1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: Hey, ridiculous historians. You often hear my pal Noel Brown 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: and my pal Max Williams and me Ben Bullen talk 3 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: about our two cents, you know, adjusting for inflation, our 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: two cents. 5 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 2: That's key, you got to adjust for inflation. But also, 6 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 2: I don't know what has it been philiology, philology, philology, bonus. 7 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: Points, sir. 8 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 2: Now that's a great a bit of a fail. 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 1: So if you live in the United States, you may 10 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: have run into a bit of a cryptid of currency, 11 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: a two dollars bill. Now, this will be familiar to 12 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: folks who work with cash. Often we're talking to bank tellers, 13 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: we're talking to people at adult entertainment clubs and casinos, 14 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: you know, but two dollars bills are weird, right, dul Max? 15 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: What do you guys think, when's the last time you 16 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 1: saw one? 17 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 2: Well, I think there was a time where there were 18 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 2: maybe not as unusual as people might think, and they 19 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 2: are certainly still legal tender, and there's kind of an 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 2: interesting little cult around two dollars bills in terms of 21 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 2: collecting them. But I don't think I've seen one in 22 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 2: a very long time. But there was a time where 23 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 2: I do remember coming across them every now and again. 24 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, there is a group of people who 25 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 3: really enjoy them. And it should not be surprising when 26 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 3: I say Jeff Williams is one of those people who 27 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 3: very much loves the two dollars bill. But yeah, I mean, 28 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 3: I believe they're not in production that much anymore or 29 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 3: at all. 30 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 2: You have to go to the bank and ask for them, right, 31 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 2: And the question of production I think gets answered in 32 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 2: this here episode on the Ridiculous History of the two 33 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: dollars Bill. 34 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome to the show, 35 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen. Today we have something that a few 36 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: people might call controversial. We're talking about Tom's We're talking 37 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: about deuces. We're talking about two dollars bills. I'm bet 38 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: two dollars bills. 39 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 2: Rule everything around me? Then, right, cream and some money 40 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 2: two dollar bills? Yo, No, it's me No. 41 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: And of course we were joined with our super producer 42 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: Casey and Begram Casey. I'm laughing because off air, I 43 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: was wondering if we should give you some kind of 44 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: currency related nickname for this for this show. 45 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 2: How about Casey Greenback's pegrim? I like that? 46 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm sold. 47 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,399 Speaker 2: I'm cool, Ben. You know, I only really recently realized 48 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 2: that cream stands for cash rules everything around me. Really, Yeah, I'm. 49 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: A huge fan that concept. But not just the acronym cream. 50 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: I'm a fan of all of the multitudes of slang 51 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: words we have made for currency, sure, both in the 52 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: US and abra scratch, yeah, cheese, scrilla, cabbage, grip, Yeah, 53 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: there's grip, a stack a bill. It's so it's so 54 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: contextual and so ubiquitous now, and there's such a wide 55 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: range of slang words that I feel like if you 56 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: if you say just a made up phrase while you're 57 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: handing someone money, then they will believe that slang for money. 58 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: So if I, if you and I and Casey were 59 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: at Dave and Busters or something, I. 60 00:03:58,120 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 2: Have their own currency. 61 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: Oh crap, Yeah, they be just to thatsters flusterbucks Yeah, 62 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: a pale shadow of Ben Bucks from what I hear. 63 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 2: Objective. 64 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: So, but here, like, imagine this, so we're in you know, 65 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: we're in some place I don't know, a Ritzy club 66 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: or something. 67 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: About the Ritz Carlton. 68 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: There we go literally ritzy. Yes, well that's we're at 69 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: the Ritz Carlton. And if we pay someone at the 70 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: hotel counter and then we say, well, let me throw 71 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: a couple of pony bones away, and it's like two 72 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: twenty dollars bills. They're just gonna roll with it. Yeah, 73 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,559 Speaker 1: and they may later refer to cash as pony bones, 74 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:35,599 Speaker 1: which is kind of morbid. 75 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 4: Yeah. 76 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: I would maybe be something like, yeah, let me grease 77 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 2: your palm with a couple of these sweet Jim Jams. 78 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: Jim Jams, Jim Jams. 79 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 2: Why not. 80 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: I feel like, yeah, I feel like we've established this 81 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: interesting etymology that's still evolving. But today's episode, as we said, 82 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: is about something a little controversial in the world of 83 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 1: US currency. The two dollars bill, the deuce, the tom Yeah, 84 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: the tom m that's what the slaying terms for it. 85 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I love it. 86 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you at the top here, do 87 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: you have a lot of experience with two dollars bills? 88 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: Do you have a like a story or did something 89 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: happen to you? 90 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 2: Well, all of my life savings are in two dollars 91 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 2: bills inside of dirty mattresses, that's the truth. 92 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: And you save money that you would have otherwise had 93 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: to spend on cleaning the mattresses. 94 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 2: Well, it's also like, you know, they're super rare, right Ben, So, 95 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 2: I mean they're gonna one day be worth well more 96 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 2: than two dollars apiece, my man, Am I right? Sure? 97 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: They're worth their weight of in saffron and gold. 98 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 2: And pony bones diamond dust. Yeah, but no, that is 99 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 2: a common misconception though, right, the two dollars bills are 100 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 2: rare and you should hang on to them, which is 101 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 2: kind of a funny little conundrum that we'll get into 102 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:54,919 Speaker 2: a little later. But why don't we start off with 103 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 2: sort of the broad strokes. What's the history of the deuce? 104 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: Excellent, excellent point to begin. The deuce or the tom 105 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: first comes to the United States, it's first printed, that 106 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: is in eighteen sixty two. Before that time, the States 107 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: would allow banks to print their own currency, and that 108 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: was pretty problematic. There's a good illustration of it in 109 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 1: this documentary you and I watched called the two dollar 110 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: Bill Documentary, the two dollars. 111 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 2: Bill document and a burst of creativity. So not to 112 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 2: try to be addicted to the filmmakers, it's very very good, 113 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 2: but come on. 114 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: Guys, right, that's by a writer and director, John Bernardo, 115 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 1: and in there they have some experts explain how the 116 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: problem with bank issued currency is that the further away 117 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: you are from the bank physically, the less likely other 118 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: institutions are to accept it at full face value. 119 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 2: They call them broken banknotes. 120 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: Right, yeah, so like a bank in Florida prints out 121 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: a two dollars bill or five dollars bill, it doesn't matter. 122 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: A bank in Maine might say, will give you fifty 123 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: cents for. 124 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 2: It, that's really funny. Or they might also just be like, 125 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 2: get this trash out of my face. 126 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, get this this, get this flori to rag out 127 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: of here. 128 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 2: Well, it's sort of the same idea as you know, 129 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 2: trading in items like if you know, I say a 130 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 2: shell or some sort of you know, carved wooden piece 131 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 2: is worth something, and then I take it to some 132 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 2: other community and they disagree. You know, what are you 133 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 2: supposed to do? 134 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 4: Well? 135 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 2: And this is issuing too, because if the bank that 136 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 2: issued the note folded, it would become an obsolete note 137 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 2: and become absolutely worthless. Right, but you know, it takes 138 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 2: time for word to travel, right, so it could even 139 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 2: be weeks or months before someone farther away even found 140 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 2: out that the bank had closed, and they might still 141 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 2: give you know fifty percent. 142 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: And you're worth yes, So it's time dependents. It's not 143 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: very sustainable. This changes, hopefully for the United States in 144 00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty two in March when they issue currency, the 145 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: issue one dollar bills and they issued two dollar bills 146 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: and spoiler alert, two dollar bills are the hot business 147 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: people in that time made an average of around fifteen 148 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: dollars a month. Interesting, so if you have two dollars 149 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: and you're paying, you're throwing down twos. That's going to 150 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: be my new slangy throwing. 