THE U.S. DOLLAR IS THE WORLD'S LEADING RESERVE CURRENCY, SO IT'S IMPORTANT, OF COURSE, TO
ENSURE THE MONEY IS TRUSTWORTHY AND DISTINCTIVE.
THAT'S THE JOB OF THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT HAS BEEN PRINTING AMERICAN BANK NOTES FOR
MORE THAN 150 YEARS.
VOA'S JULIE TABOH WENT TO THE U.S. BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING TO SEE FIRSTHAND
HOW MONEY IS MADE.
SHE TALKED WITH ON ASSIGNMENT'S REBECCA WARD ABOUT WHAT SHE LEARNED.
WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE ALL THE ROOMS BECAUSE SOME OF THE ROOMS WHERE THE BILLS ARE ACTUALLY
INSPECTED ARE OFF LIMITS TO EVERYONE - ESPECIALLY THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
BUT WHAT STRUCK ME IMMEDIATELY UPON GETTING THERE, THE FIRST ROOM WAS KIND OF QUIET AND
THERE WERE A FEW MACHINES GOING SO WAS KIND OF MORE SEDATE THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
IT IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY HIGH-SECURITY AREAS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE IN.
THEY'RE HANDLING MONEY PRETTY MUCH EVERY STAGE.
BUT EVERYTHING IS ALSO VERY MECHANIZED, SO EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE SOME ELEMENTS THAT REMAIN
FROM YEARS BACK, 150 YEARS OR MORE, A LOT OF THAT OBVIOUSLY NEGATES HAVING TO HAVE A
LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE JOB.
BUREAU DIRECTOR LARRY FELIX SAYS CREATING A UNITED STATES BANK NOTE FROM START TO FINISH
IS A VERY COMPLEX PROCESS.
"IT LOOKS LIKE INK ON PAPER -- AND IT IS INK ON PAPER.
BUT THERE ARE AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF SYSTEMS THAT ARE ON THAT BANK NOTE."
DURING THE FIRST STAGE OF PRINTING, THE BACKGROUND COLOR IS APPLIED.
NEXT, THE NOTES ARE PRESSED ONTO INKED, ENGRAVED PLATES.
THIS INTAGLIO TECHNIQUE GIVES BILLS THEIR DISTINCTIVE TEXTURE.
WHAT US CURRENCY IS VERY DIFFERENT IS - THAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BANKNOTES AROUND
THE WORLD IS THAT IT HAS THIS DISTINCTIVE FEEL.
AND PART OF THAT IS ALSO BECAUSE IT'S MADE WITH LINEN AND COTTON SO IT MAKES IT A LITTLE
MORE NICE TO THE TOUCH THAN SAY IF IT WAS JUST ALL COTTON.
ALSO WITH THE NEW $100 BILL, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE THEY'VE USED NEW TECHNOLOGY TO INCORPORATE
SECURITY FEATURES THAT MAKE IT EVEN HARDER FOR COUNTERFEITERS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL THOUGH BECAUSE TWO YEARS AGO THEY DID CHANGE
LIKE JACKSON IS ALL OF A SUDDEN A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THEN HE USED TO BE ON THE BILL.
BUT THE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL LOOKS REALLY DIFFERENT - IT HAS A YELLOW COLOR WHICH I'VE NEVER SEEN
BEFORE.
YOU KNOW WHAT'S INTERESTING IS AND IN MY CONVERSATION WITH TREASURER RIOS, SHE MENTIONED THAT AT
THE SAME TIME THEY WANT TO KEEP THE BANKNOTES CONSISTENT, THEY WANT TO KEEP IT SO IT'S USER-FRIENDLY
AND THAT PEOPLE IDENTIFY IT RIGHT AWAY.
SO CERTAIN FEATURES THEY'VE KEPT, SO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN IS STILL ON IT.
BUT HE'S MORE TO THE SIDE.
THERE IS A 3-D RIBBON THAT SHE TALKS ABOUT, A BLUE 3-D RIBBON.
AND WHEN SHE HOLDS IT YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S LIKE A HOLOGRAM BUT SHE SAYS A FAR, FAR MORE
SOPHISTICATED THAN A HOLOGRAM.
AND THEN THERE'S A LITTLE INKWELL IN GOLD AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT-HAND CORNER.
AND WHEN YOU MOVE THAT BACK-AND-FORTH YOU SEE A HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL AND I BELIEVE IT'S
A BELL IT GOES BACK-AND-FORTH.
BUT ALSO KEEPING IN MIND THAT THEY'RE ALSO TRYING TO MAKE IT USER FRIENDLY, THERE'S ALSO
ON THE BACK THE DENOMINATION OF THE HUNDRED DOLLARS - THE ACTUAL NUMBER IS BIGGER AND
IT'S GOLD, SO IT'S VERY PROMINENT.
AND SO SOMEONE WHO'S VISUALLY IMPAIRED TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE RIGHT AWAY THAT IT'S THE
HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL.
WELL LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY.
FIRST OF ALL I'M CURIOUS - HOW DOES ONE GET ON A US BANKNOTE?
WILL YOU HAVE TO BE DEAD NOWADAYS.
YOU DIDN'T USED TO HAVE TO.
OBVIOUSLY ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS ON THE BANKNOTE AND HE WAS ON IT WHILE HE WAS STILL ALIVE.
TREASURER RIOS POINTED OUT THAT IF YOU WERE TO LOOK THROUGH ALL OUR CURRENCIES FROM THE
PAST, IT DOES SORT OF REFLECT A LITTLE BIT OF US HISTORY.
WHAT WAS THE MOST SURPRISING FACTOID YOU MIGHT'VE LEARNED?
THERE WERE A LOT OF INTERESTING FACTS, BUT I THINK FOR ME THE FACT THAT OVER 60% OR 60%
OF US CURRENCY CIRCULATES OVERSEAS.
SO TO THINK THAT AMERICAN BANKNOTES, 60% OF THEM, ARE CIRCULATING OVERSEAS WAS VERY STRIKING.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY A VERY POPULAR CURRENCY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRUSTING IT AND USING
IT- SOMETIMES IN LIEU OF THEIR OWN CURRENCY.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT EMERGED FROM MY CONVERSATION WITH LARRY FELIX THAT WAS SOMEWHAT
SURPRISING.
AND HOW MANY BILLS, OR WHAT'S THE DENOMINATION I GUESS IN PURE NUMBERS THAT THEY PRINT EVERY
YEAR?
WELL I JUST KNOW THAT THEY PRINT BILLIONS BETWEEN THE TWO BUREAUS.
THERE'S THE WASHINGTON AND ALSO IN TEXAS.
TEXAS PRODUCES, PRINTS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN HALF - SO BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM, MILLIONS
EVERY DAY BILLIONS EVERY YEAR.
AND OUR THANKS TO VOA'S JULIE TABOH.
NOW FUN FACT FOR YOU, IMRAN, AND YOU OUT THERE: THE LARGEST U.S. NOTE EVER PRINTED WAS THE
$100,000 GOLD CERTIFICATE, WHICH WAS ISSUED IN 1934 AND '35.
BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIND ONE, EVEN IF YOU SEARCH REALLY HARD...
BECAUSE THEY WERE USED ONLY FOR TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN BANKS AND THEY WERE NOT CIRCULATED
AMONG THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WHICH IS TOO BAD.
YOU WON'T FIND THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE WITH ALEX.