Mark Dominus1d ago
In 1996, tired of squabbling between EU countries about whose favorite person or building should be on the EU banknotes, the currency commission held a competition for a new design: “The ground rules for the design strictly prohibited displaying any recognizable national monuments or heroes that risked giving greater prominence to one country over another.” The winning design was a series of bridges that were stylistically typical of different kinds of European bridges, but which weren't any specific bridges. For example:
Show threadMark Dominus1d ago

Then in 2011 those trolls the Dutch built seven bridges in one town that were all designed to look exactly like the imaginary banknote bridges. They even painted the bridges the same colors as the banknotes.

So now the EU banknotes depict the bridges of Spijkenisse, South Holland. (pop. 72,500)

Show threadmeowki1d ago

@mjd They should hire this firm lol:

https://www.snohetta.com/projects/norway-s-new-banknotes

Norways new banknotes

The beauty of boundaries

Show threadAdam Trickett  1d ago

@meowki @mjd They are different but how good are their anti-counterfeiting measures?

Historically British banknotes have had two people on them, the reigning monarch on one side and someone dead but famous on the other side.

Back in 1990 when a few series was introduced they increased the size of the face and reduced the body, as they claimed that people were very good at spotting forged banknotes because people were good with faces.

Show threadMark Dominus1d ago

@drajt @meowki As I recall the U.S. Treasury enlarged the portraits on the obverse of the U.S. banknotes for the same reason.

I can't imagine that the Norwegian currency authority was unaware of this or made an uninformed decision.

Show threadBonkers
@mjd @drajt @meowki they're still in the same color for different nominations. Back in the 90's I was scammed by a currency exchange crook on the street, as I got $1 instead of $100, and they used excellent tactics to distract my mind. I learned about practical psychology a lot on that day :)
7:18amWeb
Show threadAdam Trickett  10h ago

@bonkers @mjd @meowki yes when I lived in the US I found dollars very primitive and easy to mix up compared with Sterling which was colour coded and each note was a different size.

I believe the US dollar is often the most forged currency in the world, because it's widely used outside its own borders, there are a lot of them about and compared with Euro or Sterling the anti forgery features have lagged - though the more recent ones may be a lot better.

Show threadMark Koek7h ago
@drajt @bonkers @mjd @meowki also they never retract the old ones IIRC, so even if new ones are difficult to fake, counterfeiters can target older designs
Show threadAdam Trickett  7h ago

@mkoek @bonkers @mjd @meowki ah yes, Sterling is quickly changed. You can take old or worn out notes to the Bank of England and they will swap them for new ones, but obviously not a good place to try and pass a dud one...

A paranoid relative hid £5 in curtains and came unstuck when she realised they had been phased out. The switch to the Euro forced a lot of criminal gangs to get rid of their old money in a rush...

Show threadBonkers7h ago
@drajt @mkoek @mjd @meowki another anecdote was when Euro started circulation in Germany, people went massively across the border to exchange DM to Swiss francs, and Germany had to announce an amnesty on unregistered cash, just to keep the money in the country.