151 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 2: Down two, throwing down twos, dropping deuces. 152 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: That means oh yeah, wait no, that means yeah, I 153 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: think someone beat us to that one. 154 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's true. But here the reason that they changed 155 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 2: this game up is because they needed to finance the war, right, 156 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,599 Speaker 2: the Civil War, that is, the Confederacy actually had a 157 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 2: little forethought and they issued their own currency, but the 158 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,839 Speaker 2: Union tried to borrow its way through the war at 159 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 2: rapacious interest rates. So in response, the US passed these 160 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 2: three legal tender acts that resulted in the issuing of 161 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 2: I believe in the neighborhood of four hundred and fifty 162 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:57,199 Speaker 2: mil in legal tender, which means what ben what is 163 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 2: legal tender, So legal tender or legal tene. We might 164 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 2: be more familiar with it through this lang name greenbacks, 165 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 2: which is way cooler and sexier than legal tender. These 166 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 2: were replacements for what were called demand notes or earlier greenbacks, 167 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 2: and essentially they were a form of fiat currency. Legal 168 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,079 Speaker 2: tender means that they can be used for any debt 169 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 2: for like a public debt, perhaps the Union with face 170 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 2: due to the atrocious interest rates in the war, or 171 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 2: a private debt, except that I think they had an 172 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:34,199 Speaker 2: they have one exception. 173 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 1: Let's see ayes. This note is a legal tender for 174 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 1: all debts public and private, except duties on imports and 175 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: interest on the public debt, and as redeemable in payment 176 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: of all loans made to the United States. It's an 177 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: iou Oh my gosh. 178 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 2: Now I thought fiat currency meant that it was backed 179 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 2: by just faith in the government. 180 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, the fiat currency means that it's backed by the 181 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 1: institute institutional beliefs. So there were other things that will 182 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: come along, called silver certificate. 183 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 2: That's right. And not only that, there were notes backed 184 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 2: by coin. There were those silver certificates. There were Federal 185 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 2: reserve notes, and there were national banknotes. 186 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: So you can find various places online you can find 187 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: a picture of earlier currencies. We should caveat our timeline 188 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 1: here because we said eighteen sixty two in March, that's 189 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 1: when we have the first wide scale printing of the 190 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: two dollar bills. There were other private entities like banks 191 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: printing things prior to that. There were also other two 192 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: dollars bills before then, but they were much smaller in 193 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,839 Speaker 1: scope and distribution because by the time the US broke 194 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: with England, or by the time excuse me, the American 195 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: colonies at that point broke with England, they had been 196 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: putting out paper currency for nearly a century, but they 197 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: didn't like continental currency existed. But they still hadn't gotten 198 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: the formula quite right or worked out the process. And 199 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 1: you can see in the National Museum of American History 200 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 1: you can see examples of this older currency and it 201 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: just looks pisspoor. 202 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 2: Oh dude, it looks like something you'd find in a 203 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,319 Speaker 2: pirate wreck. Yeah, like yeah, and no, I see now too, Ben. 204 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 2: I have this note that they issued forty nine thousand, 205 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 2: two dollars bills and that was for quote bills of 206 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 2: credit for the defense of America. It wasn't until almost 207 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 2: a century later, on July eleventh of eighteen sixty two, 208 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 2: the Congress decided to make that two dollars denomination part 209 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 2: of the nation's legal tender, as we discussed earlier. So 210 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 2: I think we're up to date with the two dollars bill. 211 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 2: Let's talk a little bit about a rivalry. I think 212 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,199 Speaker 2: I know where this is going. 213 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: A little beef Yeah, two prominent founding fathers were what 214 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:59,199 Speaker 1: I like to call beefed up for a long time 215 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: to have this rivalry. Let's do a slow build up 216 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: to those beefed up rivals and explore what this bill 217 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: actually looked like. 218 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,959 Speaker 2: Yeah, and also like whose faces appeared, which will lead 219 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:15,079 Speaker 2: us to the question. So these bills, in all American 220 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 2: legal tender use a process that's called intaglio printing, which 221 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 2: is it's really really cool. It's like the opposite of 222 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 2: relief printing, which means that it's got these fine lines, 223 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 2: these etched, deep etchings in these plates, and the designs 224 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 2: are cut or scratched into these plates. And they can 225 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 2: be copper or zinc or aluminium or plastic or magnesium 226 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 2: or even like coated paper, and the ink is rubbed 227 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 2: into these grooves and then the paper is placed on 228 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 2: top of it, and it requires great amounts of pressure 229 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 2: to get that to take yes, and you end up 230 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 2: with this really beautiful, fine kind of embossed look. 231 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: And I think it takes seventy two hours to do 232 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: each side, at least here in the modern day because 233 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: of the drying, right, because there's so much ink on 234 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: the two dollars bill if you look at either side 235 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 1: of it. The printing, which is beautiful, is very detailed. Also, 236 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: the coolest part is if you get a chance go 237 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: online and watch the engravers making the plates. What a 238 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 1: weird rarefied job. 239 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 2: It's pretty cool too. You see them with those what 240 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 2: do you call that a loop like a jeweler's loop 241 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:19,679 Speaker 2: monocle looking thing where they're examining them to make sure 242 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 2: they're perfect. And each plate has a specific code that 243 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 2: ends up on the front and back of the note 244 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 2: and can even tell you like where it was printed. 245 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 2: And the thing about the two is that it actually 246 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 2: has some of the most ornate entaglio printing of any 247 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 2: US note. And that's because the back of it has 248 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 2: a very large scene in the middle, much more elaborate 249 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 2: than some other bills that we're used to. 250 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, a lot of people think that the back end, 251 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: for lack of a better phrase, of the two dollars 252 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:57,479 Speaker 1: bill is the signing of the Declaration of Independence. However, 253 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: we are going to give you a gift, friends, neighbors. 254 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 1: Now you will be armed with a small bit of 255 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: trivia for your next sois AI. Let's just call it 256 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: truth man, Let's drop some knowledge, some truth. It's time 257 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,560 Speaker 1: for two dollars worth of truth bombs here, folks. It 258 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,959 Speaker 1: is not actually called the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 259 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just the Declaration of Independence. And it's a 260 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 2: painting by John Turnbull and it just depicts the presentation 261 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 2: of the signed document to the Continental Committee, of which 262 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 2: Thomas Jefferson was a member. And I don't have the 263 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 2: exact names, but some of the lesser players. I think 264 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 2: there were like forty two people pictured in this. They 265 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 2: had to do a redone version of this for the 266 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 2: bill so that they could actually fit it all into 267 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 2: that little picture hole. That's that I'm calling it. That's 268 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 2: the picture hole. 269 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: Call it the frame maker. 270 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 2: They kind of cropped out some dudes that they felt 271 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 2: were superfluous and the fact that I don't know their 272 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 2: names probably speaks. 273 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: Volumes you can find and of course a list of 274 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: the names. It's not too far out there to say 275 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: many of those names would be unfamiliar to the average 276 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: you know US kid today. But there are so many. 277 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: We aren't We aren't going to go through the whole list. 278 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: That would be wait for it, ridiculous. Oh wow, Yeah, 279 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: we got there. I see what you did. But you know, 280 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: Ben Franklin's there, Thomas Jefferson, as you mentioned, Noel. Also, 281 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: George Clinton is there. 282 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 2: Like of Parliament Funkadelic. 283 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: Yep, he's in the back. No, no, not that George Clinton. 