posted by Leon-arto at 12:20 PM on April 30, 2008


Awesome. Emo Lincoln and Boom Headshot Lincoln are the best.
posted by bondcliff at 12:22 PM on April 30, 2008


This is fantastic. I wanted to link to a really good one, but most of them are pretty damn good. Thanks for this.
posted by uncleozzy at 12:22 PM on April 30, 2008


United States Code
TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 17 - COINS AND CURRENCY
§ 333. Mutilation of national bank obligations

“Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or
unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill,
draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking
association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System,
with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence
of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”


Uh-oh.
posted by Dr-Baa at 12:33 PM on April 30, 2008


(also, you shouldn't cut tags off mattresses)
posted by Dr-Baa at 12:34 PM on April 30, 2008


I thought
TMN Lincoln and
Rainbow Brite Hamilton were the best, myself.
posted by mdn at 12:37 PM on April 30, 2008


Prior art.
posted by yhbc at 12:40 PM on April 30, 2008 [8 favorites]


Those nickels are incredible!
posted by Dr-Baa at 12:42 PM on April 30, 2008


those are awesome, yhbc.
posted by boo_radley at 12:43 PM on April 30, 2008


with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence
of debt unfit to be reissued


There's the important part. There is nothing about this that makes the money unfit as to be used as money.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:48 PM on April 30, 2008


There is nothing about this that makes the money unfit

Besides, you'd still have to prove intent. I plead ignorance.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:00 PM on April 30, 2008


Legal or not, is it spendable? Because I don't think stores will take defaced money where I live. I only have anecdotal evidence for it, but I can say I've never seen money in circulation here that has been written on. I think you'd have to go to the bank to get rid of it, and they might not be happy about it.
posted by pracowity at 1:26 PM on April 30, 2008


Don't you live in Poland, pracowity? How many US dollars are in circulation there anyway?
posted by Pollomacho at 1:28 PM on April 30, 2008


Emo Lincoln. Christ, I just crapped myself. Joe D for President.
posted by VicNebulous at 1:45 PM on April 30, 2008


I used to do something similar when bored at the bar, typically I tried to give George on the $1 dreadlocks, sunglasses, and a goatee.

I still think it's a better look for him.

Those nickels are indeed amazing.
posted by quin at 2:31 PM on April 30, 2008


Super Mario Lincoln is the best Lincoln.
posted by Hugonaut at 2:38 PM on April 30, 2008


I only have anecdotal evidence for it, but I can say I've never seen money in circulation here that has been written on.

That has been written on at all? The white out and intensive blacking out of faces and stuff may be harder to bear, but drawing mustaches or glasses on presidents is as old as money with presidents on it. I have definitely written & drawn on money and then spent it... back when I had a zine I used to regularly rubber-stamp money that passed through my hands with certain words & images related to that project.

money is money as long as both parties agree it is... you might not even notice images like this in between other bills - same shape, same size, edges look the same, so it all works fine. It's only under scrutiny that you worry whether other people will accept it and therefore whether you should accept it. But if everyone else shrugs about it, you would be comfortable shrugging about it too - so long as we were sure the money started as government issued currency, then it is imbued with value, ie, earned rather than produced by the citizens who spend it. The only rational reason to be hesitant is if this would make it easier for people to counterfeit gov't issue money.
posted by mdn at 2:39 PM on April 30, 2008


How many US dollars are in circulation there anyway?

Not as many now because they are worth less and less, but US dollars used to be popular, not to spend in the stores, which of course can't take them, but to hedge against inflation and shove under the mattress and so on. And they're always unmarked, like the Polish money. In the only case I happen to know of someone writing something funny on a US 20, the exchange offices didn't want it and the guy had to go begging at the bank, which he said also gave him a hard time.
posted by pracowity at 3:19 PM on April 30, 2008


Emo Linclon - yes.
posted by Marla Singer at 8:07 PM on April 30, 2008


See, this one references modern photoshopping while itself being low-tech photoshopping. Never mind cellophaned abortions and Real Dolls, this is art, in large part because dude didn't have to go and put a few lengthy paragraphs of text next to the picture to impart that notion to me.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 12:02 AM on May 1, 2008 [1 favorite]


Some 4channers are spending Lioncash by the hundreds (dozens?)

uhgawd why and how do I know this
posted by thedaniel at 1:27 AM on May 1, 2008


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