1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology with 3 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: tech Stuff from how stuff works dot Com. Hello again, everyone, 4 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: and welcome to tech stuff. My name is Chris Polette, 5 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: and I am an editor here at how stuff works 6 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: dot Com, sitting across from me as usual as senior 7 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: writer Jonathan Strickland. Greed is good. Okay, then that's a 8 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 1: Wall Street reference, the sequel of which will be coming 9 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: out in theater soon. Wow. Really, yeah, there's a single 10 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: to Wall Street. Yeah. Yeah, it's got Shia La Booth 11 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: in it. Anyway, So that the reason I said greed 12 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: is good is because we're going to talk about currency. Yes, 13 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: we are the tech of making money. Yes, what it 14 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: requires to get that cash in your hot little hands. 15 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: But before we get into that, I thought talk a 16 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: little bit about the history of currency. This is kind 17 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: of a stuff you missed in History class mini section. 18 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: What we should do is get Liz to play the 19 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: first few notes of the stuff you missed in History 20 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: class theme. So we'll wait. Hi, this is Jonathan, not 21 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: Katie or Sarah. I am not nearly as as articulate 22 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: or pretty as either of them, and I have far 23 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: less hair on my head. So we want to talk 24 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: about the history of currency. So the first coins. Okay, 25 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: back back before there were coins, you know, essentially everything 26 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: was based upon bartering, right, and then there was salt. Yeah, 27 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: well again that's also a kind of currency. But but 28 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: before coins, yeah, there were some things that would represent 29 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: wealth and could be used in the currency. Cocoa beans 30 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: also were used as currency at one point to help 31 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: balance out trade systems. But really, you know, you got 32 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: to this point where it just became really difficult to 33 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: trade stuff for other stuff, right, So that's when people 34 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: started coming up with this idea of currency. It's something 35 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: that represents the purchasing power so that you can get 36 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: hold of something else. That person can then use that 37 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: same currency to go and purchase stuff that they need. 38 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: Brilliant system because it's way more portable than carrying a 39 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: cow and three chickens with you whenever you want to 40 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: go and buy some wheat and I'll ferguson you're not, yeah, 41 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: fight me. So anyway, let's let's go back to Lydia. Lydia, 42 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: that Encyclopedia Lydia, which was it's a an empire that 43 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: was well, where modern day Turkey is now, there was 44 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: a Lydian king who decided to start making coins. Do 45 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: you know this guy's name? Yes, you do, you just 46 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: don't know who it is. It's Creases, Oh yes, Cress. Yes, 47 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: to be rich as Creases. Well, the reason we say 48 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 1: rich as Creases is because Crisis is the guy who 49 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: came up with this idea of stamping coins with a 50 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: imperial emblem on them. They weren't known as Cress pieces, 51 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: were they. Oh you know what, folks, if you could 52 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: have seen his face leading up to that, I could 53 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: tell that he had something and I almost wish I 54 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: had not paused for breath. Uh So, yeah, Crisis came 55 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: up with this idea of of stamping metal ingots to 56 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: create coins. This is around six b C. So that's 57 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: kind of where the idea came from. Now the idea 58 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: for a currency as in paper notes that came later later, 59 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: Um yeah, because I mean, who the heck trust paper? Right? Chinese? 60 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: Did the Chinese came up with the idea for paper 61 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: notes well before anyone else. Did you bring up a 62 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: good point? Please? Trust? Trust is very important. Yes, it's 63 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: all about trust. Currency is based upon trust uh. In 64 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: the United States until ninety one. That trust is that 65 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: the piece of paper or the coin that you held 66 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: represented a certain amount of gold, right, and that in theory, 67 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: you could go to the US government and exchange your 68 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: currency for the equivalent value of equivalent amount of gold 69 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: that would be the same as the value of the 70 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: currency you were handing over. Right, So you're you're giving 71 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: them a piece of paper with Benjamin Franklin's picture on it, 72 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 1: and we're going to give you gold in return, dollars 73 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: worth of gold exactly, since it's a Franklin, because it's 74 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: all about the Benjamin's baby. But in ninety one, the 75 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: US decided to abandon the gold standard. It really wasn't practical, 76 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: I mean there was. They reached a point where if 77 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: everyone turned in their currency, there would not be enough 78 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: gold to support that. They just there's none of gold 79 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: in the reserves to support the currency. So now um 80 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: currency is kind of the trust is based upon a 81 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: group hallucination that the money is actually worth something much better. Now, 82 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: speaking to our producer Tyler, and we came to the 83 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: conclusion that our our trust in the system of money 84 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 1: is equivalent to Wiley coyote running off the edge of 85 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: the cliff before he's noticed that there's nothing under him. 86 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: You know, he never studied law, right, So if we 87 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: ever notice that money is not really based on anything, 88 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 1: they'll be panic and we'll all not be able to 89 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: buy anything. So just let's continue the group hallucination, please, 90 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: because I got bills to pay, y'all. And uh, but so, 91 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: really money is just representing buying power, how much buying 92 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: power you have? And we want to talk about the 93 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 1: tech of making money, and before we get into the 94 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: actual tech of it, one other thing I wanted to 95 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 1: point out is that you can't solve money problems just 96 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: by printing more currency. Nope, that's not how it works. 