marked bills for RP

[Sylvia]

Idea (small, but they all add up):

Mark dollar bills with

"Ron Paul = sound money"

and put back into circulation. You don't have to get a stamp, just use a pen or fine-point Sharpie. Neat and discreet will get the message across.

I pass this on from my 25-year-old son, who's on the road and can't post it himself, but called on his cell phone.

[AlexMerced]

great idea

[AlexMerced]

Ijust wrote the URL to the teaparty and ron paul websites on every bill I have

[AlexMerced]

the irony of this is not lost on me

[AlexMerced]

this is the best idea ever, why isn't there more responses

[ASayre]

As an extension to this...

Do this with $2 bills. Jefferson on one side, the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the other.

The symbolism combined with the perceived rarity of 2 dollar bills - people look at them!

Request them your local bank.



For added bonus, when tipping, include a Tax-Free Tips slimjim/card along with the above marked $2 bill

[coboman]

That's illegal. Marking a bill with advertisements makes it loose it's market value.

Once marked, the bill can only be cashed at a bank, and cannot be used for transactions.

Good idea, though.

[Bodhi]

That's illegal. Marking a bill with advertisements makes it loose it's market value.

Once marked, the bill can only be cashed at a bank, and cannot be used for transactions.

Good idea, though.

I use bills all the that have been "marked". I am not totally sure but I think it is only illegal if you render the bill useless as legal tender.

[McDermit]

That's illegal. Marking a bill with advertisements makes it loose it's market value.

Once marked, the bill can only be cashed at a bank, and cannot be used for transactions.


Wrong on all counts. Defacement of currency (rendering it unfit for circulation) is illegal. Writing on or stamping a bill is not defacement, provided that there is no profanity and the security features are not obscured.

[McDermit]

Basically, as long as it gets through the scanners at the bank, you'll never have a problem. Even if a teller pulls the bill and sends it to the fed, it goes through a scanner there. If it makes it through the scanner, you're fine. If it doesn't pass the scanner, it goes to an inspector or directly to the shredder, depending on condition.

Just avoid the security features (portrait, strip, serial, watermarks) and leave the profanity and obscenities off.

[Bodhi]

Basically, as long as it gets through the scanners at the bank, you'll never have a problem. Even if a teller pulls the bill and sends it to the fed, it goes through a scanner there. If it makes it through the scanner, you're fine. If it doesn't pass the scanner, it goes to an inspector or directly to the shredder, depending on condition.

Just avoid the security features (portrait, strip, serial, watermarks) and leave the profanity and obscenities off.

That is great info. Given that there are diferent types of bills these days; newer ones with many "security" features and olders ones without, ef someone with your knowledge (maybe you) could take the time to scan some images of the areas that one could mark a bill without rendering it illegal.

I for one find myself with freetime wondering how I can use it for Ron Paul and it would be more than easy to pass on the freedom message this way.

[McDermit]

That is great info. Given that there are diferent types of bills these days; newer ones with many "security" features and olders ones without, ef someone with your knowledge (maybe you) could take the time to scan some images of the areas that one could mark a bill without rendering it illegal.

I for one find myself with freetime wondering how I can use it for Ron Paul and it would be more than easy to pass on the freedom message this way.

Basically, any "white" area. (Although on the newer bills it's multi-colored.) Anywhere on the backs of ones are fair game. Just be careful not to let it bleed through to the front of the portrait or serials.

You can stamp/write over those tiny 20's that are printed on $20 bills, and you can cover *part* of one watermark. But if you cover both watermarks on larger bills, or cover an ENTIRE watermark, it gets shredded. For the new larger bills, I usually stick to the margins. They're always safe.

Serial numbers are obvious. The series should also not be covered. The portraits on ALL bills are off limits. You will sometimes see a bill in circulation with a mustache and devil horns, but as soon as a teller notices and yanks it, it goes straight to the shredder. Machines (soda, candy, atms, etc.) are much more likely to reject bills with marks on the portraits than anywhere else on the bill as well, getting them yanked even faster.

