Money always looks good, but does it always look this good?

 

I've been carrying around this old bag that I got in India instead of my usual backpack for the past couple of weeks because I injured my back. I've never been very good about unpacking bags, especially when what they store is not useful. This is one instance in which I can be thankful for my neglectful habit. Apparently I last made use of this bag when traveling in the Dominican Republic about 4 years ago. I remember having some money left over that I was never able to trade in for dollars. Again, I applaud the positive outcome I now receive from what was once a mistake.

People all over the world handle money every day, though more and more it is being replaced by credit cards and online payments. Personally, I favor the old fashion way of exchanging something physical for services and goods. This is not only for moral reasons, but also because I appreciate the tactile sensations from bills and coins. I'd consider myself pretty unfamiliar with the imagery on our currency, because I find it hard to recall specific faces and symbols in connection with their worth. It is recognizable, though, that the DR's currency is more flavorful and beautiful than that of the United States, while still depicting many comparable things.

The intricacy and multitude of patterns on each bill is outstanding. In some cases, the eye may not even be capable of seeing all that is contained within a pattern. For example, in the fourth close up image you can see that there is text making a pattern on the right, which I believe says “Republica Dominicana.”  I could not see this detail until looking at a high resolution scan on my computer. Some of the patterns give a sense of texture, and others feel more decorative.  They use a serif typeface for their headings and a sans serif font for the small, hard to read text.  The coins utilize a sans-serif font completely. The designer of this currency obviously understood that small text is more readable in a sans-serif typeface. In general, I see that imagery dominant over text, which I like very much. The gradients are quite attractive and again, can be even further appreciated in extreme magnification. Color, line, pattern, and composition were each so intricately planned and executed in these designs. Some of the line work has an Art Nouveau flavor, which leads me to question when these designs were first printed. I’m going to do some research on that, and end my post here for now.