UNCLE SAM TO TRADE IN DOLLARS 

FOUR YEARS AGO I PREDICTED THAT "YOU CAN EXPECT THE U.S. TO CONSI- DER CALLING IN OLD CURRENCY IN A FEW YEARS. IT'S NOW BEEN OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT DESIGN CHANGES IN U.S. CURRENCY, ALLEGEDLY TARGETED AT FOILING COUNTERFEITERS, ARE UNDERWAY.

THE ADMITTED BASIS WAS, AS I FORECASTED, TO AVOID SOPHISTICATED COPYING MACHINES SOON TO BE AVAILABLE ON THE OPEN MARKET. THESE MACHINES ARE SO SUPERIOR THAT U.S. TREASURY OFFICIALS COULD SEE COUNTERFEITING TURNING INTO A COTTAGE INDUSTRY. THEY HAD TO DO SOMETHING.

NO CHANGES IN COLOR ARE SCHEDULED. EVERY BILL WILL STILL BE GREEN BUT A CLEAR POLYESTER THREAD WILL BE WOVEN VERTICALLY AND ALMOST INVISIBLY INTO THE LEFT BORDER OF EACH BILL. HELD TO THE LIGHT IT WILL BE VISIBLE BUT WILL NOT REPRODUCE VIA COPIER.

IN ADDITION THE WORDS "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" WILL BE PRINTED AROUND WHATEVER PORTRAIT APPEARS ON EACH BILL BUT IN LETTERS SO TINY THAT AGAIN THEY CANNOT BE REPRODUCED BY THE FORTHCOMING GENERATION OF COPIERS.

ALTHOUGH THESE TECHNICAL CHANGES APPEAR TO BE SMALL IN THE WORLD OF HIGH FINANCE SOME CONSIDER ULTERIOR REASONS BEHIND THE MOVE. FORMER REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL SAYS THE CHANGES ARE ACTUALLY BEING MADE IS TO LOCATE HIDDEN RESERVES OF CURRENCY.

I TEND TO AGREE WITH HIM, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE HUGE AMOUNTS OF DAILY CASH TRANSACTIONS IN THE INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRADE. RECENT GOVERNMENT STUDIES COULD NOT ACCOUNT FOR 82 PERCENT OF U.S. CURRENCY!

THE U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT SAID IT "IS NOT CONSIDERING CHANGES IN CURRENCY DESIGN OR COLOR, NOR PROPOSING ANY RECALL, DEMONETIZATION OR DEVALUATION OF THE CURRENCY". WHEN GOVERNMENTS SAY THAT -- WATCH FOR IT.

OTHER COUNTRIES WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW NOW THAT BOTH THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE ON THE HORIZON. SAVE A COUPLE OLD BILLS. SOMEDAY THEY WILL BE COLLECTOR'S ITEMS.

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