Answers to Questions:
Grades K-3

1. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

2. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing makes the stamps, The U.S. Postal Service gives the order to print the stamps.

3. No, the U.S. Mint makes coins.

4. The money is taken out of circulation and destroyed.

5. You can send it to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. After examining the money, they will issue new bills if it meets their guidelines.

Answers will vary. The picture of the President is larger and off center to show more detail. A watermark can be seen when held up to the light. Color shifting inks are used in the number on the lower right corner of the face, and each note changes color when viewed from a different angle. Fine-line printing is used, and there is a security thread that runs through the bank note. Microprinting makes it impossible

1. for copy machines and scanners to pick up such fine print. Special ink and special paper are used.

2. The amount of cash that people use changes depending on the season, day of the month and even day of the week. The banks acquire cash from Federal Reserve Banks. They pay for the cash by having those accounts debited (the money is withdrawn from their account).

3. Older bills work better in ATM machines.

4. An engraver draws portraits or letters that are later used in printing the bill. A hard metal engraving tool is used to make marks in soft metal.

5. The 20 dollar bill is the most widely used bill.

Grades 4-8
 

1. The BEP prints security documents and Federal Reserve notes (currency). They are the largest supplier of postage stamps and security documents for other government agencies.

2. Answers will vary. Money can be damaged by being buried, burned, petrified (because it was buried), or water damaged.

3. No, you can take the one-half bill to your local bank for a replacement.

4. A model is created by a designer who hand draws and/or uses computerized techniques.

5. More cash needed by customers lowers the bank's reserves. This is because their accounts are debited by the Federal Reserve Banks or large commercial banks (if smaller banks have dealings with them).

6. The older bills were created long ago, and the new bills are by artists that work as engravers.

7. Answers will vary. The picture of the President is larger and off center to show more detail. A watermark can be seen when held up to the light. Color shifting inks are used in the number on the lower right corner of the face, and each note changes color when viewed from a different angle. Fine-line printing is used, and there is a security thread that runs through the bank note. Microprinting makes it impossible for copy machines and scanners to pick up such fine print. Special ink and paper is used.

8. Bills in denominations over 100 dollars are no longer printed. In July 1969, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve System announced that notes in denominations of $500, $1,000 $5,000 and $10,000 would be discontinued immediately due to lack of use. They were last printed in 1945. Although no longer in circulation, these bills are kept by private dealers and collectors.

 

1. Fractional currencies are bills issued in place of coins.

2. The life of a note depends on its denomination. One-dollar bills last the least amount of time because of their constant use, and one-hundred dollar bills last the longest.

Grades 9-12

1. The BEP is under the Executive Branch, the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

2. The currency should be sent to the BEP with a letter, and the package should be insured. More than one-half of the original notes should be left: More than 50% of a note is identifiable as U.S. currency.

3. The stamp design, lettering and denominations are manually engraved on a steel master die.

4. (a) The Federal Reserve Bank checks individual notes to determine whether or not they are suitable for future circulation. (b) One-third of the bills are not fit for recirculation and are destroyed. (c) New bills are acquired from the BEP.

5. Smaller banks acquire cash from larger “correspondent” banks, who charge a fee for the service. The larger banks acquire currency from the Federal Reserve and pass it on to the smaller banks.

6. Computers are not capable at this time to take over an engraver's job. They can reproduce designs that have been drawn or manipulate images, but cannot place a human element in each design.

7. Answers will vary. The picture of the President is larger and off center to show more detail. A watermark can be seen when held up to the light. Color shifting inks are used in the number on the lower right corner of the face, and each note changes color when viewed from a different angle. Fine-line printing is used, and there is a security thread that runs through the bank note. Microprinting makes it impossible for copy machines and scanners to pick up such fine print. Special ink and special paper are used.

8. Fractional currency was issued in the early years of the Civil War to alleviate the critical trade conditions caused by a serious shortage of coins. People were hoarding coins because of their value.

9. The BEP continues to work on counterfeit-deterrent features to keep up with the latest technology of copy machines, scanners, and printers.

10. Paper money was issued in 1861 at the time of the Civil War. Congress authorized the United States Treasury to issue paper money for the first time in the form of non-interest bearing Treasury Notes called Demand notes.