Show Me Mo Money

We could all use some extra cash to help us get away this summer. I would like to showcase Will's Online World Paper Money Gallery as a source for inspiration for your travels or to make some play money for those iou's to friends. The site has a vast collection of bills from around the world with good scans to get your designs going. If you seek out additional resources please follow up with link to an earlier post.

F*ck You. Pay Me.

2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo.

Enjoy and learn from this informative video from the CreativeMorning - San Francisco talk by Mike Monteiro of Mule Design Studio. Now go out and do some work so you can get paid.

Money To Inspire

Last week I blogged about Stamps to Insprire, going with the theme of how countries brand themselves, you should check out this site, Banknotes.com. The site is full of examples of currency from all around the world. Every continent is covered including Antarctica. Who knew money was printed for Antarctia? The site is composed of great images for reference and history. Banknotes.com is definitely worth some exploration for inspiration.

A New Design For $100

Officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the United States Secret Service unveiled a new design for the $100 note late last week. The new design is pack full of features to help prevent counterfeiters in there endless pursuit of printing. Some of the newest features include 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell. The blue 3-D Security Ribbon on the front of the new $100 note contains images of bells and 100s that move and change from one to the other as you tilt the note. The Bell in the Inkwell on the front of the note is another new security feature. The bell changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, an effect that makes it seem to appear and disappear within the copper inkwell. The new design for the $100 note retains three effective security features from the previous design: the portrait watermark of Benjamin Franklin, the security thread, and the color-shifting numeral 100. To see a video that the Treasury made about the new $100, go to this link at YouTube.

The Treasury should have taken a look at some of the great work at the Dollar ReDesign Project when designing. The Treasury continues to disappoint with a cohesive design that is both safe and aesthetic. The Treasury continues to pop in feature after feature but the results continue to give us currency that disappoints. I have to believe that our great country, full of great designers can come up with a solution that both protects and inspires. The US is built on a principal of inspiring, a country like no other, where you can come as a body builder and become a governor. I look forward to the day where design is used to help with the security, a day where aesthetic inspire and keeps the currency safe too. Design can do this, a new design should do this.

The new design $100 note will be issued on February 10, 2011. Look for it at an ATM near you.

Show Me The Money

The theory is that design can help to bring about a change. Seem right to me. To put the theory to a test, Richard Smith, a designer in New York, decided with the economy in the tanks, it was time to redesign the US $1 bill. The idea was started and has taken off in the form of the Dollar ReDe$ign Project. Many designs are wonderful and serious but humor pops up at times in several of designs. If you have your own designs, send it along to the site, as more are welcome. See more and learn more about this project to give us all a new look, new pride, and new hope through the redesign of the dollar bill. A short video interview with Richard Smith about this project can be viewed below. The Dollar ReDe$ign Project can be viewed at this link.

Le Freak C'est Chic - Dutch Architecture 5 Euro Coin Design - Part 3

The finish off the day with the economy, I found this wonderful design for a Dutch 5 Euro Coin that commemorates Architecture. This beautiful design was completed by Dutch artist, Stani Michiels. The face of the coin is a portrait of the Dutch Queen Beatrix and constructed with names of important Dutch architects. The reverse face of the coin is designed to be symbolic of a book shelf that rises like the abundant of great writing on the architects. Read about the whole design process which is fascinating at Stani Michiels website. The coins are available from the Dutch Mint. A great example of design making our everyday world beautiful.

Le Freak C'est Chic - Coins of the World - Part 2

In addition to bills, coins have some unique designs. The design of coins have continued to evolve over time to tell the history and traditions of the cultures. Many countries including the US with the 50 state quarters and the new president dollars have found that design can be profit maker. To view coins from around the world be sure to check out the worldcoingallery.com.(images via worldcoingallery.com)

Le Freak C'est Chic - World Currency - Part 1

Keeping with the economy and recovery theme for the week, you need to check out this website with images of world currency, banknotes.com. The site breaks down by continents and countries bank notes from around the world. The gallery is composed of thousands of images and shows the great design that goes into some bank notes. The images are made up of current bank notes and historical notes. It is fascinating to look at the variety of designs from around the world. Click around, enjoy and hope our pockets don't feel as empty soon.
(all images via banknotes.com)

The NEW Color of Money

The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing is issuing a “NEW” design for the $5 Bill today. The “NEW” $5 Bill will have many of the features we have seen in the past such watermarks and security threads. You will notice a second watermark is added in this new bill to go with the enhanced portrait of Abraham Lincoln but the most notable change is a LARGE 5 on the back of the bill in purple. The USBEP calls this the Low-Vision Feature. “The large, easy-to-read number "5" in the lower right corner on the back of the bill, which helps those with visual impairments distinguish the denomination, is now enlarged in the new $5 bill design and printed in high-contrast purple ink.”

I am not sure who is making the design decisions in Washington DC these days. This new Low-Vision feature is just ugly. Take a look at the purple color, the scale and sans serif font choice of the 5. I think a black would have worked for the 5. I know green would have worked (a dark green for contrast of course). Some how I am also sure the scale issue could have been resolved so the visually impaired could still see a 5. How about a font that compliments the currency’s design and does not look like it was cut and pasted from a Euro bill? I remember when U.S. currency was known as “green backs”. Maybe I am dating myself with that term and will be thankful for the new design when my vision fails for the LARGE PURPLE backed 5. Until then, I hope this design will not bring the dollar down further on the world market. I was hoping for a trip to Europe soon.