284 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 1: Unfortunately he is. He is a time traveler, a funk. 285 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: But you can see the entire list of these people. 286 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: The reason we're bringing this up is because if you 287 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: look at the detail of this engraving, you can see 288 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: how this this separates a two dollars bill in terms 289 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: of sophistication from many other examples of US currency. And 290 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: one of the things that caught in our minds was, 291 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: I don't know if you had ever heard this growing up, 292 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: but people had told me in the past that two 293 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: dollar bills were bad luck. 294 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 2: You had mentioned that earlier, Ben, But I had not 295 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 2: heard that. Does that mean I should stop sleeping on 296 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 2: my mattresses full of two dollars bills? 297 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: I you know, I don't know. I don't I don't 298 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: know how it works. 299 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 2: Bad luck or no, they're incredibly comfortable. 300 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: Well, of course, it's a comfortable mattress and a good 301 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: night's sleep. The two dollars bill, like all US currency, 302 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: is printed on very high quality paper. But it may 303 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: even be a mistake to call it a paper. 304 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's actually a fine blend of seventy five percent 305 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 2: cotton and twenty five percent linen. In fact, some of 306 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 2: my hoarded two dollar bills I have sewn together into 307 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 2: a delightful sheet set. Oh that's cool. You could also 308 00:16:55,800 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 2: make a cape that would be awesome, A puncho perhaps perhaps, No, no, 309 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 2: not both. You can't wear them at the same time. 310 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 2: That that would be People wouldn't take you as seriously 311 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 2: a poncho and a cape. 312 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: People would be like that guy needs to be more 313 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:11,119 Speaker 1: definitive in his decisions. 314 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 2: Well, a poncho is kind of just like a cape 315 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 2: all around, a light cape, you know, yeah, exactly, Yeah, 316 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 2: that would be extreme to wear a poncho. 317 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 1: Do you think anybody's front capes? 318 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 2: Oh? 319 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, aprons, never mind moving on it. Yeah, this stuff, 320 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: it's got a surprising amount of cotton in it, which 321 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 1: helps with the durability. Because when we think about it, 322 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: if you had typical printing paper and stuff was printed 323 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: on there, it would be easier to counterfeit, but it 324 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 1: would be much more vulnerable to wear and tear. 325 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 2: And that's a whole big part of the processes they 326 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 2: used to make these bills is to make them hard 327 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:50,679 Speaker 2: to duplicate. In fact, there's a whole nother step in 328 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 2: the printing process where all of those little stamps and seals, 329 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 2: those are all done in a separate, completely separate layer. 330 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 2: So it's like a different set of ink. And it's 331 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 2: just you know, it's very, very difficult to successfully counterfeit. 332 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 1: And did you know, Yeah, and did you know that 333 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: one company supplies all of the paper. It's a place 334 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: called the Crane Company. 335 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:13,360 Speaker 2: I did not know that, but it makes sense, right, 336 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 2: if you could just get it anywhere, that'd be no good, 337 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:16,639 Speaker 2: I know. 338 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: But talk about a great business model too. Those guys 339 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:20,400 Speaker 1: are set. 340 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, and in the film that we're talking about, the 341 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 2: documentary about the two dollars Bill. It shows this process 342 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 2: and the folks that craft and maintain these plates, they're 343 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,679 Speaker 2: really like, you know, artisans. I mean, it really is 344 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 2: a very high precision skill to be able to work 345 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 2: with these I mean, you're, like I said, they are 346 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 2: doing a lot of it by hand, and it's very 347 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 2: intricate form of printmaking essentially. 348 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:48,880 Speaker 1: Right, And this process has proven to be beneficial for 349 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 1: the US, and a lot of other countries have modeled 350 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 1: some behaviors off of this. But I want to get 351 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 1: back to I don't want to get lost in the conversation. 352 00:18:58,960 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 2: We lost the. 353 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 1: Beef, we lost the bad luck, Oh, the bad luck, 354 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:04,719 Speaker 1: and then because I was yeah, yeah, yeah, cool. So 355 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: a lot of us have heard that the two dollars 356 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: bill is associated with bad luck, and the question is why, because, 357 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:13,880 Speaker 1: as it turns out, it is not associated with any 358 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: specific tragic event or a murder. And yes, the forty 359 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: two people that are in the trumble painting or engraving 360 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,440 Speaker 1: rather are all dead. But that's just because that's what happens. 361 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,239 Speaker 1: That's just the way of the old white dude. It 362 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 1: was not unusual, and we have to dig into a 363 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: little bit of speculation to find where this superstition occurred. 364 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: Superstition is the correct word. It's kind of like four 365 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: leaf clovers being lucky. 366 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 2: You know. 367 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:47,679 Speaker 1: So two dollars bills were tied to brothels early in 368 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: the twentieth century. You could use a two dollars bill 369 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 1: and it kind of continues, but you could use a 370 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: two dollars bill for a well where a families show. 371 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 1: Maybe the best way to put it as a very 372 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,719 Speaker 1: quick experience. Oh you know what I mean, not the 373 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 1: premium treatment whatever that was. Also, two dollars used to 374 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: be a standard betting price point in horse races. 375 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 2: That is pretty cool, man. I'm gonna go ahead and 376 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,440 Speaker 2: drop this now. It's because it's neat and associated with 377 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 2: what you're saying. But there's a story in the modern 378 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 2: day of two dollars bills being associated with not brothels, 379 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,680 Speaker 2: but strip clubs. I think we talked about this on 380 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 2: a previous episode that Oregon Portland in fact has the 381 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 2: highest number of strip clubs like per capita or something like. 382 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,119 Speaker 1: That, which is still so amazing. You know, I learned 383 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 1: that from my uber driver. 384 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:42,199 Speaker 2: When you were visiting. Yeah, and you mentioned that, and 385 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 2: that kind of blew my mind. I was not expecting it. 386 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 2: But as it turns out, there's one strip club in 387 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 2: particular called Club Diablo, where the proprietor thought it would 388 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 2: be really clever to get a whole bunch of two 389 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 2: dollars bills because you can get them, oh easily. 390 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: Just get them, you can get them today. 391 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 2: Get them at the bank and stain them in red 392 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,399 Speaker 2: ink to make them look like they were bloodstained, and 393 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 2: then he would give them out as change, as kind 394 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 2: of a gimmick in his establishment. But it turns out 395 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 2: that they ended up circulating all over town and people 396 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:22,479 Speaker 2: stopped taking them. Yeah, and it became an issue. 397 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: It's like shame money. 398 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 2: It's a Charlotte letters exactly. The word got back that 399 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 2: it was all as a result of this this strip 400 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 2: club impresario's little gimmick, which was meant to connect his 401 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 2: place with the vampire film from Dust Till Dawn by 402 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 2: Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino in it, where there is 403 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,680 Speaker 2: like a strip club, you know, populated by blood sucking 404 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:49,640 Speaker 2: vampire ladies. And he actually got the law on him 405 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 2: pretty hard. The CIA was investigating him, and the FBI 406 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,639 Speaker 2: actually came to the bar, and you know what, that 407 00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 2: wasn't enough to spook him. This guy, by the way, 408 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 2: has an amazing strip clubby name of Johnny Zuckle. 409 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:05,440 Speaker 1: Johnny Zucklety, you got to say it with a little 410 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,159 Speaker 1: bit of a rasp in your voice. 411 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 2: Johnny Zuckle. He was not shaken. It wasn't until you know, 412 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 2: things started to escalate that he finally backed down. But 413 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 2: just wanted to drop that in there because I think 414 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:17,920 Speaker 2: that's that that ties in with what you were saying. 