97 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: It can just doing that. First of all, you have 98 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: to find a way of getting currency into circulation, So 99 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: you can't you can't just print money. I mean, what 100 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,559 Speaker 1: are you gonna do Give it out to people for free. 101 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: That doesn't work either, because that causes inflation because now 102 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: money has been devalued, it's not worth what it what 103 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: used to be worth, and so now you have to 104 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: have more money to buy the same things that you 105 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: needed before. Um, the way that wealth is generated, the 106 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: way money is actually created is through loans. This is 107 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: getting really technical, but when you take out a loan, 108 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: you're charged interest, which means ultimately you're paying back more 109 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: money than what you got in the first place. Yes, 110 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: that's what's generating the money that that is coming out 111 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: of the you know what. We you can print as 112 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: much money as you want to get into circulation, you 113 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 1: have to have the loan system there. Yeah, also was 114 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: not very big in the Bible. But uh, at any rate, 115 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: let's get into the tech of making money, and we 116 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: want I wanted to start with coins. Yeah, some of 117 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: the some of the tech that they used to make 118 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: money is actually very very old. Yeah, some of it. 119 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 1: Some of it has been around for centuries and it 120 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: requires a level of artistry that is phenomenal. No, I know. 121 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 1: And and this is one of those things that any 122 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: time it comes on one of our the channels that 123 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: make up our parent company, one of the Discovery channels, 124 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: and there's I've seen a couple of specials on how 125 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: they how they make money and how they make the 126 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: stuff behind money as in the paper and all the 127 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: the things that become money. Just fascinating the metal stuff. Yeah, 128 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: if we're going with coins, we're gonna stick mainly to 129 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: the United States, I think, mostly because I mean that's 130 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: where we live, so it's the information that's easiest for 131 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: us to access. But really most of these processes are 132 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: similar throughout the world. They may not be using exactly 133 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: the same kinds of machines, but they're using a very 134 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 1: similar process. So to to make a coin, uh, it's 135 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: a fairly complex process. The first thing you're gonna need, um, well, 136 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 1: there's two two main things you're gonna need. You're gonna 137 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: need a die actually a pair of die um, not 138 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: like dice like excited. It's not that gonna die. It's 139 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: gonna say, come on, big seven, kind of like a stamp. Yes, okay, 140 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: you're gonna need a really really high quality stamp, and 141 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: you're gonna need metal. Uh So with designing the stamp, 142 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: I guess we can start with that because that's really 143 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: the basis of all the coins that we create. There's 144 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: a lot of newer tech involved in creating the stamp 145 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: these days because uh in in uh in earlier times 146 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,079 Speaker 1: you would have to have the designer actually do this 147 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: by by hand, make the design by hand first, and 148 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: computers can be used to do that. Although not always yeah, uh, 149 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: in general, if you're doing it the old way, let's 150 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: say you get in the old way being not that old, 151 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: just so you know, because I mean the old old 152 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:50,559 Speaker 1: way is that you would develop a stamp and you 153 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: would use a hammer and hand volt to create these things. 154 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: But that's getting a little too old. The modern era 155 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: of making currency, you have an engraver who designs the 156 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: coin two very specific standards, you know. So this is 157 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: the engraver has to design the coin, and the design 158 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: has to be approved before anything else can happen. Uh. 159 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: And then, assuming that you're using the old method where 160 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: you're you're not digitally modeling stuff, the engraver would use 161 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: clay or some other modeling material to build the first 162 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: model of the coin, which is going to be much 163 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 1: larger than the the eventual actual coin will be from 164 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: that mold from that model. Rather, you create a mold 165 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: using something like plastoline, and then you pour plaster of 166 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,719 Speaker 1: Paris into that. And this is a well plaster. The 167 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: reason we use plaster of Paris is because they can 168 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: pick up details, really fine details and represent them accurately. 