1-23-2008: Paper Money
For years, I've had an on-again, off-again interest in numismatics. It's something of a casual interest; seldom one I've become extremely involved in. Given how often I handle coins, currency, and credit cards at work, though, I'm hardly surprised to find my interest resurge again.
![[Old paper money]](../new/oldpapermoney.jpg "It probably violates some federal law to scan U.S. currency, doesn't it?")
Specificially, I've been interested in paper money. Like license plates, dollar bills feature dated variations and serials numbered in sequential order (although these numbers often duplicate themselves between denominations and series). Given how fast paper money generally turns over in circulation, I've been impressed by the older money that's surfaced in the cash register drawer at fairly regular intervals: A series 1974 five-dollar bill, for example, and a number of notes printed in the '80s.
While browsing around for information, I stumbled across Where's George, a website where visitors input dollar bill serials and attempt to track their circulation around the country. Intrigued, I promptly signed up and entered all the bills in my wallet...until reality hit. There are billions upon billions of dollar bills in circulation. Although the site is big, the chance that someone else registered there will find a bill that I once had in my possession and entered remains infinitesimal. Perhaps there'd be a chance of a hit if I recorded and entered the serial of every single bill I came across in the Winterplace change bank for a year on end, but I definitely have neither the time nor the inclination to do that.
Oh well; it's still a fun concept!
Hee hee hee! This is a test!
