Artist Travis Purrington has been working on something that would change our currency forever if it were to be accepted by the government. His artistic yet practical designs for bills from $5 - $100 are stunning. No more dead presidents (or even non-presidents) on his bills, just celebrations of America and its people.
Here are the fronts of Purrington’s currency:
And these are the reverse:
Purrington says that he drew inspiration from the Swiss Franc while still keeping such iconic images as eagles, the flag and the seal of the Treasury. Phrases from the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the national anthem are also present in the designs.
Along with new images, Purrington added new phrases: “This currency is upheld by the integrity of its people,” and “Uires Alit,” meaning “strength feeds” in Latin. In addition, each denomination is dedicated to a value that we hold dear. The five-dollar note is “a credit to the SKILL of the American worker.” The ten honors structure; the twenty, life; the fifty, innovation and the hundred is a credit to “the NATURE of the American worker.”
In an email to The Verge, Purrington wrote:
“I think these are very American but in a different context than we have grown accustomed.”
In case anyone might think that these bills would be easy to counterfeit, Purrington has that covered. Here’s how the new currency would be made safe from counterfeiting:
One of the most difficult things for visitors to America, I’m told, is buying things with money that is all the same color. Nearly every other country in the world differentiates their bills by color. These would fix that problem. And, admit it, they sure are pretty. You can see closer views of each bill at Purrington’s website. My favorite is the twenty — how about you?
h/t The Verge / Featured image courtesy of www.travispurrington.com
Where are the one and two dollar bills, the ones which currently have Washington and Jefferson
The one dollar bill needs to be phased out. Most modern nations do not have a $1 style note but instead use a coin. The reason why? It’s MUCH cheaper to mint a coin than it is to print a paper note. Plus the coin is far more durable and lasts a hell of a lot longer. The $2 note is actually considered a “bank note” and while they are legal tender, they’re not all that a common form of currency in general trade. Eliminating this would be no problem. However, we can mimic Canada and simply go with a $2 coin as well.
I’m not sure I’m okay with the lack of dead presidents + Ben Franklin as other nations still portray their present/past leaders on their bank notes but really that can be an easy thing to incorporate into this design. However, this artist’s concept of US currency definitely feels like it’s all about us as a people, not a celebration of government.
nice… but why that depressive light gray?
Haven’t you ever seen a Swiss Franc bill? ^_^