On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:56:27 +0100, "Peter Masson"
 wrote:

>
>"Charles Ellson"  wrote
>> >
>> BoE notes have holograms integrated into the (made from rag IIRC)
>> paper so mixing materials doesn't seem to be a problem. With Braille I
>> suspect the difficulty lies with the inconstant thickness resulting or
>> the eventual flattening of the "dots". Punching holes in the notes is
>> probably not an option so relying on textural differences seems to be
>> the remaining option if the size and/or colour can't be changed.
>> Possibly a variation on the BoE holograms could provide textural
>> "dots" but how many different denominations of dollar note would need
>> to be identified ?
>
>I'm not sure what features blind people use to distinguish BoE notes, but
>apart from different size for different denominations, and the hologram,
>they use raised printing. In the past the size of BoE notes have changed
>(the white fivers were ginormous, and in the 1960s we got new small pound
>notes - didn't we accuse Harold Wilson of shrinking the pound?), though I
>suspect that changing the size of notes now would cause difficulties for
>cash machines, vending machines that accept notes, etc.
>
ITYF the machines are now rather "international" and a change of any
of the notes accepted is now basically only a software matter for the
makers.

>
>"Hugh Brodie"  wrote in message 
>news:wPCdnbyfMdHnQcbVnZ2dnUVZ_hCdnZ2d@giganews.com...
>>
>>  wrote in message 
>> news:shB6k.66907$Ek2.32944@newsfe17.ams2...
>>> "Hugh Brodie"  wrote in message 
>>> news:ZKGdnURP4qoCEMfVnZ2dnUVZ_sbinZ2d@giganews.com...
>>>>
>>>> Speaking of hyper-inflation, it's fun looking at the website of the 
>>>> Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe  http://www.rbz.co.zw to see the daily exchange 
>>>> rate of the $Z vs the $US. Yesterday, it was 5,817,000,000; today it's 
>>>> 6,718,000,000. They have just issued $Z 50,000,000,000 notes ("bearer 
>>>> cheques"). And it will cost you $Z 1,800,000,000 to mail a postcard to 
>>>> the US. http://www.zimpost.co.zw/postalrates.html
>>>>
>>>
>>> It's a shame that there are no images of currently circulating Zimbabwean 
>>> notes or coins.
>>
>> A few notes here - buying a beer in Harare: 
>> http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cgdev.org/userfiles/image/blog/zimbabwe_beer_cost.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blogs.cgdev.org/globaldevelopment/2007/12/buy_a_beer_in_zimbabwe_youll_n_1.php&h=291&w=422&sz=64&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=SJqyOEzhhzQwdM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522zimbabwe%2Bdollars%2522%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
>>
>> On the other hand - the Zimbabwe stock market has been one of the best 
>> performing in the world. The industrial index which was at 1,000 a couple 
>> of years ago, is now 5,160,207,611,002.24 . 
>> http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=478&cat=8
>
>More big numbers: your average Zimbabwe stock portfolio has tripled since my 
>last posting - the industrial index is now at  16,421,906,235,086.20 (but 
>still under $Z 10 billion to the US$) . Good housing is in the $Z 3-5 
>quadrillion range. Market capitalization of a major local company (Delta) is 
>$Z 26.2 quintillion.  http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=653&cat=8
>
>hb.
>

Yikes, if the situation in ZW weren't as serious as it is, that COULD
be funny.

The average person won't be involved in any stock transactions surely,
but simply be trying to survive.

So sad.