415 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 2: But let's go back back to the back, back back 416 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:23,200 Speaker 2: to the beef, back to the back, back to the beef. 417 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: Let's see who's beefed up. So we mentioned that in 418 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:37,400 Speaker 1: terms of bad luck, the superstition probably originates more from 419 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: people's perception what the money was used for. And as 420 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:43,160 Speaker 1: an old point out, that's still around a little bit today, 421 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 1: but it's not associated with a tragedy. We did a 422 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: little bit of foreshadowing when we mentioned the people on 423 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,440 Speaker 1: the back of the bill. But let's pay off the foreshadowing. Now, 424 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 1: who are the people on the front because they change 425 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: over time. 426 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 2: Well, remember when we were talking about those early versions 427 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 2: of currency, when all of the regions, I guess or 428 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 2: smaller areas could have their own. There were in those 429 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 2: days around one thousand completely unique two dollar bills just 430 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 2: floating around, and we mentioned what a problem that was. 431 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:18,120 Speaker 2: Then enter the Civil War. We now have legal tender 432 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 2: and the first two dollars bill that's officially issued has 433 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 2: Alexander Hamilton. 434 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: Alexander Hamilton. 435 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,879 Speaker 2: Alexander Hamilton, like the guy. 436 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:33,920 Speaker 1: From both the musical and also fun fact, a real 437 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 1: life founding father of the United States. 438 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:39,639 Speaker 2: Very true, he along with his nemesis. I don't know 439 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 2: that's fair. We're probably creating a bit of a false 440 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 2: narrative there. But no, no, they had issues. They definitely 441 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 2: had issues. Yeah, Hamilton and Jefferson both founding fathers. They 442 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,199 Speaker 2: had very different ideas of what the government should be. 443 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:56,199 Speaker 2: Hamilton's Federalist Party wanted to centralize the government, wanted to 444 00:23:56,240 --> 00:24:02,160 Speaker 2: represent the interests of trade, manufacturing, you know, cosmopolitan ideas. 445 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,199 Speaker 2: Thought these were forces that would be crucial for progress 446 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 2: in this new society. Strong central government, strong central currency, 447 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:14,440 Speaker 2: public debt. He didn't like radicals, didn't want him, didn't 448 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,199 Speaker 2: trust him, and he wanted to maintain good relationships with 449 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 2: England because they would be a trading partner you know, right. 450 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:25,200 Speaker 1: And Hamilton's economic plan for the nation included making a bank, 451 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: a national bank like the kind that existed in England, 452 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: for the purpose of maintaining public credit. One of the 453 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:36,479 Speaker 1: very controversial things that he proposed at the time was 454 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: to consolidate state's debts. And Jefferson and his faction Republicans 455 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 1: also known as the Republican Democrats at times Republican Dashed Democrats. 456 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 2: That's confusing, it's a weird one. 457 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: This faction took the position that, let's say, Virginia should 458 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:57,880 Speaker 1: not be responsible for debts accrued by New York. 459 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 2: So it's a very almost isolate Relationist states rights kind 460 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 2: of vibe. 461 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 1: Federalist anti federalists. 462 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. And if Hamilton is the city mouse, Jefferson 463 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,639 Speaker 2: is the country mouse. Because the Republican Party wanted to 464 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 2: mainly take care of agriculture and agrarian have an agrarian society, 465 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 2: did not trust bankers, unconcerned with manufacturing and commerce. Again, 466 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 2: like you said, Ben, all about these states rights, self 467 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 2: sufficient communities. There's a great quote where he said, I 468 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 2: am not a friend to a very energetic government. Right. 469 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: So this is weird now because originally it is Alexander 470 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:42,919 Speaker 1: Hamilton on that first two dollars bill. 471 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 2: And that was because, of course he got his way. 472 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,919 Speaker 2: He was the Secretary of the Treasury. He got that 473 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 2: National Bank that was established in February of seventeen ninety one, 474 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 2: and then little time goes by eighteen sixty two rolls 475 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:59,640 Speaker 2: around that two that deuce comes out. We got old 476 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 2: alex Hamilton's face on the front, because, like you say, 477 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:04,160 Speaker 2: he was the Secretary of the Treasury. And I guess 478 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 2: maybe you want I don't know. Do you think he 479 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 2: wanted it? Do you think he pushed for it? Do 480 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 2: you get cared? And I don't know. 481 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:10,679 Speaker 1: Hard to say, You know, you have to wonder is 482 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 1: it awkward to bring that up in conversation to be 483 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:15,640 Speaker 1: the person who says, you know, what would what would 484 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 1: be a great portrait? Guys, because we're doing portraits for 485 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: these for these dollars. I'm in the Secretary of the Treasury, 486 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: So I think, like we could do an egle, but 487 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,359 Speaker 1: we should we should probably do me. That just seems 488 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 1: very weird. And there's something Kanye west Ish about it. 489 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 2: Do you know Kanye West is talking about is it 490 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,440 Speaker 2: dragon power these days or eagle Eagle power, Eagle power, 491 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 2: it should be egal best dragon power. I think it's 492 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 2: dragon energy, dragon energy. Thank you. That's been Casey on 493 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:41,359 Speaker 2: the case. 494 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: And you may be asking yourself a question we asked 495 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:49,439 Speaker 1: ourselves out off air. Are dragon energy and Tiger blood related? 496 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: Did they play some sort of role in the public 497 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 1: as at two dollars bill that is currently lost to history? 498 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: But right in, if you have any ideas, you know 499 00:26:58,280 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 1: what else. 500 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:03,359 Speaker 2: Has lost history? Why did Jefferson swoop in and knock 501 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,120 Speaker 2: his old nemesis Hamilton off of the bill? 502 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, in eighteen sixty nine, just a few years later, 503 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 1: Thomas Jefferson's portrait replaces Hamilton and it's used on the 504 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: two dollar note for the first time, and it's been 505 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: used ever since. 506 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 2: But what I'm saying is no one I have not 507 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:24,199 Speaker 2: found any sources of saying why this happened? Why did 508 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 2: Hamilton fall out of favor? Right? 509 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: And there's a really cool part in this documentary where 510 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: in one of the historians explains, when asked about all 511 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:40,200 Speaker 1: these different portraits that are on various forms of currency 512 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: in the US, he says that the history is largely 513 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: unwritten and many times, the best thing historians can say 514 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 1: is just that it is ultimately up to the Secretary 515 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: of the Treasury to decide. So Alexander Hamilton is no 516 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 1: dies seventeen ninety five, so he certainly had no saying 517 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,880 Speaker 1: to Thomas Jefferson, maybe our best bet is to ask 518 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:08,440 Speaker 1: ourselves who the Secretary of the Treasury was in eighteen 519 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:12,159 Speaker 1: sixty nine when that picture change occurs. That's Hugh McCullough 520 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 1: from Indiana, the twenty seventh secretary. 521 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 2: Maybe he was beefed up with Hamilton too and just 522 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 2: wanted to, you know, give his legacy a good thrashing. 523 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:25,440 Speaker 1: Perhaps perhaps, Oh and let me amend that same year 524 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:31,360 Speaker 1: McCollough was replaced by George S. Bootwell, who also may 525 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:32,560 Speaker 1: have been beefed up with Hamilton. 526 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:36,680 Speaker 2: Very volatile times in the Secretary of the Treasury and 527 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 2: ben like you said earlier, these bills were popular because 528 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 2: of the nature of wages and the two sort of 529 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 2: a two would be like the way we might drop 530 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 2: a hundo today, right, you know, to really throw throw 531 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 2: weight around. 532 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 1: And there was also the Gold panic in eighteen sixty nine, right, 533 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: So maybe those events, those events tied into it. So 534 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 1: we should probably do an episode on some of those 535 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: catastrophic financial disasters that occurred in the eighteen hundreds that 536 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: remain relatively obscure today. You know, I love anything with 537 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: panic in it. Gold panic, Satanic panic, satanic panic, panic 538 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:14,600 Speaker 1: at the disco mannic panic. 539 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 2: Remember that hair hair dye? 540 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, skate shops back in the day, back at 541 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 1: gad zooks. 542 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 2: Did you ever dye your hair bright pink or red? 543 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 2: Do you ever have a you never went through a 544 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 2: phase like that. 545 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: No. 546 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 2: Our coworker and compatriot, Holly fry Gate, brought me some 547 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 2: silver hair dye today because I have this really dope 548 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 2: silver gray streak in my hair. I characterized it as 549 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 2: being dope because I'm just a fan. It just is 550 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 2: just the right place. People think that I did it 551 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,000 Speaker 2: on purpose, but I didn't. But Holly's like, you know, 552 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 2: you need to really take that up a notch and 553 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 2: just make it like shiny silver. 