More Ugly Money from the U.S. Treasury

Submitted by Leo Klein on Sun, 4/6/08 (12:26am)

I really think the US Mint (coins) and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (dollar bills) have lost the art of designing money. The fine detail and overall sense of composition that used to distinguish our currency is now no more.

Case in point is the new $5 dollar bill with that big ugly purple '5'. It looks like they just got out a huge rubber stamp and banged away.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing praises this as "Safer, Smarter, More Secure". Apparently 'visually impressive' so it conveys -- who knows? -- the idea of actually being worth something is no longer a requirement.

Meanwhile someone has created a website called "Get Helvetica Off Our Money."

Topic:

Design

Dept. of Bad Ideas

2 comments

Hmm. Considering the fact that the big, purple, Helvetica numeral on the back of the new $5 bill is intended to help people with vision impairments keep from getting ripped off, I find your complaints rather glib. What, is it just me?

Glib? Well, the notion that this is the only way to solve the problem is, shall we say, a bit narrow. Actually I'd go further, it's a joke.