169 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 1: So now you've got a plaster model of the coin 170 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: um and then from that you have a machine that 171 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: creates a copper mole of it called a galvano. Yeah, 172 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: I didn't have that, uh. And then you make an 173 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: even smaller model of it. It's called a hub, and 174 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: this is made out of steel. And then you the 175 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: master hub is called the dye. Uh, so that you 176 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: have a steel dye that looks exactly the way your 177 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: coin is gonna look, but kind of in reverse because 178 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: it's a stamp. And you have to have two of those, 179 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: because you have to have one for the front and 180 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:30,839 Speaker 1: one for the back. And and so that's that's how 181 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: you create your your stamp. There's actually even more involved 182 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: in that. I mean, there's this whole polishing section that 183 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: has to has to go through. By the time that 184 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: the steel die is ready to be used, it has 185 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: a mirror like finish because it's been polished so finely. 186 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: M all right, So that's your stamping stuff. Now you're 187 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: gonna have something to stamp right now. In in the 188 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: United States, it's a mixture of copper and nickel mainly, 189 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: although you also have zinc plated upper you have um 190 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:04,439 Speaker 1: or or copper plated zinc rather or not the other 191 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: way around. But why would you have zinc plated copper. 192 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: That would be unusual. And we haven't always used the 193 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: exact same medals throughout or end alloys. Throughout the history 194 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: of currency. You can find some interesting, uh facts about 195 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: the various medals they've been used. And in most cases 196 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: it tends to be something like war broke out and 197 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: suddenly we didn't have access to all the medals that 198 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: we used to use for coins. As a matter of fact, Um, 199 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: my father, who was in World War two, UM has 200 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: a box of steel pennies because during World War Two 201 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: they used steel to make pennies instead of copper for 202 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 1: reasons of the war effort. And uh so I have 203 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of those and they're worth you know, 204 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: about a penny nice well to the government. They are 205 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: they are worth exactly what they're worth. So, um, you 206 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: could have a collectible coin, who would which would be 207 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: worth a lot of money to a collector can take 208 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: it to the government. It's worth exactly, you know. It's 209 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: just like it's a stamps are right, stamps are worth 210 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: you know, if you put a very very rare you say, 211 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: you put an inverted jenny an envelope, it's worth exactly 212 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,199 Speaker 1: to the post office. You know, postage. You'd still have 213 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: to add postage to it. You might be able to 214 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:17,960 Speaker 1: sell it to a collector for thousands of dollars, but 215 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: the government's gonna take it at face value. Yes, exactly. 216 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 1: And that's again that goes back to our trusting anyway. 217 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: Um so yeah, alright, so steel pennies. Yeah, so let's 218 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: talk about the metal. You get these, You get melt 219 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: big bars of metal, You melt them down in a furnace, 220 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,319 Speaker 1: You pour them into uh inget forms, and then you 221 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: can get and you cool that down, use water by 222 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: the way to cool it. Uh and then it actually 223 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: uses a couple of different cooling systems. And then you 224 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 1: take that to a rolling mill which is gonna turn 225 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: it into flat sheets. Okay, now, um, the US meant 226 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: pretty much gets these these flat sheets and coils. Yes, 227 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: they feed the coil. Coils are let's see, I've actually 228 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: got the stats here. A foot wide, feet long, abound 229 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: as thick as the final coin tends to be, and 230 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: it weighs about six thousand pounds. Yes, yes, actually there 231 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: there are some great photos of this, along with a 232 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: lot more detail than we'll probably get into in the 233 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: podcast at us MINT dot gov. Yes, some details and 234 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: the photos or you know, because you can see these 235 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:30,680 Speaker 1: huge coils of metal, which are pretty awesome. It's pretty 236 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: intimidating really because you think, wow, that's that's a lot 237 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 1: of metal. Um. Now, these strips, these coils get fed 238 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: through a machine called a blanking press or the blanking presser. Essentially, 239 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: what that does is it cuts the metal sheets into 240 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: the coin shape. Um. Yes, actually cuts them into slightly 241 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: the slightly larger diameter than the way the coin will 242 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: eventually appear, because it has to create a little extra 243 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:02,440 Speaker 1: metal on the edges to create a HM. So you 244 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: put it through the blanker, the blanking pressor get and 245 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:11,079 Speaker 1: you get the blanks. That's what the unmarked flat discs 246 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: of metal are called. You get the blanks. You then 247 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 1: have to soften them, yes, which you do by putting 248 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 1: them into a furnace. You the furnaces about seven degrees 249 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: celsius or so this softens them a little bit. Then 250 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: you have to cool them and clean them. Uh. And 251 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: it's it's it's a process that actually uses various chemicals 252 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: to clean them. You're not just you know, putting them 253 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: through a washing machine. Although it's in a machine that 254 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: does look like washing machine. It does spin them. Um. Yeah, 255 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: although that's not necessarily true for for everything, because the 256 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: golden dollars slightly different process in which they use steel 257 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: shot to the kind of like bees. Yeah, a little 258 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: bit like bebes. You put it in there in that way. 259 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: It polishes them through brute force. Yeah. So yeah, the 260 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: the spinny thing. Did you happen to see what that's 261 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: called spinning? Well, did you see what it's called? Um, 262 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: it's the whirl away. So sp thing is not that 263 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: big a leap from the technical term of the world away. 264 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: That's true. Actually, it sounds like something you did to 265 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: see at the local carnival at your shopping mall. It 266 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: sets up and you're going, I'm not sure I want 267 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: to find that thing. Yeah, and and yeah exactly. We'll 268 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: polish away your impurities and will also take your money. 