554 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 1: I thought she was joking, like Rogue from the Oh wait, 555 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: silver not white? Silver not white, So she totally like 556 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:53,719 Speaker 1: Roguan X men. But she presented me with a tube 557 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 1: of hair stuff. Maybe congratulations, thanks man. Yeah, and you're 558 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 1: going to drop in. You're gonna don't do it over 559 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: the weekend. I don't want to hurt Holly's feelings. Does 560 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: it wash out or is it a permanent one? 561 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 2: It looks permanent. It's a commitment. It's a real commitment. 562 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: Maybe try some some of that wash out dive first, 563 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:13,960 Speaker 1: ce how you feel, get some of the theater stuff 564 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: that you just sprained. 565 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 2: I was just sort of like, Holly, I don't think 566 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 2: I'm not lacking. I'm good with this. She's like, no, 567 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 2: it can be better. You can take it up a notch. 568 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 2: But anyway, we digress. Best of intentions always, No, Holly's 569 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 2: the best, so yes, Panics aside, and motivations somewhat unknown 570 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 2: or murky. The fact remains that Thomas Jefferson replaced Alexander 571 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 2: Hamilton on the two dollars bill in eighteen sixty nine, 572 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 2: and the fact also remains that over time, a good 573 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 2: bit of time, the two sort of fell out of favor. 574 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, And it had lower printing numbers starting in 575 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: about the nineteen fifties, and this is what led to 576 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 1: for a time the two dollars bill becoming the rarest 577 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: current denomination of US currency, and people started to hoard 578 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: two dollar bills. But as a result this decreased the 579 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: circulation even more. 580 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 2: It's right. It's a really great mental article about the 581 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 2: curious case of the two dollars bill, and they talk 582 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 2: about the idea of the two dollar bill sort of 583 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 2: being surrounded by circular logic, one of those notions being 584 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 2: that no one uses them because no one uses. 585 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 1: Them, right, Yeah, So they're not printed because people are 586 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 1: disinclined to use them. But people are disinclined to use 587 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 1: them because they're not printed very often, right, And there's 588 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: always something worth commenting on there. Many people find them 589 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: to be remarkable in some way or memorable, which is 590 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: why at modern day gentlemen's club, gentlemen's Parlow, gentlemen's lobby, 591 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 1: I'm just thinking of different. 592 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 2: Words for buildings, it's a lounge. 593 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,360 Speaker 1: There we go, there we go. In this article by 594 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: Hannah Keyser, we do that this logic works against at 595 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:08,400 Speaker 1: least the prevalence of the two dollars bill, even if 596 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: it does help its popularity. And this eventually leads to 597 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: the Federal Mint just throwing up their hands and saying 598 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: no more. Right. 599 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. It was in nineteen sixty six that they decided 600 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 2: to discontinue this particular denomination of currency. So it stayed 601 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 2: entirely out of production, out of print for ten years. 602 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and the Economic Review said that they were pulling 603 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: this because people weren't using it, you know why, Just 604 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: people were hoarding them in their houses. 605 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:47,800 Speaker 2: It's true. But then one faithful day, April thirteenth, the 606 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 2: spring day of nineteen and seventy six, oh, the bi centennial. 607 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 2: That's right, the two dollars bill was issued once again 608 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 2: for the first time in a decade, and it was 609 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 2: announced by President Nixon. 610 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 4: Nick the two dollars barrels very weird. Well what is 611 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:13,960 Speaker 4: that we get there? It was crazy Nixon. Uh, wrestler Nixon. 612 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 4: He's kind of tough to say. Two dollars, two dollars roll. 613 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 4: I see you see really, you've got the cadence, You've 614 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 4: got the tone more. 615 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 1: I think we've got you and I have some practice 616 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:24,600 Speaker 1: ahead of us. 617 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:26,840 Speaker 2: I think if we combined our impressions, we'd be pretty 618 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 2: close to the mark. But you've got the bark down. 619 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 1: Sort of vultron the Nixon. You've got yourself off. 620 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 2: I've got the bark and the quaver down. 621 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:39,400 Speaker 1: So so we, uh, we have some a montage ahead 622 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:42,080 Speaker 1: of us. You and I off air when we when 623 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:43,120 Speaker 1: we get Nixon up. 624 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:45,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're gonna have a Nixon off Yeah, we. 625 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: Heard your emails. At first we thought you were joking. 626 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 1: But I don't think people are joking nol. I think 627 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 1: they want us to do a full to go full Nixon. 628 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 2: Well, I think if we're going to do that, then 629 00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 2: it probably has to be a bonus episode just for 630 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 2: the super fans. Yes, we don't want to alienate out there. 631 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 1: I was thinking about that someone when someone tunes in 632 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,000 Speaker 1: for the first time and they're they're like, who are 633 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:12,879 Speaker 1: these card? 634 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 2: Even the sound effect has to be in a Nixon voice. 635 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 2: Everything must be Nixon. 636 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 1: We could get the Nixon filter we've been talking about 637 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:32,440 Speaker 1: so much on our vision board. So Nixon announces this 638 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:35,279 Speaker 1: and there's a little bit of finger wagging from a 639 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:39,320 Speaker 1: New York Times article about the reintroduction where they say. 640 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 2: Ooh, dish it man, I don't know what you're talking about. 641 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:42,040 Speaker 2: I didn't read this one. 642 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: Where they say public reluctance to accept and use the 643 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 1: two dollars bill was the principal cause of its discontinuance 644 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:52,759 Speaker 1: nine years ago, and the main reason for that reluctance 645 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 1: was the relative scarcity of the note in circulation. So 646 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 1: to me, that comes off like the tone of it is, okay, kids, 647 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,160 Speaker 1: America do better this time. You can have it back, 648 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:07,000 Speaker 1: but remember what happened? Like they're like you're giving a 649 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: kid a toy back. 650 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 2: Here's the thing, though, America did not play nice, and 651 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,320 Speaker 2: there was a functional reason beyond just a delightful little 652 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:19,600 Speaker 2: bisentennial gimmick for releasing this. They needed there was a 653 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:23,319 Speaker 2: gas shortage, I believe, and they needed to release a 654 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:27,640 Speaker 2: certain value amount of currency, but not they didn't want 655 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:29,840 Speaker 2: to print as many ones, so they were able to 656 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 2: print like half as many two's. And I'm no economist, 657 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,520 Speaker 2: but I guess that's what you do. Yeah, So what 658 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 2: is this going to accomplish? Ben, is my question to you. 659 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:43,040 Speaker 1: Well, it's going to give you more bang for your 660 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:46,160 Speaker 1: buck about twice as much YEP, in terms of printing 661 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: cost exactly twice as much. Exactly twice as much. Also 662 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:53,880 Speaker 1: not an economist, we should note, but this, this gives 663 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: an injection of cash into an economy that is in 664 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:00,319 Speaker 1: dire need. 665 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 2: It's true, and it did create what didn't create, It 666 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,759 Speaker 2: just was scarce because it hadn't been in circulation for 667 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 2: ten years. So you know, I guess they I don't 668 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 2: know how they introduced currency. They must do it a 669 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:16,240 Speaker 2: little at a time, obviously, you know, over a large area. 670 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:17,760 Speaker 1: I think it's a T shirt cannon. 671 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 2: Okay, that'd be cool. I think it's man. I'd mean 672 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,720 Speaker 2: it was sort of like Joker in Batman with the trust, 673 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,800 Speaker 2: you know, and he's got the gas and the balloons 674 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:29,359 Speaker 2: and all that. That'd be cool. 675 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: That's probably the most efficient way to do it. Again, 676 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:35,040 Speaker 1: but by a centennial parade. Yeah again, we're not economist, 677 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:38,359 Speaker 1: but we would be great at this parade. Yeah, it's 678 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: and now though you're right, people didn't play nice because 679 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: they started to see this as as much of a 680 00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 1: collectible as it was a functional piece of currency exactly. 681 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 2: So people didn't spend it. 682 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 1: No, they like went to the post office and got 683 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 1: a stamp to show the date that they got it. 684 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:57,839 Speaker 2: In, like a notary type stamp, like a. 685 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 1: Postage stamp and a rubber cancelation stamp up, and it 686 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:01,960 Speaker 1: made it seem like a keepsake. 