New currencies around the world

With paper bills so rancid even beggars hate to touch them, French-speaking West African gets down to serious money-laundering today. An eight-country campaign aims to retire more than $1 billion in decaying currency seen as much as vectors of disease as units of exchange…

The old ones, they are just disgusting,” merchant Mohamed Hussein said at his wood-shelf storefront in Dakar. “NInety-five percent of people who fall sick are because of filthy money,” he said, pulling out a bottle of liquid soap he keeps under the counter for every post-purchase scrub-down.

That is from the 15 September USA Today, p.14A, not currently on-line. Here is a related story, here is another.

Closer to home, the new look to the U.S. nickel makes Jefferson look like a cadaver; click on “Gallery,” through the link, for a clear view.