269 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: So you then, uh, once once you've cleaned and dried 270 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: the coins. Um, they moved to a thing called the 271 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: upsetting mill. Yes, it's very upsetting. I was going to say, 272 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 1: I'm sure they feel terrible after that. Right, So this 273 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: is the thing that creates the rim around the edge 274 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: of the coin and Uh. So once the upsetting mill 275 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: is done, the coins should be the right diameter. It 276 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: should be the same size that's going to be once 277 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: it's stamped. Um and uh. And it's done for a 278 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: very important reason. It helps and you know, by raising 279 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: the rim it helps them stack the coins a little 280 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: bit better. You'll notice it the you know, it's got 281 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 1: sort of a firm edge around. It also helps keep 282 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: the coins from a routing. And that's because that's one 283 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: of the benefits of using coins. One of the reasons 284 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: the United States government is pushing the golden dollars so 285 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: much is they last a whole lot longer than paper money. Yeah, 286 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: you don't have to keep making as much. Yes you can. 287 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: You know, you can make it as as circulation requires. 288 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: But um, you don't have to worry about you know, 289 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: the useful life of a dollar might be a decade, 290 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 1: but the useful life of a coin is could be 291 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: really a long time. Actually, I don't think paper money. 292 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: I just I just used that as I just pulled 293 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: that out of nowhere that somebody would write in and say, 294 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: now someone has the podcast already and they have written 295 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 1: in and to you, sir or madam, I would like 296 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: to say, please listen to the show all the way 297 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 1: through before you write us, because sometimes we correct ourselves. 298 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: Not often, I will grant you, but sometimes so. At 299 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: any rate, the next stage is where they might have 300 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: to to um, well, I guess the coining is the 301 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:21,199 Speaker 1: next stage to bring on whether or not you need 302 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: to put ridges on the edge. The reads, the reads, Yes, yes, reading, 303 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: reading is fundamentals, especially if you need to. But yes, 304 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: it's R E, D, I N G. Right, and then 305 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:35,640 Speaker 1: it would be coining. So I'm glad that you brought 306 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: that up because I almost totally forgot. And this is 307 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:44,439 Speaker 1: where we add the actual design of the coin to 308 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: the blank which now, by the way, it's no longer 309 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 1: called a blank. Yes, once you've added the rim, it's 310 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: become a new thing called the plan chet. Yes, no 311 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: relation to Kate. Yeah, thanks plan chet as in poppies 312 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: and um will make you sleep. Yes. So once you 313 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: get to the coining, this is where those die that 314 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: we talked about the come in and you've got They 315 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: usually refer to the die in two different terms, very simple. 316 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: You got the the anvil and the hammer. The anvil 317 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 1: is going to remain stationary. The hammer is going to 318 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:24,360 Speaker 1: strike the coin which is resting on the anvil, and 319 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: the force of the impact is going to stamp that 320 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: design on the planet and make it a coin. And 321 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: uh yeah, it resembles a hammer and an anvil and 322 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 1: function more so than form, because I mean, you wouldn't 323 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 1: recognize it as a hammer and an anvil in the 324 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 1: you know, looney tune sense of something dropping on your head. 325 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: Although I wouldn't want either one of those to drop 326 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 1: on my head. I also would not want those to 327 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 1: drop on your head. But um yeah, after after they 328 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: become coins, of course they are. They go to a 329 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: bin where they are inspected. Somebody takes a look at them, 330 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: make sure it makes sure that they are okay, and 331 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 1: I mean anything that that's not acceptable goes back for recycling, 332 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:07,640 Speaker 1: as is the webbing for when they wake from when 333 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,119 Speaker 1: they make the blanks. The metal that goes that that 334 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 1: they can't use, it's around it that gets recycled as well. Right, 335 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,679 Speaker 1: All the webbing is the excess metal after the stamping process, 336 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: because of course, if you stamp a bunch of circular 337 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 1: things out of a sheet of metal, you're gonna be 338 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: left with excess pieces. Yeah, and quite a bit of 339 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: metal so that all gets melted down and recycled, as 340 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 1: do any irregular coins. Um. They actually the the first 341 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 1: irregular coins. Before you melt them down, they have to 342 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: be destroyed or they have to be uh marred, so 343 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: that it's clear that they are not valid currency. To 344 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:46,800 Speaker 1: do so, they put them in special machines called wafflers. 