687 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:04,319 Speaker 2: Interesting see it sort of to me sounds like when 688 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:08,080 Speaker 2: they released those fancy commemorative coins and a lot of 689 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 2: I mean, I wonder if that creates a circulation problem 690 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:11,600 Speaker 2: with quarters. Probably not. 691 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:13,600 Speaker 1: I don't know. They made a bunch of they made a. 692 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 2: Bunch of quarters. Yeah, that's true, but again doesn't quite 693 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 2: accomplish what they were after. But they don't pull it. Again. 694 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,399 Speaker 2: There's still two dollar bills in circulation. I don't think 695 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:28,320 Speaker 2: they print them particularly often. They certainly print them less 696 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 2: often than you know, the standard denominations they were used to. 697 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:33,440 Speaker 2: I don't have an exact figure on that. 698 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 1: I believe again from the excellent documentary that we checked 699 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: out by John Bernardo, I believe that one of the 700 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:46,719 Speaker 1: experts at the Federal Mint says that since nineteen fifty six, 701 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,839 Speaker 1: there have only been nine printings of the two. They're 702 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:52,279 Speaker 1: so cool about it, they don't. They don't call it 703 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:54,799 Speaker 1: a two dollars bill. They call it the two, the two, 704 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:56,840 Speaker 1: which makes it sound so classy. 705 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 2: I learned a new word. What is it too? I 706 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:04,560 Speaker 2: think you probably know this one. But numismatics, Ah, yes, yes, yes, 707 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:09,600 Speaker 2: or a new mismatist, a collector and enthusiast of currency 708 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:11,480 Speaker 2: and coins. It's true, and they. 709 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: Have an awesome They have an awesome convention in Florida 710 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,680 Speaker 1: with an acronym that I don't have to ask. I 711 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:21,040 Speaker 1: already know you and I both love it. It is 712 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:25,840 Speaker 1: the Florida United New Mismatists Convention. 713 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 2: Or fun maybe sounds like a barrel of laughs to me. 714 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 1: Oh, I hope they are as proud of that as 715 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 1: I am. 716 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:36,160 Speaker 2: Oh Man, Yeah, I know, it's good. You should be 717 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:38,520 Speaker 2: proud and they should be proud that you're so proud 718 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 2: of them. But here's the thing. There's a lot of 719 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:43,319 Speaker 2: misconceptions even today about the two dollars bill. People still 720 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:46,280 Speaker 2: think they're scarce. And while it may be scarce compared 721 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 2: to other denominations, there are over one billion two dollars 722 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,280 Speaker 2: bills in circulation today. 723 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:55,799 Speaker 1: Right right, You can, as as we mentioned earlier, you 724 00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:59,439 Speaker 1: can go to a bank and specifically request a large 725 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:02,480 Speaker 1: amount of two dollar bills, and it turns out that 726 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:04,839 Speaker 1: you probably wouldn't be the first person to do that 727 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 1: because two dollar bills in recent years, especially post you know, 728 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:16,920 Speaker 1: the reintroduction of the bill, they have become signs of protest. Right, 729 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,840 Speaker 1: not just this is this is different from the gentleman's 730 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:23,200 Speaker 1: lounge throwing red paint. 731 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:24,920 Speaker 2: On stuff as more of a marketing ploy. 732 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,719 Speaker 1: I guess, right, yeah, I agree, But you and I 733 00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:34,040 Speaker 1: and our researcher Christopher Hasiotis found some really cool examples 734 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 1: of two dollar bills being used as a protest. 735 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:40,840 Speaker 2: Right. Did you hear the one from the mid eighties 736 00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:44,360 Speaker 2: around an event called Black Dollar Days? 737 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:47,520 Speaker 1: Black Dollar Days, No school me late, lay it on me. 738 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 2: Well, the NAACP had this event that they dubbed Black 739 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,280 Speaker 2: Dollar Days that was from September second through the ninth 740 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 2: of nineteen eighty five, where in order to show the 741 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:04,040 Speaker 2: spending power, the massive spending power. Oh yes, yes, in 742 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 2: American community. 743 00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 1: I remember what they did. They urged their black consumers 744 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:12,800 Speaker 1: in twenty nine cities across the country to only spend 745 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:17,440 Speaker 1: two dollar bills and one dollar Susan b Anthony coins 746 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:22,720 Speaker 1: to demonstrate how much economic heft they had, with Raymond 747 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:27,160 Speaker 1: Johnson Junior, the president of the NAACP's LA chapter, saying 748 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 1: that black spent well over one hundred billion on goods 749 00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:34,520 Speaker 1: and services from non minority firms in nineteen eighty. 750 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:38,840 Speaker 2: Four, and yet the corporations purchased less than one percent 751 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,319 Speaker 2: of that amount from black vendors. He's saying, we're not 752 00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:45,799 Speaker 2: asking for anything except our fair share. So in using 753 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:49,920 Speaker 2: those two dollar bills in those Susan Bees. They collected 754 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:53,920 Speaker 2: someone in the neighborhood of five million dollars in purchases 755 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:57,239 Speaker 2: in that that that very short span of time. 756 00:40:57,680 --> 00:40:59,480 Speaker 1: And that's that's a noble one. 757 00:40:59,640 --> 00:40:59,840 Speaker 2: You know. 758 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:03,000 Speaker 1: That's something I think everybody can really get behind because 759 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:05,920 Speaker 1: that's a way to speak truth to power, you know, 760 00:41:06,239 --> 00:41:10,280 Speaker 1: vote with your vote with your purchasing ability. As heartless 761 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 1: as it sounds, that makes a difference to corporations. They're 762 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:17,919 Speaker 1: not the only people protesting either. We found a case 763 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:20,720 Speaker 1: where nudist did something very similar. 764 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:22,440 Speaker 2: I did not see this one, Ben, Please. 765 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,120 Speaker 1: So in Land of Lakes, Florida, they make the butter 766 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:31,040 Speaker 1: I you know it should be, but I think they 767 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:33,880 Speaker 1: just didn't check the list of cities that already existed 768 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:35,080 Speaker 1: when they named it landa Lakes. 769 00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:37,640 Speaker 2: Do the newdists cover their bodies in butter? Uh? You 770 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 2: know what? 771 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:41,040 Speaker 1: Statistically, probably at least one of them has. 772 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:42,959 Speaker 2: It's like you can use it as like a sun 773 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:44,480 Speaker 2: tanning solution. 774 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:45,800 Speaker 1: I thought that was dangerous. 775 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:49,200 Speaker 2: Whatever, man, you just live your life. Tell me about 776 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:50,040 Speaker 2: the butter time. 777 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:53,200 Speaker 1: We're here for a good time, not a long time, right. Yeah, 778 00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:57,760 Speaker 1: So these nudists in Landa Lakes, Florida. Central Florida launched 779 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 1: a campaign where they decided to all so buy everything 780 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:06,319 Speaker 1: with two dollars bills to show the local merchants how 781 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:07,879 Speaker 1: much of an impact they make. 782 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:12,120 Speaker 2: And this was nudists in general. This specific community is 783 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:12,919 Speaker 2: the newdist dollar. 784 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:18,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was an idea created or proposed by Chuck Foster, 785 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:23,040 Speaker 1: who runs the Caliente Resort. I thought you'd like that name. 786 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:28,160 Speaker 2: That sounds spicy. And you know, in a stunning turn 787 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:31,120 Speaker 2: of events, I feel like we're going from most culturally 788 00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:33,960 Speaker 2: valuable to leases. Maybe well, I don't know, I would 789 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:35,840 Speaker 2: maybe flip yours with with the one I'm about to 790 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:38,480 Speaker 2: talk about. Maybe tell me what you think, all right. Yeah, 791 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:44,440 Speaker 2: there's a local organization in Alger County in Michigan that 792 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:49,600 Speaker 2: decided to mount a statewide effort to show their support 793 00:42:49,719 --> 00:42:55,000 Speaker 2: of medical cannabis and push for a bigger, more widespread 794 00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:58,120 Speaker 2: adoption of legalization in the state. And that was back 795 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 2: in two thousand and eight. And if I'm correct me, 796 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:02,640 Speaker 2: if I'm wrong, is Michigan gone legal? 797 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 1: So many places, it seems, are changing that quickly. I 798 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:12,960 Speaker 1: think it's up for it's up for political debate. Marijuana 799 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,959 Speaker 1: legalization maybe on their November ballot. 800 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:19,400 Speaker 2: You know what, the but they do have medical cannabis, Okay, 801 00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 2: that is on the books in two thousand and eight. 802 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:22,799 Speaker 2: This is not on the books. This is what they 803 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:25,440 Speaker 2: were pushing for. Can't necessarily credit the two dollars scheme 804 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:28,640 Speaker 2: for making that happen, but it certainly did a good 805 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:31,839 Speaker 2: job of showing lawmakers. Something that's very important with these 806 00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:36,720 Speaker 2: cases often is that people spend money. People who nudists 807 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:41,480 Speaker 2: spend money. Sure, African Americans spend money. Sure, we'd had 808 00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:42,200 Speaker 2: to spend money. 809 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:46,200 Speaker 1: And everybody spends money, and everybody should be treated fairly. 810 00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:50,719 Speaker 1: We saw another example where gay rights advocates took the 811 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:54,920 Speaker 1: same approach using two dollars bills. And this was a 812 00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:59,319 Speaker 1: reaction to the Proposition eight initiative in California. 