Red ink is your best bet if stamping. The scanners tend to ignore reds and pinks. Oranges are usually safe as well. Stay away from green. Blue, black, purple are fine for the margins... but I wouldn't recommend using them anywhere else.

I'd caution against using sharpies, even the fine point ones, if you want your writing to remain legible for more than a month. Sharpies smear and smudge and bleed. They look great at first, but give it a few weeks and forget about it. Go to a craft store and pick up a Pigma Micron or some other archival quality, non-acidic pen. If you don't want to put that much effort into it, just stick with a regular old ballpoint pen. It will fade eventually, but it remains legible far longer than a sharpie.

[Bodhi]

Basically, any "white" area. (Although on the newer bills it's multi-colored.) Anywhere on the backs of ones are fair game. Just be careful not to let it bleed through to the front of the portrait or serials.

You can stamp/write over those tiny 20's that are printed on $20 bills, and you can cover *part* of one watermark. But if you cover both watermarks on larger bills, or cover an ENTIRE watermark, it gets shredded. For the new larger bills, I usually stick to the margins. They're always safe.

Serial numbers are obvious. The series should also not be covered. The portraits on ALL bills are off limits. You will sometimes see a bill in circulation with a mustache and devil horns, but as soon as a teller notices and yanks it, it goes straight to the shredder. Machines (soda, candy, atms, etc.) are much more likely to reject bills with marks on the portraits than anywhere else on the bill as well, getting them yanked even faster.

Red ink is your best bet if stamping. The scanners tend to ignore reds and pinks. Oranges are usually safe as well. Stay away from green. Blue, black, purple are fine for the margins... but I wouldn't recommend using them anywhere else.

I'd caution against using sharpies, even the fine point ones, if you want your writing to remain legible for more than a month. Sharpies smear and smudge and bleed. They look great at first, but give it a few weeks and forget about it. Go to a craft store and pick up a Pigma Micron or some other archival quality, non-acidic pen. If you don't want to put that much effort into it, just stick with a regular old ballpoint pen. It will fade eventually, but it remains legible far longer than a sharpie.

Thanks for the info, I'm getting my bills ready and a ball point pen. I think I might even spend the money for a little stamper, they are pretty cheap to buy.

Normally I would frown on marking property that doesn't belong to me, but US currency is OUR property so I don't see anything wrong with this.

[foofighter20x]

Thanks for the info, I'm getting my bills ready and a ball point pen. I think I might even spend the money for a little stamper, they are pretty cheap to buy.

Normally I would frown on marking property that doesn't belong to me, but US currency is OUR property so I don't see anything wrong with this.

Technically, the bills are the property of the Federal Reserve.

Just sayin'.

[foofighter20x]

A few other things:

1) If you do this, focus on smaller bills.

2) Spend these bills early in the day so that they will circulate as change.

3) Don't use them within a few hours of closing. If you use them then, the manager will likely throw the marked bills into the nightly bank drop bag.

[jrich4rpaul]

you're better off only doing it on one dollar bills. they circulate much much more.

[Bodhi]

Technically, the bills are the property of the Federal Reserve.

Just sayin'.

You are right and that hurts to admit that. The money should belong to us not bankers that care little to nothing about us.

[Corydoras]

I stamp in red on the BACK of $1 bills and have no problems using vending machines and change machines. And people do look at the backs of their dollar bills, so I don't think it's a waste to do so.

I don't mark larger bills, though, because they don't keep circulating from person to person the way ones do.

[johngr]

As an extension to this...

Do this with $2 bills. Jefferson on one side, the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the other.

The symbolism combined with the perceived rarity of 2 dollar bills - people look at them!

Request them your local bank.



For added bonus, when tipping, include a Tax-Free Tips slimjim/card along with the above marked $2 bill

How about, "put an honest man here RON PAUL 2008" on the back of 20s?

[Thunderbolt]

Wrong on all counts. Defacement of currency (rendering it unfit for circulation) is illegal. Writing on or stamping a bill is not defacement, provided that there is no profanity and the security features are not obscured.