345 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 1: I love the technology jargon of making currency wafflers. Man, 346 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: it sounds like a county fair. I know, it's a 347 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 1: county fair where all the prize is our money. Sign 348 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: me up. Um so yeah, these uh, these actually use 349 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: high pressure rollers to kind of put a predetermined pattern, 350 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: a ridged pattern across the coin that automatically marks them 351 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: as being not viable. And then they get sent to 352 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: the recycling furnace and then uh, the the coins that 353 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 1: are actually acceptable they fall into a box called a trap. 354 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: Now this part I don't like. I don't want to 355 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 1: fall into a trap at my world Away waffler fair. 356 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: I'm just waiting for you to do it, to fall 357 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: into a trap. Back, bar intoe, it's a trap. Nothing 358 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: could penetrate the shields. Um. That was terrible. That was 359 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: like the world's worst admiral. Acbar accent. Please don't write me. 360 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 1: Remember what I said about pausing the podcast. Um, I 361 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: have a quick thing of trivia before we move on 362 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: to currency, to paper paper money. Do you know why, 363 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: out of all the coins in that erin United States circulation, 364 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: why the penny and nicol are the only ones to 365 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: have images that don't face to the left. No, why, Chucks, 366 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: I was gonna hoping you knew that's gonna make this weird. No, okay, Um, 367 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: So there are a lot of different theories, you know. 368 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,919 Speaker 1: So the penny, of course has a Lincoln there, and 369 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 1: the nicol has a Jefferson. Yes, Um, has nothing to 370 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 1: do with who they are beyond a very simple point. 371 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:37,239 Speaker 1: So Abraham Lincoln penny was meanted back in and it 372 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: was to commemorate the hundred year anniversary of Lincoln's birth 373 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: UH and Theodore Roosevelt, who was president at the time, 374 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:50,239 Speaker 1: chose a sculptor named Victor David Brenner to design the penny. Now, 375 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:54,879 Speaker 1: Brenner had created a bust of a plaque really not 376 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: a bust, but a plaque of of Lincoln that had 377 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: him facing to the UH, to the right. It was 378 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: based off a photo of Lincoln where Lincoln was facing 379 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 1: to the right. That's the reason why the penny Lincoln 380 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: faces to the right. It's not there's no conspiracy or 381 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 1: weird philosophical thing about it. It's because the photo that 382 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: was used to create a plaque that was in turn 383 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: used to create the portrait in the penny, Lincoln was 384 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: facing to the right. All right, Now, Jefferson is a 385 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: little weird. He started facing out on the left. Ba 386 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: uh two thousand three, decided to look around, he did, No, 387 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: he didn't. He was in no position at that point. 388 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 1: But the President had enacted a law to revise the nickel. 389 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: And this was to commemorate the by centennary, by centenary 390 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: of Lewis and Clark. Oh, which makes part perfect sense, right, 391 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: If you're gonna celebrate Lewis and Clark, why not changed 392 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,440 Speaker 1: the nickel. Oh you know, he was the guy who 393 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: sent them out there. Yeah. Yeah, So the US meant 394 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: decided to make a series of nickels. Yes, so it's 395 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: not just one. So two thousand four series Jefferson was 396 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,720 Speaker 1: facing to the left, right, and the reverse of the 397 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 1: nickel was changed. On two thousand five, Jefferson's facing to 398 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,919 Speaker 1: the right. The word liberty is uh engrave next to 399 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: him is based off of Jefferson's handwriting and two thousand 400 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:24,439 Speaker 1: six he's facing forward and it's based off a portrait 401 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 1: that was done by Rembrett Peel. So uh this and 402 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,719 Speaker 1: it also was the first coin in US circulation, actual 403 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 1: official US coin where it did not feature the person 404 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,879 Speaker 1: on the coin depicted in profile. Right, So there you go. 405 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 1: That's your trivia, all right. There's no weird conspiracy thing 406 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 1: behind any of it. It's just, you know, just like 407 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: anything in the government, tends to have a pretty mundane 408 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:54,439 Speaker 1: explanation at the end of it. But let's get on 409 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: to paper money. Yeah, while the while the Mint works 410 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: on the coins, we've got a lot of people working 411 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: on paper money, including the Federal Reserve Board, UM, the 412 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the U. S. Secret 413 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: Service are all working on the tech of paper money. 