Fake denominations of United States currency

A fake $3 bill distributed by LGBT activists as a "Queer Dollar" for use in protesting policies of the Salvation Army, referencing the simile "queer as a three dollar bill"

Fake denominations of United States currency is faux "currency" which makes no assertion of being legal tender created by individuals as promotions, practical jokes, or social statements. It is legal to print so long as it makes no assertion, whether by appearance or statement, of authenticity.

"Fake money" is not to be confused with counterfeit currency or conflated with legitimate currency that has been demonetized. Also it can be collectable so it can be sold at a pawn shop for cash.

Nixon Penny

These copper coins were about one-quarter the size of a regular U.S. cent and depicted President Richard M. Nixon on the obverse. The reverse showed the Watergate Hotel. They were issued as novelty items and as political commentary on inflation that occurred under President Nixon.[1] Other types of coins have been similarly miniaturized before and since as souvenirs or collectors' items.

$3

Although various US states printed $3 bills before the unification of the currency, no US$3 bills have ever been printed. However, various fake US$3 bills have been released over time, generally poking fun at politicians or celebrities such as Richard Nixon, Michael Jackson, George W. Bush, both Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama in reference to the idiomatic expression "queer as a three-dollar bill" or "phony as a three-dollar bill". In the 1960s, Mad printed a $3 bill that featured a portrait of Alfred E. Neuman and read: "This is not legal tender—nor will a tenderizer help it." Mad writer Frank Jacobs said that the magazine ran afoul of the US Secret Service because the $3 bill was accepted by change machines at casinos.[2]

TWE dollars

In the 1970s, a fake bill dispensed in gumball machines had a denomination of "TWE DOLLARS". Much of the artwork was duplicated from the real twenty-dollar bill, including the portrait of Andrew Jackson, but the name "Jefferson" was printed under Jackson's picture. The country's name was printed as "The Untied States of Anemia." The "twe-dollar bill" has 3s in the corners.

$200

In 2001, a local man purchased $99 worth of merchandise in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, at a Fashion Bug store with a $200 bill featuring then-President George W. Bush on the front. The back featured an image of the White House with signs in the front lawn, bearing phrases such as "WE LIKE BROCCOLI" and "USA DESERVES A TAX CUT." The local man was later charged with forgery, theft by deception and receiving stolen property.[3]

A man in Danville, Kentucky, passed a similar counterfeit bill at a local Dairy Queen to pay for a $2 meal. He received $198 in real change.[3]

$1,000,000

For the song by Whitney Houston, see Million Dollar Bill.

The United States has never issued a million dollar bill.[4] However, many businesses print million dollar bills for sale as novelties. Such bills do not assert that they are legal tender. The Secret Service has declared them legal to print or own and does not consider them counterfeit.[5]

Some have attempted to fraudulently pass or otherwise use these novelty bills as though they were real currency, usually resulting in arrest.

$1,329,063

Alfred E. Neuman graces the $1,329,063 bill.

The Mad Magazine Game features a $1,329,063 bill that serves as an Old Maid in the game, in which the players compete to lose all their money. The bill features a portrait of Alfred E. Neuman.

$1,000,000,000

In March 2006, agents from ICE and the Secret Service seized 250 notes, each bearing a denomination of $1,000,000,000 (one billion dollars) from a West Hollywood apartment.[6] The suspect had previously been arrested on federal charges for attempting to smuggle more than $37,000 in currency into the U.S. following a trip to South Korea in 2002.

See also

References

  1. http://coinquest.com/cgi-bin/cq/coins?main_coin=14728
  2. The MAD World of William M. Gaines, by Frank Jacobs, 1972; Lyle Stuart
  3. 1 2 "In Anything We Trust". MSNBC. 2004-09-01. Archived from the original on 2004-09-02. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  4. Woman says she thought $1 million bill was real, AP, via MSNBC.com, March 11, 2004.
  5. "Currency Denominations FAQs". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2014-07-08. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  6. "Homeland Security Agents Seize "Billion Dollar" Bogus Federal Reserve Notes". Communitydispatch.com. Retrieved 2014-05-09.

External links

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