You are wrong on all counts. The word in the statute is not unfit for circulation, you only wrote that because you don't understand what the real words mean. The real words are make it unfit to be reissued. That is a totally different issue.

Learn to read. Don't change words just because you don't understand them. And learn how bills are issued and re-issued.

Money goes to banks. Banks send the cash to the fed. The fed scans all the bills. If they have any marks on them, are old, torn, or any one of a number of other things they are pulled out of line, and destroyed - hence they are not reissued. The rest of the clean bills are put back into circulation.

We have this discussion once a week around here. It is exhausting. The issue turns on whether you INTENDED to make the bill unfit to be reissued. That takes a trial to determine. All they need to take you to trial is proof that you intended to write on the bill.

I wish all you people who don't know what words mean would stop giving out terrible legal advice. You are doing a great disservice to the people you are supposedly counseling. You are cruel and hurtful.

[Thunderbolt]

Technically, the bills are the property of the Federal Reserve.

Just sayin'.


You are absolutely correct!

[johngr]

You are wrong on all counts. The word in the statute is not unfit for circulation, you only wrote that because you don't understand what the real words mean. The real words are make it unfit to be reissued. That is a totally different issue.

Learn to read. Don't change words just because you don't understand them. And learn how bills are issued and re-issued.

Money goes to banks. Banks send the cash to the fed. The fed scans all the bills. If they have any marks on them, are old, torn, or any one of a number of other things they are pulled out of line, and destroyed - hence they are not reissued. The rest of the clean bills are put back into circulation.

We have this discussion once a week around here. It is exhausting. The issue turns on whether you INTENDED to make the bill unfit to be reissued. That takes a trial to determine. All they need to take you to trial is proof that you intended to write on the bill.

I wish all you people who don't know what words mean would stop giving out terrible legal advice. You are doing a great disservice to the people you are supposedly counseling. You are cruel and hurtful.

I imagine if what you say is true, they'd have arrested Dr. Paul for defacing the 20 dollar bill that was sold on ebay.

[foofighter20x]

You are wrong on all counts. The word in the statute is not unfit for circulation, you only wrote that because you don't understand what the real words mean. The real words are make it unfit to be reissued. That is a totally different issue.

Learn to read. Don't change words just because you don't understand them. And learn how bills are issued and re-issued.

Money goes to banks. Banks send the cash to the fed. The fed scans all the bills. If they have any marks on them, are old, torn, or any one of a number of other things they are pulled out of line, and destroyed - hence they are not reissued. The rest of the clean bills are put back into circulation.

We have this discussion once a week around here. It is exhausting. The issue turns on whether you INTENDED to make the bill unfit to be reissued. That takes a trial to determine. All they need to take you to trial is proof that you intended to write on the bill.

I wish all you people who don't know what words mean would stop giving out terrible legal advice. You are doing a great disservice to the people you are supposedly counseling. You are cruel and hurtful.

Uhhh... Civil disobedience, anyone? :)

[AlexMerced]

wonder how Bernanke would feel with a bunch of bill with Pauls name on them

[Mortikhi]

this is the best idea ever, why isn't there more responses
Because some of us have been doing that since this summer :D

[CelestialRender]

You are wrong on all counts. The word in the statute is not unfit for circulation, you only wrote that because you don't understand what the real words mean. The real words are make it unfit to be reissued. That is a totally different issue.

Learn to read. Don't change words just because you don't understand them. And learn how bills are issued and re-issued.

Money goes to banks. Banks send the cash to the fed. The fed scans all the bills. If they have any marks on them, are old, torn, or any one of a number of other things they are pulled out of line, and destroyed - hence they are not reissued. The rest of the clean bills are put back into circulation.

We have this discussion once a week around here. It is exhausting. The issue turns on whether you INTENDED to make the bill unfit to be reissued. That takes a trial to determine. All they need to take you to trial is proof that you intended to write on the bill.

I wish all you people who don't know what words mean would stop giving out terrible legal advice. You are doing a great disservice to the people you are supposedly counseling. You are cruel and hurtful.

Over-reaction anyone?

[RonPaulStreetTeam]

I just stamp my bills. w00t