414 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 1: And uh, you know, paper money, you would figure has 415 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 1: a quite a bit of security risk involved, because I mean, 416 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: shouldn't you be able to throw a whole bunch of 417 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 1: dollar bills on a photo copying machine and have ability 418 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: to print as many copies as you want. Well, it 419 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 1: doesn't quite work that way, but paper money is a 420 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: lot easier to copy, I would assume than a coin 421 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: which you would actually have to mint, right. Um. Yeah, 422 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: on the face of it, it is much simpler to 423 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,760 Speaker 1: make the copy. Uh, I can't make heads their tails 424 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: of it, right. So in order to make it more difficult, 425 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 1: you have to come up with various various schemes to 426 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: create a secure paper money currency. And so that in 427 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:59,360 Speaker 1: the United States, they've used lots and lots of different techniques. Um. 428 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: For one, printed on special paper. Yes, that's one of 429 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: those things that you would say is very non technical, 430 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 1: but I would I would beg to differ because they're 431 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,679 Speaker 1: the paper is a certain composition, it's got to have 432 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,400 Speaker 1: certain types of red and blue threads that go through 433 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 1: it now, um, And it comes from from a supplier, 434 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 1: a particular supplier who's been doing it for a very 435 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: very long time. And it's got a little bit of 436 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,119 Speaker 1: linen in it too. Yeah, it's made from cotton linen, 437 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: not wood. Yeah, so it's it's got it's got a 438 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 1: very particular feel. And if you pick up a counterfeit dollar, 439 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 1: there's a good chance that if it's not made on 440 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 1: the same sort of stuff, you would tell almost immediately like, well, 441 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: this is the wrong weight and texture for a dollar. 442 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: This this doesn't feel right. Um. So there's one thing. 443 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: You've got your your base material, which is a little, uh, 444 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 1: is a little different. You've then got the various dyes 445 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 1: of ink where it's in the old dollars it was 446 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,360 Speaker 1: you know, like this greenish ink where that was kind 447 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,400 Speaker 1: of hard to to replicate. It's even more difficult now 448 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 1: because now they use inks that are have sort of 449 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: a photoreactive almost a photoreactive kind of element to them, 450 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:09,920 Speaker 1: and that if you tilt the dollar bill a certain way, 451 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 1: the color changes. Um. It's because the special inks that 452 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,200 Speaker 1: they're using. Again, it's hard to replicate that. So it's 453 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 1: a it's an anti counterfeiting measure. Um. And I'm talking 454 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,400 Speaker 1: specifically about the inks that are used to print like 455 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: the dollar amount, as opposed to the color of the 456 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 1: paper itself. The US government will tell you that basing 457 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: a decision on whether a bill is counterfeit or not 458 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:38,199 Speaker 1: based solely upon the color of the bill is a 459 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 1: bad idea, Yes, because that can that can at least 460 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: be simulated somewhat easily. Um. But another very simple way, 461 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 1: really a very elegant way that the money is going 462 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 1: an anti counterfeit measure on it is that it uses 463 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:58,159 Speaker 1: lots of really tiny writing, Yes, it does, microprinting, microprinting 464 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: and tiny line patterns throughout the bill, which are very 465 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: difficult to get a high resolution picture of, you know, 466 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:10,920 Speaker 1: most especially early earlier in the days of printing money, 467 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: it was very hard to get a an accurate um 468 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: simulation of those. You pretty much would need to get 469 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 1: hold of the original plates um because those those it's 470 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: so tiny that it was very difficult to make a simulation. Yeah. Yeah, Well, 471 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:31,400 Speaker 1: the the the circular lines around the portrait sort of 472 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,640 Speaker 1: create this you know more effect where if you tried 473 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,880 Speaker 1: to stick it on a photo copy or machine um 474 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 1: that it would give you a very blurry appearance. Because 475 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: I mean, that's the whole point of the microprinting and 476 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 1: the lines, is that if you try to use modern 477 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: technology like a simple way like that without trying to 478 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,400 Speaker 1: make plates yourself, and you're just trying to to scan 479 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: a copy on your computer scanner or using a photocopier, 480 00:27:57,600 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: it's just it's gonna be so blurry that it's become 481 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: will become obvious to somebody you try to pass that 482 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: bill too, that it's not real, right, So let's talk 483 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: a little bit briefly, and then I think we'll finish 484 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:09,840 Speaker 1: up with kind of some of the new designs that 485 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 1: are gonna be on the hundred dollar bill that shot 486 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 1: up in. Let's talk a little bit about what they're 487 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:19,199 Speaker 1: actually doing to make this money. Um, they're using the 488 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: intaglio printing method. Intaglio, I listened to the g always 489 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: fools me. Yeah, Well maybe in Italy it's pronounced that way, 490 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: but darn it here in the South we're calling it 491 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 1: on taglio. Um. Anyway, the you have an engraver, just 492 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: like the coins, who creates a an original steel plate 493 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: and it's gonna have very very fine detail on it. 494 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: And then you have a You put the plates into 495 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:53,600 Speaker 1: the printing press. You coat the plates with the correct ink. 496 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 1: You then wipe the excess inc off the plates so 497 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 1: that the only inc still on the plates is collected 498 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: in the little grooves. Yes, and then you run the 499 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 1: paper through the printing press and the press goes up 500 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 1: and down, pressing against the paper and very very rapidly, 501 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 1: and it actually creates little raised elements on the bill, 502 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 1: because that's what gets get pushed up into the grooves 503 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: and then coated with the ink. Right, it's fifteen thousand 504 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,440 Speaker 1: pounds per square inch um. It is going to be 505 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 1: embossing that paper again. And this is another thing that 506 