813 00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:00,600 Speaker 2: Remember that a rough one. 814 00:44:00,680 --> 00:44:04,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, And so they did some stuff that I 815 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:09,000 Speaker 1: thought was really cool. There were people protesting by calling 816 00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:12,080 Speaker 1: in gay quote unquote gay to work. Sure, and they 817 00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:14,279 Speaker 1: did the same thing as the N DOUBLEACP did with 818 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:19,360 Speaker 1: two dollars bills, and they were transparent in citing the 819 00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:21,040 Speaker 1: N double ACP's earlier work. 820 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:23,279 Speaker 2: Oh that's cool. Credit where credit is due. Yeah, And 821 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:27,960 Speaker 2: this article from AOL by Jason Cochrane titled gay rights 822 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:31,480 Speaker 2: advocates ponder best way to flex their economic power. They 823 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:33,759 Speaker 2: decided that this two dollars bill method, which, if I 824 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:35,800 Speaker 2: wasn't clear, that's also what the what the pot people 825 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:39,200 Speaker 2: did was decided they would spend only two dollars bills 826 00:44:39,239 --> 00:44:43,560 Speaker 2: to show their economic impact directly to the community. Because 827 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:46,480 Speaker 2: you know shopkeepers and banks, and you count the two 828 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:49,320 Speaker 2: dollar bills that you got, you can see where the 829 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 2: impact is coming from, and you know who spent those. 830 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:55,120 Speaker 2: But with the whole calling in gay to work thing, 831 00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 2: a lot of members of the community didn't think that 832 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:01,040 Speaker 2: was a very focused effort, and it seem kind of 833 00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:05,160 Speaker 2: counterproductive and it didn't really hit the way they wanted to, 834 00:45:05,320 --> 00:45:09,920 Speaker 2: which was to show their actual spending power, which has 835 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:13,960 Speaker 2: been estimated in America that the gay community contributes something 836 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:16,320 Speaker 2: like seven hundred billion dollars to the economy. 837 00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:16,920 Speaker 4: Wow. 838 00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:20,919 Speaker 1: And I believe this also happened in two thousand and eight, 839 00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:24,520 Speaker 1: didn't it. It's the same same year as the Michigan protest. Right, 840 00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:28,399 Speaker 1: you are, my friend, what a time were What were 841 00:45:28,480 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 1: we doing? I don't think it even had me two 842 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:31,640 Speaker 1: dollar bills. 843 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:34,239 Speaker 2: In a way, Well, I still had my mattresses. Yeah, 844 00:45:34,239 --> 00:45:36,000 Speaker 2: I was probably napping on him at the time, But 845 00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:38,640 Speaker 2: I count those more as furniture for you then, like 846 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:43,040 Speaker 2: maybe emergency currency, maybe, but it better be a real emergency. 847 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:45,239 Speaker 2: I like to think of it more as immersion currency, 848 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:48,719 Speaker 2: because I just I just roll around in and man. 849 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:51,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, it feels good. And also, we want to be 850 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:56,680 Speaker 1: clear that despite dirty mattress jokes, Noel does wash his currency. 851 00:45:57,120 --> 00:45:59,600 Speaker 1: I won't want to scare anybody by letting you know 852 00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:03,440 Speaker 1: just how many really grows statistics are out there about paper. 853 00:46:03,160 --> 00:46:04,720 Speaker 2: Money saying I launder my money. 854 00:46:04,840 --> 00:46:07,239 Speaker 1: I'm saying you literally launder your money in the best 855 00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:07,879 Speaker 1: possible way. 856 00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:09,799 Speaker 2: I will say this when I'm not sleeping on my 857 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:12,640 Speaker 2: stack of two dollars bill filled mattresses. I sleep with 858 00:46:12,840 --> 00:46:13,560 Speaker 2: Casper Baby. 859 00:46:13,640 --> 00:46:16,920 Speaker 1: I knew you were gonna do it. Yes, Casper mattresses, 860 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:25,719 Speaker 1: objectively great mattresses, very nice. So there's something that just 861 00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:28,440 Speaker 1: occurred to me as we were talking about this protest. 862 00:46:29,160 --> 00:46:32,320 Speaker 1: One of the reasons that two dollars bills might also 863 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:36,359 Speaker 1: be a great way of showing your community or your 864 00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:44,360 Speaker 1: group's economic weight is because there's no drawer space for 865 00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:46,720 Speaker 1: two dollars bill in the typical cash register. 866 00:46:46,880 --> 00:46:49,600 Speaker 2: Forgot that point entirely, Ben, It's very true. It's another 867 00:46:49,640 --> 00:46:52,319 Speaker 2: reason that it's probably never taken off. It's clearly never 868 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:56,640 Speaker 2: been fully embraced by the economic community. 869 00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 1: By big cash register big registers. 870 00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:02,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, and here's the thing to Ben. Even today, you'll 871 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:05,400 Speaker 2: hear lots of stories about people just being very confused 872 00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:09,919 Speaker 2: about this, this currency, this this denomination. In fact, there's 873 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:13,600 Speaker 2: a story about a guy who, in his own kind 874 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:16,280 Speaker 2: of little protest, a little more of a mini protest, 875 00:47:16,360 --> 00:47:20,800 Speaker 2: best Buy apparently refused to install his son's car stereo 876 00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:24,839 Speaker 2: for the gradis price they had promised him. Yeah, and 877 00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:26,400 Speaker 2: they said, okay, no, actually you have to pay for 878 00:47:26,440 --> 00:47:28,000 Speaker 2: We're gonna call the cops if you don't come in. 879 00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:32,720 Speaker 2: This guy's name was Mike Boilesta, and this was supported 880 00:47:32,719 --> 00:47:34,759 Speaker 2: by the Baltimore son. The fifty seven year old Mike 881 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:40,719 Speaker 2: Bilesta found himself in lock up. He actually was handcuffed 882 00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:44,160 Speaker 2: to a poll for three hours after he decided to 883 00:47:44,960 --> 00:47:48,880 Speaker 2: give best Buy the old middle fingy and pay with 884 00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:49,480 Speaker 2: all twos. 885 00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:53,799 Speaker 1: Because the person he tried to pay first didn't recognize this. 886 00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:55,839 Speaker 1: She went to get the manager. The manager said these 887 00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:58,680 Speaker 1: are counterfeit I've already called the police, and I believe 888 00:47:58,719 --> 00:48:00,880 Speaker 1: he said the cop was He throws in that the 889 00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:02,440 Speaker 1: cop was young as well. 890 00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:05,960 Speaker 2: Sure, yeah, he was young, and they kept him handcuffed 891 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:08,920 Speaker 2: to this pole until they can get the damn Secret 892 00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:11,200 Speaker 2: Service to show up. Can you imagine if you were 893 00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:13,920 Speaker 2: that Secret Service agent, how annoyed you would be to 894 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:17,040 Speaker 2: be called out to a Best Buy? It's crazy. I 895 00:48:17,080 --> 00:48:18,719 Speaker 2: think a lot of people they're probably in the lock 896 00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:20,000 Speaker 2: up of the time, but you can get my name. 897 00:48:20,160 --> 00:48:22,200 Speaker 1: I think that a lot of people aren't aware that 898 00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:27,040 Speaker 1: the Secret Service is the organization that supervises counterfeiting. 899 00:48:27,080 --> 00:48:31,160 Speaker 2: It's true because under federal law, anyone, anyone who intentionally 900 00:48:31,600 --> 00:48:35,360 Speaker 2: uses counterfeit money can get up to twenty years in 901 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:38,160 Speaker 2: the clink and is also subject to a fine, a 902 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:39,960 Speaker 2: steep fine, I imagine. 903 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:43,959 Speaker 1: Right, I would imagine so. And this has always been 904 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:49,600 Speaker 1: a fascinating thing to us, the idea that the Secret Service, 905 00:48:49,719 --> 00:48:54,120 Speaker 1: of all groups, has that specific task, because one would 906 00:48:54,239 --> 00:48:57,319 Speaker 1: reasonably assume it would be the FBI or well, they 907 00:48:57,320 --> 00:49:00,200 Speaker 1: can get involved too. They can't. They can get involved too, 908 00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:03,040 Speaker 1: but specifically with counterfeiting. So that's why why in our 909 00:49:03,040 --> 00:49:06,040 Speaker 1: earlier examples the FBI got called. That's right, But in 910 00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:08,920 Speaker 1: this example, the Secret Service, I, you know what we 911 00:49:08,960 --> 00:49:11,719 Speaker 1: should We should write to some Secret Service folks, see 912 00:49:11,719 --> 00:49:13,440 Speaker 1: if we can, we can talk to them about this. 913 00:49:13,680 --> 00:49:15,279 Speaker 2: When I get in that system, man, I don't want 914 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:17,839 Speaker 2: to be on a list for being a letter writer, 915 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:19,960 Speaker 2: being some kind of agitator. 916 00:49:19,440 --> 00:49:23,759 Speaker 1: Being some kind of anachronistic ludite. Now uses a pen. 917 00:49:23,920 --> 00:49:26,640 Speaker 2: See that's exactly what happened to Denise O'Neil, an eighth 918 00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:31,280 Speaker 2: grader at THEE. CHRISTA. Mccauliffe Middle School outside of Houston. 919 00:49:31,719 --> 00:49:34,800 Speaker 2: She attempted to pay for her school lunch with a 920 00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:36,480 Speaker 2: two dollars bill. By the way, we haven't talked about 921 00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:40,000 Speaker 2: how two dollars bills favorites of grandparents the world over. 922 00:49:40,360 --> 00:49:41,280 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, is that true? 923 00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:42,799 Speaker 2: We have We'll give it. Give you a two dollars 924 00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:46,200 Speaker 2: bill in your birthday card. You know. They think it's 925 00:49:46,239 --> 00:49:48,720 Speaker 2: they think it's cute. Well that's sweet, yeah, But anyway, 926 00:49:49,080 --> 00:49:51,640 Speaker 2: this was not cute because her grandmama gave her this 927 00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:55,120 Speaker 2: two dollar bill, and her grandmother's name was Sharon K. Joseph, 928 00:49:55,320 --> 00:49:57,800 Speaker 2: and the cafeteria workers at the school did not believe 929 00:49:57,840 --> 00:49:59,359 Speaker 2: that it was real. They said they had never seen 930 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:01,839 Speaker 2: two dollars bill in their life. And she was sent 931 00:50:01,920 --> 00:50:07,000 Speaker 2: to something called the police office because this particular school, 932 00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:13,000 Speaker 2: this particular school district in Houston outside of Houston, Fort 933 00:50:13,040 --> 00:50:15,680 Speaker 2: Bend Independent School District has its own. 934 00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:18,320 Speaker 1: Police force that's like a step above the police store 935 00:50:18,400 --> 00:50:19,239 Speaker 1: the Fort. 936 00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:23,880 Speaker 2: Bend isd And apparently the officer told her that she 937 00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:26,520 Speaker 2: was going to be in big trouble for using this bill, 938 00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:28,840 Speaker 2: which they believed to be counterfeit. Wow. 939 00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:32,000 Speaker 1: So still a real stigma surrounding the two the deuce. 940 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:34,880 Speaker 1: It is the tom the tom. You're right, it is 941 00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:38,240 Speaker 1: still in circulation. It is not illegal to use it. 942 00:50:38,239 --> 00:50:41,960 Speaker 1: It's not counterfeit. And when you think about it, most counterfeiters, 943 00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:45,120 Speaker 1: who would be professional level counterfeiters, are not going to 944 00:50:45,239 --> 00:50:49,960 Speaker 1: mess with a small denomination. They want fifties, hundreds. 