Court Ruling Demands Currency Changes

Nov. 30, 2006 — -- The most sweeping design change ever in the look of U.S. currency may be inevitable, experts say, even if the federal government appeals a judge's decision that the government has denied blind people meaningful access to money.

In the culmination of a 4-year-old court case, U.S. District Judge James Robertson ruled Tuesday that the government had violated the law because the vision impaired could not tell the difference of one bill's denomination from another.

He ordered the Treasury Department to come up with a new design for paper money.

"There was a time when disabled people had no choice but to ask for help -- to rely on the 'kindness of strangers,'" Robertson wrote. "We have evolved, however," he added in ruling that the government was violating the Rehabilitation Act that prohibits discrimination against the disabled in government programs.

All but two of the more than 180 countries that issue paper currency -- from the euro to the Chinese yuan -- print bills that have different sizes.

Lower denomination bills are smaller; bigger denomination bills are larger. Some have perforated corners to further help the blind determine the value. Only the United States and Canada print bills of uniform size.

Robertson gave the government 10 days to appeal his decision.

The American Council of the Blind has proposed several options for the government, including printing bills of differing sizes, adding embossed dots or foil to the paper, or using raised ink.

The government argued the dramatic change would cost billions and aid counterfeiters.

"Those arguments don't hold water," said Dennis Forgue, head of the currency department at Chicago numismatic firm Harlan J. Berk. "It's not something that's hard to do."

Forgue dismisses the argument that changes would aid counterfeiters as "ridiculous."

Noting recent changes in the color and internal content of U.S. bills, Forgue said, "There are plenty of anti-counterfeit devices in our currency. Just note the recent arrests of counterfeiters."