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 1: helps you detect if it's a counterfeit bill. You run 507 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: your finger across the bill and if you don't feel 508 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 1: that texture, that that difference, and I mean it's it's 509 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: a tiny, tiny difference in height, but we can feel that. 510 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 1: If it feels perfectly smooth, then you're thinking something's a 511 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: little hinky here. That's a technical term. That's right. And also, 512 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: not everything is printed on the bill when it runs 513 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: through that first um, that first printing run of and 514 00:29:57,760 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 1: and they have to print one side and then let 515 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: and then print the other side. You can't print both 516 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: at the same time. But like the Treasury Seal, the 517 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: Federal Reserve Seal, and the serial numbers are not printed 518 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: during this process. That's right, which makes sense because I mean, 519 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: you couldn't put the serial number on the smaster steel 520 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 1: plate because they would all have the same serial number, 521 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: thus negating the whole purpose of it in the first place. Yeah, 522 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: that's also another sign. If you have a bunch of 523 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 1: bills that all have the same serial number, Chances are 524 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: those might be hinky. So yeah, you have to run 525 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 1: them through printing at least three times, once for the front, 526 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: once for the back, and then again to the extra 527 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: stuff added um, and depending upon the complexity of the bill, 528 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: it may be another printing run. Because you're talking about 529 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: using different dyes. You're using the special photo of reflective 530 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 1: diyes that kind of stuff or dies that show up 531 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: when you put them under an ultraviolet light, that kind 532 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: of thing. So let's talk. I'm sorry, I was gonna 533 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: say that. The way they do the the ink, now 534 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: it's got metallic flakes in it appear because of the 535 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: light diffraction and changing the wavelength depending on the metallic 536 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: flakes position, it makes it appear green at some angles 537 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: and black at others, which is an effect very hard 538 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 1: to duplicate unless you have the exclusive inc used by 539 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 1: the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Right. Yeah, kind of 540 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: hard to get your hands on. As it turns out, 541 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: it's kind of the whole idea behind it. So uh. Now, 542 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: in two thousand three, that's when the United States government 543 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: started to redesign currency, and the first bill was the 544 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: twenty dollar bill. To get the new redesign, and that's 545 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: when we started seeing some of these these elements, these 546 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: more advanced anti counterfeiting measures added in where you know, 547 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: that's where everyone's like, hey, this bill looks weird because 548 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: now there's this kind of peach coloration and the dye 549 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 1: doesn't look exactly the same. Well, that was all to 550 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 1: kind of help with the whole anti counterfeiting movement that 551 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 1: that new bill launched on October nine, two thousand and three, 552 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 1: and also had another secure d feature in it. What's 553 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: if I'm not mistaken, that was the first one to 554 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: have the ribbon yes, yes, where it has the security thread. 555 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: He has the security thread, which and again, if the 556 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 1: security threat is not in the bill, then that's the 557 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: science of counterfeit um. And I remember people doing that specifically, 558 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 1: uh snipping. It's like, look, it's got a security threat 559 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: and they snip, you know, just the end of the 560 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:24,440 Speaker 1: bill and they pull it out to show that it 561 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: was intact and like, yeah, but now no, it's no 562 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: longer security threat. You're gonna have to spend that someplace 563 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 1: where people aren't paying attention, because people do pay attention. 564 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: That's the whole point. Yeah, the That's one of the 565 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 1: advantages of having paper currency is that if you want 566 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 1: to redesign your currency, you know, you don't have to 567 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 1: wait forever for the old currency to wear out. It's 568 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 1: going to do that on its own, just through use, 569 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:51,480 Speaker 1: just being handled. So eventually the older bills, which you 570 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 1: know are still legal tender, will be so warned that 571 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: they'll just get cycled out of currency. And banks will 572 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: do it too. I mean, like you actually exchange the 573 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: old bills for new ones and you destroy the old ones. Yes, 574 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 1: and you can buy a bag of shredded money from 575 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 1: the government. Yeah, they'll be happy to sell it to 576 00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: you for actual money. Yes. Um, yeah, I'm not confetti 577 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 1: for my party. Uh. And the new hundred dollar bill 578 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 1: is going to have some pretty cool stuff in it too. 579 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 1: It's got you know, you've got like the watermark, you've 580 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: got the special die, you have a three D ribbon 581 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: in there. Yeah. The new bill is going into circulation 582 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: in February of next year, which for us now at 583 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 1: the moment when you're recording it, it's and it's uh 584 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: eleven is when it comes out. We're recording just in 585 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:42,160 Speaker 1: case not able to follow. Mr Pullet syn text. Yeah, 586 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 1: I'm not able to follow it. I'm trying to wean 587 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:48,640 Speaker 1: myself from coffee. Um. So, yes, that has got a 588 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 1: brand new security threat which is a lot more obvious 589 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: than the old one, and you can you can learn 590 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: more about this at new money dot gov, but we 591 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: can go through some of the details. You can see 592 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 1: on it. It has some liberty bells and uh and 593 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: the hun read as the denomination of the bill on there, 594 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: and when you tilt it, they seem to move around. 