945 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:51,799 Speaker 2: Stuff like that. They're not gonna mess with one that's 946 00:50:51,840 --> 00:50:54,799 Speaker 2: gonna cause so many people to make a face. 947 00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:58,560 Speaker 1: Right, you want something that slides in unnoticed. There's something 948 00:50:58,560 --> 00:51:01,359 Speaker 1: else I found that was pretty interesting. If you think 949 00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:04,759 Speaker 1: people in the US are obsessed with the two dollars bill, 950 00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:07,799 Speaker 1: then who boy are you in for an adventure in Ecuador. 951 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:12,160 Speaker 1: According to author Nina Porzuki, who wrote Wire Ecuadorians obsessed 952 00:51:12,200 --> 00:51:16,759 Speaker 1: with the two dollars bill for pri In Ecuador, this 953 00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:21,360 Speaker 1: bill is even more rare, and people believe that it 954 00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:23,799 Speaker 1: is good luck. It is some of the best good luck. 955 00:51:23,840 --> 00:51:27,480 Speaker 1: It functions like a four leaf clover. Ecuador's had the 956 00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:33,160 Speaker 1: US dollars official currency since two thousand and The problem 957 00:51:33,200 --> 00:51:36,040 Speaker 1: that they run into is a bank in Ecuador will 958 00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:39,080 Speaker 1: order money from the federal reserve here in the States 959 00:51:39,080 --> 00:51:41,759 Speaker 1: if they need five tens, fifties and two dollar bills 960 00:51:41,760 --> 00:51:44,920 Speaker 1: are not a priority, so they're even less frequently found 961 00:51:45,040 --> 00:51:49,000 Speaker 1: there than they are here, and that feedback loop happens again. 962 00:51:49,480 --> 00:51:52,160 Speaker 1: People save them because they think they're good luck. 963 00:51:52,280 --> 00:51:55,959 Speaker 2: But we also have these sort of two dollars bill 964 00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:59,640 Speaker 2: freedom fighters, don't we People like Heather McCabe who runs 965 00:51:59,680 --> 00:52:03,840 Speaker 2: a block called Too Buckaroo, and her whole life's mission 966 00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:07,319 Speaker 2: is to dump two dollars bills back into circulation and 967 00:52:07,360 --> 00:52:09,919 Speaker 2: see people's reactions when she tries to spend them. There's 968 00:52:09,920 --> 00:52:13,120 Speaker 2: an article about ms McCabe in the New York Times, 969 00:52:13,719 --> 00:52:15,640 Speaker 2: and she was also in that documentary that we talked about, 970 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:17,840 Speaker 2: but this one is called two dollar bill is oddity, 971 00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:22,480 Speaker 2: but some love the tender. It describes Heather McCabe as 972 00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:25,400 Speaker 2: being on a one woman mission to revitalize the quirky 973 00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:30,160 Speaker 2: greenback through deliberate casual use. It also cites this guy, 974 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:34,720 Speaker 2: Matthew Zachlad, who pours apparently close to seven thousand notes 975 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:39,760 Speaker 2: into circulation each year, and McCabe apparently has been turned 976 00:52:39,760 --> 00:52:43,040 Speaker 2: away from businesses, told to pay with something else in 977 00:52:43,120 --> 00:52:47,279 Speaker 2: different bars, and as constantly being asked by people that 978 00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:50,920 Speaker 2: she encounters, can I buy this wallet full of two 979 00:52:50,960 --> 00:52:54,640 Speaker 2: dollar bills that you have because they still think that it's. 980 00:52:54,680 --> 00:52:58,319 Speaker 1: Kooky and rare and they have no idea that you 981 00:52:58,360 --> 00:53:01,480 Speaker 1: can go down to the Fun Convention again that's an 982 00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:04,640 Speaker 1: acronym and buy it. Sound amazing the fun I want 983 00:53:04,640 --> 00:53:07,800 Speaker 1: to go to the Fun Convention and buy a wallet 984 00:53:08,080 --> 00:53:10,440 Speaker 1: made out of two dollar bills. I think it was 985 00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:13,640 Speaker 1: forty bucks. Okay, But there are other neat facts that 986 00:53:13,640 --> 00:53:16,160 Speaker 1: we discovered about the two dollar bill. It's often used 987 00:53:16,200 --> 00:53:18,759 Speaker 1: as a tracer by like mom and pop stores to 988 00:53:18,880 --> 00:53:22,440 Speaker 1: track robberies. They keep the two dollar bill at the 989 00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:24,480 Speaker 1: bottom of the drawer. They write the serial number down 990 00:53:24,520 --> 00:53:28,719 Speaker 1: somewhere else, and then they just wait. Two dollar bills 991 00:53:28,840 --> 00:53:31,880 Speaker 1: used to be handed out at Monticello, former home of 992 00:53:31,960 --> 00:53:34,040 Speaker 1: President Jefferson's. 993 00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:35,799 Speaker 2: Right, because he got all the glory after they kicked 994 00:53:35,840 --> 00:53:36,680 Speaker 2: old Hammy off. 995 00:53:37,440 --> 00:53:41,160 Speaker 1: You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells 996 00:53:41,160 --> 00:53:45,280 Speaker 1: your two dollars story. Steve Wozniak buys two dollar bills 997 00:53:45,280 --> 00:53:47,960 Speaker 1: by the sheet from the Treasury Department and makes his 998 00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:50,560 Speaker 1: own little coupon book essentially out of them so he 999 00:53:50,600 --> 00:53:51,359 Speaker 1: can rip them out. 1000 00:53:52,040 --> 00:53:55,520 Speaker 2: Really, yeah, it's so weird. Is it just for grandpa purposes? 1001 00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:56,879 Speaker 2: Does he just want to be able to rip one 1002 00:53:56,880 --> 00:53:58,879 Speaker 2: out to give to his I don't know. 1003 00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:00,680 Speaker 1: Maybe he hates leafing through things. 1004 00:54:00,880 --> 00:54:02,239 Speaker 2: It's very interesting. But no. 1005 00:54:02,520 --> 00:54:04,799 Speaker 1: You know, I've got to tell you I had a 1006 00:54:04,800 --> 00:54:07,200 Speaker 1: bunch of stuff on another weird currency. But maybe we 1007 00:54:07,239 --> 00:54:11,160 Speaker 1: should save that for a different episode, because this rabbit 1008 00:54:11,200 --> 00:54:13,160 Speaker 1: hole is going deep, deep, deep, A. 1009 00:54:13,080 --> 00:54:15,480 Speaker 2: Lot deeper than I thought it would, my friend. 1010 00:54:16,120 --> 00:54:18,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, a lot deeper we thought it would. Do you 1011 00:54:18,960 --> 00:54:20,680 Speaker 1: have a two dollar bill at your home currently? 1012 00:54:20,760 --> 00:54:21,120 Speaker 2: I do not. 1013 00:54:21,719 --> 00:54:24,960 Speaker 1: I have one. Wait, no, no, that's not true. I 1014 00:54:25,000 --> 00:54:28,799 Speaker 1: have three. Oh yeah, your flush Well I planted them? 1015 00:54:29,480 --> 00:54:31,080 Speaker 2: What get it? 1016 00:54:31,280 --> 00:54:31,400 Speaker 1: Uh? 1017 00:54:31,480 --> 00:54:31,600 Speaker 4: No? 1018 00:54:31,680 --> 00:54:34,600 Speaker 1: I have three. I think they actually, now I think 1019 00:54:34,640 --> 00:54:37,120 Speaker 1: about it, I think they did come from an older relative, 1020 00:54:37,680 --> 00:54:42,479 Speaker 1: but they're I think they might be pre seventy six. 1021 00:54:42,520 --> 00:54:45,280 Speaker 1: I can't remember. But be that as it may. We'd 1022 00:54:45,320 --> 00:54:49,080 Speaker 1: like to hear your two dollars bill stories because one 1023 00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:51,920 Speaker 1: thing McCabe did in her blog is she started asking 1024 00:54:51,960 --> 00:54:54,200 Speaker 1: people to tell her a story about the two dollar bill, 1025 00:54:54,200 --> 00:54:55,880 Speaker 1: and she got some very interesting responses. 1026 00:54:55,920 --> 00:54:58,000 Speaker 2: It's a really cool blog. The one I'm looking at 1027 00:54:58,080 --> 00:54:59,880 Speaker 2: right now isn't a personal story as much as it 1028 00:54:59,920 --> 00:55:02,680 Speaker 2: is news story. The headline is two dollars bill leads 1029 00:55:02,680 --> 00:55:05,160 Speaker 2: to heroin bust. In New Jersey, when a driver was 1030 00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:06,960 Speaker 2: pulled over for tossing a lit cigarette out of a 1031 00:55:06,960 --> 00:55:09,640 Speaker 2: car window, the police officer reported seeing a rolled up 1032 00:55:09,920 --> 00:55:12,520 Speaker 2: two dollars bill with white residue on it. The driver 1033 00:55:12,560 --> 00:55:14,480 Speaker 2: and passenger were asked to step out of the vehicle. 1034 00:55:14,600 --> 00:55:16,640 Speaker 2: Prior to doing so, the driver made an attempt to 1035 00:55:16,719 --> 00:55:19,600 Speaker 2: hide the bill. According to the police, officer, later located 1036 00:55:19,640 --> 00:55:22,960 Speaker 2: the bill in a cigarette pack containing heroin. But what 1037 00:55:22,960 --> 00:55:24,080 Speaker 2: happened to the two dollar bill? 1038 00:55:24,719 --> 00:55:29,000 Speaker 1: Dun dung. Yeah, So again, we want to hear your 1039 00:55:29,080 --> 00:55:32,080 Speaker 1: stories or personal experiences, your memories. Did you grow up 1040 00:55:32,200 --> 00:55:34,560 Speaker 1: being told that a two dollars bill was good luck 1041 00:55:34,640 --> 00:55:38,239 Speaker 1: or bad luck? If so, why do you think that 1042 00:55:38,239 --> 00:55:41,480 Speaker 1: the bill should continue? Because one thing I really oh, 1043 00:55:41,520 --> 00:55:43,480 Speaker 1: one thing I really wish we could have hit in 1044 00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:46,480 Speaker 1: this episode was the debate over whether or not to 1045 00:55:46,520 --> 00:55:47,440 Speaker 1: abolish the penny. 1046 00:55:47,719 --> 00:55:49,800 Speaker 2: I know you have very strong feelings about that, largely 1047 00:55:49,840 --> 00:55:52,840 Speaker 2: because you probably don't like touching pennies. Right. Yeah, And 1048 00:55:52,960 --> 00:55:55,080 Speaker 2: we didn't even touch on the fact that Georgia Tech 1049 00:55:55,640 --> 00:55:59,799 Speaker 2: our hometown NERD football team. Yeah, you ever wondered about that? 1050 00:56:00,080 --> 00:56:02,239 Speaker 2: I went there, You went there? Yeah, you weren't on 1051 00:56:02,239 --> 00:56:04,359 Speaker 2: the football team though, No, not that I recall. So 1052 00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:05,840 Speaker 2: do they just let people go there just to be 1053 00:56:05,840 --> 00:56:07,680 Speaker 2: on the football team or is the football team just 1054 00:56:07,719 --> 00:56:10,080 Speaker 2: like full of genius engineers and diplomats? 1055 00:56:10,719 --> 00:56:13,640 Speaker 1: From what I remember, they have a pretty high bar academically. 1056 00:56:13,719 --> 00:56:15,520 Speaker 2: Wow, Okay, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be dismissive. 1057 00:56:15,560 --> 00:56:17,279 Speaker 2: I don't understand how this stuff was, But yeah, they 1058 00:56:17,640 --> 00:56:21,560 Speaker 2: have a rivalry with Clemson and they actually refuse to 1059 00:56:21,640 --> 00:56:25,480 Speaker 2: play each other out of protests, and the alumni stamped 1060 00:56:25,480 --> 00:56:28,920 Speaker 2: two dollar bills with the Clemson Tiger pause and used 1061 00:56:28,960 --> 00:56:34,000 Speaker 2: them around Atlanta to illustrate the money that the Tiger 1062 00:56:34,080 --> 00:56:37,920 Speaker 2: fans were spending at these events. So once again the 1063 00:56:37,960 --> 00:56:41,520 Speaker 2: two dollars bill rears its quirky head. 1064 00:56:41,960 --> 00:56:44,080 Speaker 1: And perhaps you can be part of a two dollars 1065 00:56:44,080 --> 00:56:46,879 Speaker 1: bill protest movement in the future. Have you been part 1066 00:56:46,920 --> 00:56:50,040 Speaker 1: of one? Yeah? And if you're planning one, what are 1067 00:56:50,239 --> 00:56:52,920 Speaker 1: you protesting? We might just join you. Let us know 1068 00:56:52,960 --> 00:56:54,960 Speaker 1: you can write to us directly. We are ridiculous at 1069 00:56:54,960 --> 00:56:59,720 Speaker 1: HowStuffWorks dot Com. As always a massive thanks to Casey 1070 00:56:59,719 --> 00:57:02,120 Speaker 1: Peg and Alex Williams who composed. 1071 00:57:01,800 --> 00:57:04,760 Speaker 2: Our track, and not to mention a plus ace number 1072 00:57:04,760 --> 00:57:08,839 Speaker 2: one researcher Christopher Hasiotis for holding our hands down this 1073 00:57:09,280 --> 00:57:14,120 Speaker 2: rabbit hole, deep dive, shallow dive, the medium dive. 1074 00:57:14,440 --> 00:57:16,320 Speaker 1: I thought it was pretty good dive. You know, I 1075 00:57:16,480 --> 00:57:18,560 Speaker 1: rate us more on form, so I thought it was 1076 00:57:18,600 --> 00:57:23,000 Speaker 1: a good form. I made a tiny splash, right, Oh man, 1077 00:57:23,280 --> 00:57:25,480 Speaker 1: how come the one does a cannonball at the Olympics. 1078 00:57:25,800 --> 00:57:27,680 Speaker 1: I was wondering that when I was a kid. But 1079 00:57:27,760 --> 00:57:31,440 Speaker 1: cannonball's aside. Stay tuned for our next episode, when we 1080 00:57:31,520 --> 00:57:36,520 Speaker 1: will ask how related are us presidents in terms of familial. 1081 00:57:36,240 --> 00:57:38,920 Speaker 2: Oh I was going to say they're presidents. They're all 1082 00:57:38,960 --> 00:57:39,880 Speaker 2: president A presidents. 1083 00:57:40,280 --> 00:57:42,800 Speaker 1: You know you can try, but name one US president. 1084 00:57:42,520 --> 00:57:44,840 Speaker 2: Who was not president? All right, that's tough. It's a 1085 00:57:44,960 --> 00:57:47,800 Speaker 2: tough one, nigh impossible. But no, I see where you're 1086 00:57:47,800 --> 00:57:49,960 Speaker 2: going with this, Ben, and that does sound like a 1087 00:57:50,000 --> 00:57:50,400 Speaker 2: good time. 1088 00:57:50,920 --> 00:57:53,200 Speaker 1: So stay tuned right to us. We always love to 1089 00:57:53,240 --> 00:57:56,400 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can also join our community on 1090 00:57:56,480 --> 00:58:01,000 Speaker 1: Facebook we are Ridiculous Historians. That's where you can see Nolan, 1091 00:58:01,160 --> 00:58:05,000 Speaker 1: Casey and I dropping by with the odd childhood photo 1092 00:58:05,240 --> 00:58:10,360 Speaker 1: maybe soon, karaoke clips, and most importantly, hearing your suggestions. 1093 00:58:09,720 --> 00:58:12,920 Speaker 2: For future topics. That sounds good to me, my friend. 1094 00:58:12,920 --> 00:58:15,200 Speaker 1: Casey, can we go out on a cash register ring. 1095 00:58:26,040 --> 00:58:29,840 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 1096 00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:32,080 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.