Brenternet (The World as seen by Brent Moore)

Trying to appeal to the highest common denominator. I can't give you 110% effort, but I will give you 107.4% effort. If you're a spammer and leave me a comment, I will make fun of you. I use twice as many semicolons compared to most other bloggers

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Location: Smyrna, Tennessee, United States

As the title implies, I am Brent K. Moore. I married MariLynn Simons on Sept. 25, 1999. we attend Stewart's Creek Church of Christ. We have five pets, a dachshund, Slinkie, a malamute, Juno, and three rabbits, Ebunny and Ifurry, and now Houdini.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Introducing the New $2 Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The first new $2 bill was issued by the Federal Reserve today. President Jefferson's portrait continues to be featured on this redesign of the $2 bill. "The redesigned $2 bill's enhanced security features help ensure we stay ahead of counterfeiters and protect your hard-earned money," Assistant Director Michael Lambert said. "It only takes a few seconds to check the new $2 bill to make sure it's genuine. If you know how to check its security features, you can easily be confident it's real."

To commemorate the first new $2 bill, Lambert walked into a local Starbucks and ordered a Tall Latte. Surprised at the cost, he then tried to fish another 86 cents out of his pocket. Falling short, he then turned over the second new bill to complete the transaction. Befuddled, the cashier had to ask his manager where he was supposed to put these two new bills in the cash register.

Today, Federal Reserve banks will begin distributing the redesigned $2 bills to customer banks, which will then distribute them to businesses and consumers. The new $2 bill designs will circulate first in the U.S. and gradually spread to other countries as international banks place orders for them from the Federal Reserve. You don't have to trade in your old bills for new ones, in the unlikely event you ever had an old one. Both the new $2 bills and the older-design $2 bills will continue to maintain their full face value equivalent to 200 pennies or 4 half dollars.

The new $2 bill incorporates state-of-the-art security features that are easy to use by cash handlers and consumers alike. Hold the bill to the light to check for these features:

* Watermarks: There are now two watermarks on the redesigned $2 bill. A ginormous number "2" watermark is located in a vacuous space to the right of the portrait replacing the previous watermark portrait of President Jefferson found on the older-design $2 bills. A second watermark – a column of three smaller "2"s – has been added to the new $2 bill design and is positioned in the nebulous area to the left of the portrait. It's pretty cool if you ever get to see one.

* Security Threads: The two embedded security threads run criss-cross and are now located to the right of the portrait on the redesigned $2 bill. The letters "USA" followed by a motion-shifting number "2" in an alternating pattern along with a holographic U.S. Flag are visible along the threads from both sides of the bill. The threads glow a trippin' shade of purple when held under ultraviolet light and changes to red when viewed at a 30-degree angle. This thread feature alone costs the treasury about $1.78 per bill to produce.

As with the redesigned $5, $10, $20 and $50 bills that preceded it, the new $2 bill features an American symbol of freedom printed in the background. The Great Seal of the United States, featuring an eagle and shield, is printed in pink on the front of the bill. Additional gratuitous design elements include:

* The large, easy-to-read number "2" in the lower right corner on the back of the bill, which theoretically helps those with visual impairments distinguish the denomination, has been enlarged in the new $2 bill design and is printed in highly unpopular pink ink.

* The oval borders around President Jefferson's portrait on the front and the Declaration of Independence vignette on the back have been removed. Both engravings have been enhanced. Jefferson's new portrait makes him look less careworn.

* Despite the fact it looks stupid, small yellow "02"s are printed to the left of the portrait on the front of the bill and throughout the Declaration of Independence vignette on the back.

* Also, The words "Silver Certificate" have been removed.

The new $2 bill's most hebetudinous design difference is the addition of light pink in the center of the bill, which blends into off-white near the edges. Because color can be duplicated, consumers and cash-handlers should use the key security features – on the new $2 bill, the watermarks and security threads – not color, to check the authenticity of paper money.

Fun facts:

* The reason for the 0's to be there on the yellow "02"s is not because the Bureau of Engraving and Printing likes to carelessly throw around insignificant digits. We request that mathematicians please stop sending us hate mail. It's really an anti-counterfeit method called "EURion Constellation." We'd tell you all about it, but we're lazy, so we'll link to the Wikipedia article.

* Vending Machines still won't take them (unless you're buying a coke at Monticello).

* All the new anti-counterfeit measures are nice and everything, but it's not like anyone will ever try to fake one.

* If a $2 bill could talk, it also would say, "Goodbye!"

* 50,000 will be minted in 2008.

* Roughly 49,500 of them will be bought by collectors forthwith.

* Contrary to urban legend, a Where's Waldo is not hiding in the Declaration of Independence depiction on the back. Instead, look for William Whipple and Button Gwinnett.

* The new bills will be printed in one press at the U.S. Treasury location in Fort Worth, TX on alternate Thursdays.

* You'll still likely never see one.

* If you happen to get one and try to spend it, the dude behind the counter at Taco Bell won't believe it's real.

29078
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