595 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: They're using kind of this weird little holographic kind of 596 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 1: effect and you might be wondering how they do this, 597 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,359 Speaker 1: so we Yeah, as it turns out, the they are 598 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: being fairly secret about a secretive about the whole process, 599 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: I guess mainly because they don't want people making them themselves. 600 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 1: But at any rate, it's really hard to find out 601 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 1: exactly the techniques they're using. Now we can, we could 602 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 1: make some guesses, but we are currently running up to 603 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: almost thirty five minutes in length on this show, so 604 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:41,240 Speaker 1: I'm thinking that we're gonna have to not guess now. 605 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,400 Speaker 1: But yeah. The other the other major news security feature 606 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:46,880 Speaker 1: is the bell in the inkwell. And there's an inkwell 607 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 1: and bell liberty bell printed on it, and I think 608 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:53,880 Speaker 1: it's a liberty bell looked like and um at one angle. 609 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:56,360 Speaker 1: This is again a trick of light diffraction and one angle, 610 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 1: they both look copper. But if as you move the 611 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,360 Speaker 1: bill and change the direction um, the bill appears to 612 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: change to a green color. And part of the reason 613 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:09,360 Speaker 1: they have added these new particularly new security features is 614 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 1: to also help make these new bills UH detectable if 615 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:15,280 Speaker 1: you're in a low light situation, which was not always 616 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:17,080 Speaker 1: the case. It's it's not always easy, like in a 617 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 1: poorly lit restaurant, to figure out whether you have the 618 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 1: money without holding the bill up to the light, which 619 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 1: is not necessarily convenient. So it's hard to tell a 620 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:28,960 Speaker 1: counterfeit bill when you're taking somebody's money at the at 621 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 1: the table right, or say at a toll booth where 622 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: it's the middle of the night and someone's going through 623 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:37,200 Speaker 1: a toll booth and using a large bill and expecting 624 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:39,799 Speaker 1: lots of change back. Yes, I'm not saying that that's 625 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: a place where people you try and pass off a 626 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,279 Speaker 1: lot of counterfeit money. I'm just saying that's a place 627 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 1: where people try and pass off a lot of counterfeit money. Okay, Okay, 628 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 1: I had no idea. Uh well, you know you watch 629 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:52,560 Speaker 1: enough movies or you have a relative who's in the 630 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: police force. Um, you find these things out. So we're 631 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,160 Speaker 1: gonna wrap this up because we have gone on and 632 00:35:58,239 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 1: on and on about this. Like I said, I find 633 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,279 Speaker 1: this this really fascinating, and with the hundred dollar bill 634 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: coming out, that's going to be the most technologically advanced 635 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:10,120 Speaker 1: dollar that we've ever seen. Um. Also, just in case 636 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:12,400 Speaker 1: you were wondering, the hundred dollar bill is the highest 637 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,720 Speaker 1: denomination that they currently print now, although they have printed 638 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: higher denominations in the past and those are no longer 639 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:21,759 Speaker 1: being introduced. Yeah, because we can do electronic transfers now 640 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,839 Speaker 1: so that we don't need those higher denominations the way 641 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:26,839 Speaker 1: we used to do. You know what the highest was, 642 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:32,279 Speaker 1: I can't remember grand and I was gonna dan. Do 643 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:36,960 Speaker 1: you know who was on it? Um? No, Woodrow Wilson 644 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 1: share some services. You know. I looked that up a 645 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:42,400 Speaker 1: long time ago, probably like a year, year and a 646 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:44,759 Speaker 1: half ago, and it was just fascinating, but I didn't 647 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 1: look it up again for the podcast. So yeah, you 648 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: guys who played bar trivia, if you're ever asked what 649 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:51,280 Speaker 1: was the highest denomination bill ever printed in the United States. 650 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,520 Speaker 1: It was one hundred thousand dollars and Woodrow Wilson was 651 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 1: on it. Although somebody didn't try to pass a one 652 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 1: million dollar bill at a Walmart and I had this 653 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 1: fucking dude, no real, Okay, next time I'm going to 654 00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:06,480 Speaker 1: target al Right, guys, Well, this wraps up this discussion. 655 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:09,120 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions 656 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:12,040 Speaker 1: or you have a suggestion for a future podcast, you 657 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:14,799 Speaker 1: can write us. Our email address is tech stuff at 658 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com and we will talk to 659 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 1: you again really soon. If you're a tech stuff and 660 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,240 Speaker 1: be sure to check us out on Twitter text stuff 661 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,120 Speaker 1: hs wsr handle, and you can also find us on 662 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 1: Facebook at Facebook dot com slash tech stuff h s W. 663 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:36,839 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, visit 664 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,319 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com and be sure to check 665 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:41,319 Speaker 1: out the new tech stuff blog now on the how 666 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:48,759 Speaker 1: Stuff Works homepage. Brought to you by the reinvented two 667 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,359 Speaker 1: thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you