How do blind people differentiate US paper money? Most of us don’t think much about it. In other countries, different denominations of paper currency are often different sizes. The English have done that for years. The larger the denomination, the larger the banknote.
In Great Britain, a five-pound bill would be the smallest. As the amount grows from five to ten, twenty and then fifty pounds, the notes become physically bigger. So too in Australia. They wisely sequence their bills in size. The denominations can be quickly known simply by touch....
(Note: Smaller denominations such as one-pound pieces are now struck only as coins. In Canada, the one-dollar coin depicts a Loon. Although Canadians initially didn’t want to give up their paper dollar, the dollar coin became so popular, Canadians affectionately dubbed it “The Loonie.” It got better. The Royal Canadian Mint then created an equally popular two-dollar coin. It’s known as “The Toonie.” Here in the US, we still can’t fathom the use of a dollar coin.)
Those with limited vision sometimes benefit from much larger numerals on paper money. On a few foreign notes there is raised printing. Sadly, it is so subtle it isn’t an effective device.
In addition to different sizes, some countries have adopted incorporating plastic polymers into their paper currency including small, clear plastic “windows” actually embedded into the currency. A few practicing that include: Chile, Vietnam, Mexico, Singapore, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica and Costa Rica.
For coins, it’s far more obvious. In addition to their different sizes, pennies and nickels have smooth edges. Dimes, quarters and halves have easy-to-feel reeded edges. The ill-fated Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was too ridiculously close in size to the quarter. It had a subtle 11-sided design that barely could be felt near its reeded edge. No matter. Its poor design made it go down in flames.
Countries, including Great Britain, have very successfully created multi-sided coins. Their current one-pound coin is 12-sided for easy tactile differentiation. Here again, the British people have embraced the use of the coin.
For the visually impaired, it’s always been a struggle to tell the difference between issues of paper money. Today’s US bills are each an identical size and shape. Just over a century ago, it was also the case even though our bills were substantially larger.
Paper money from the 1800s to the early-1900s was large enough to require oversized wallets known as “billfolds.” Our bills were so large, those owning them would sometime fold them once or twice to fit into a pocket or purse. For serious collectors that is the kiss-of-death.
Any folds or creases in a bill dramatically reduces its collector value. Of course, because so many of those older bills ended up being folded in everyday use, those surviving in pristine condition is quantifiably fewer and, consequently, substantially more valuable.
I’ve gotten questions from some collectors asking about the current American Eagle gold and silver coins. Because of their size, weight and precious metal content, there is no mistaking them for any other coin. While that’s obvious, many of the questions revolve around a curious bump on the edge where it seems one or two of the ridges on the reeding is missing. It appears to be an error. Not so fast.
The answer to the mystery is that the small flat area in question is an anti-counterfeiting measure incorporated into the coin by the Mint. Evidently, even though counterfeiting US collector coins has become an entire industry in China, there are efforts to thwart it. One of those is that small flat area on the ridge of the US gold and silver Eagle coins.
I’m no expert on counterfeiting but evidently incorporating that tiny anomaly onto the reeded edge of the coin creates something counterfeiters can’t easily duplicate. It’s something to take a look at should you examine one.
In the end, I suppose a solution for the visually impaired will be found. Some already have small, portable bill readers that quickly scan and announce the denomination of bills. Then again, if paper money is truly and steadily giving way to virtual trade such as Venmo and PayPal it all may become moot. That is, except for collectors. They will continue to seek out, pay dearly for and see what some others can’t in those attractive paper bills.
For more collecting information and advice, log on to: http://prexford.com/.