What would people think if the US started doing this

I think the large size currency had much more interesting designs.

I also believe now that we have the smaller currency, if we went back to the
large size currency, it would cost the government more, but would also be
more bulky and harder to handle, so we would have to keep the smaller size
currency.

But, is there any law that prohibits the US Treasury from "reviving" old
designs? What if suddenly we (not you or me, that's illegal started
printing out, say 1869 Legal Tender designs. Those had color.

Anybody have thoughts as to how the people we perceive these old designs
(not just this example, but everything) if they found them in their own
pocket.

Personally, I don't think many people would like them. Anybody who is under
75 can't even remember the large sized notes (as it was 75 years ago that we
started making small sized notes, and even if large notes circulated for
years after, a senior citizen who have to go deep back to their early
childhood to remember them, at a point where they were likely not to be
handling much money to begin with). We had some really nice designs....and
I (for one) am getting quite tired of these notes that have only recently
(within the last 7 years) gotten a face lift, but now look sort of
ridiculous. Our $1 hasn't changed much at all (a motto added....) in 75
years! Perhaps the only thing that has had a longer run is the Lincoln
cent, but even that is sort of divided during 1959 when we stopped with the
wheat back and added the memorial, which is now 45 years old.

"Anonymous Joe" wrote:

But, is there any law that prohibits the US Treasury from "reviving" old
designs?

I don't know.

What if suddenly we (not you or me, that's illegal started
printing out, say 1869 Legal Tender designs. Those had color.

Well, if that were to happen, they'd be Federal Reserve Notes using the 1869
Legal Tender designs, with appropriate modifications for such use.


Personally, I don't think many people would like them. Anybody who is under
75 can't even remember the large sized notes snip.

Anybody who has even the remotest aesthetic sense would welcome practically
anything to replace what we have now.

We had some really nice designs....and I (for one) am getting quite tired of
these notes that have only recently (within the last 7 years) gotten a face
lift, but now look sort of ridiculous.

They looked ridiculous to begin with! The earlier small-size designs (as boring
as they may have been) still had quite a bit of class. Nothing wrong with those
designs. Sure, it was time for a substantial (perhaps even drastic) change, but
I don't think there was anything preventing them from keeping subsequent
designs in that general style.
Black fronts and green backs don't make money look American to me. It's the
symmetry and general Rococo appearance of the engraving, with all of its
intricate scrollwork and classical motifs. Red, yellow, blue, or even brown
backs in the "old style" would look much more American than these sorry excuses
we have for greenbacks (but hey, a $100 note of any sort is always welcome).

Our $1 hasn't changed much at all (a motto added....) in 75
years!

Take a closer look. The back is completely different from the 1928 series
notes, and the front is substantially different, having received major
facelifts with the series of 1935 and 1963, respectively. Those are two
examples of tastefully-done redesigns (as much as I prefer the funny-back and
oval "1" cartouches in the upper front corners).

Perhaps the only thing that has had a longer run is the Lincoln

The front of the $2 note is practically unchanged since the 1928 series. While
I prefer the Monticello back, the 1976 redesign was also very tastefully done.

What happened between 1976 and 1996 (the introduction of the new $100) is
anyone's guess.

But then again, when you watch one of those home improvement shows where
someone spends $250 to saw the legs off a beautiful burl walnut table, paint
the remainder glossy black, and make it into some sort of hideous wall ornament
(and have the audacity to express satisfaction at such an atrocity) it's not so
hard to see where things are headed.