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Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Well, I'm still killing time, ignoring my tax acct deadline in 9 days. It's too close to bedtime to start tonight so I'll ask if any other TTers are Where's George or Where's Willy members?
This was on Discovery or History Channel a few months ago, and knowing that I like quirky things as well as being a 'Wheatie' collector (about 800 at last count) I immediately went online. Here's the premise:
You take any of our paper currency and write or stamp on it (** more later on perception of 'defacing')
Track Me At www.wheresgeorge.com. Canadians have the same program but it's called 'Willy' (a former PM??)
You go to this site and enter the serial number, series date, denomination your Zip Code and any Comments on condition, where you got it, etc. It goes into the national database and when another 'Georger' finds it, they log in and you find out all of this interesting information.
For example: my first bill that I got in change has this history:
'Your Bills' Summary Statistics
You have entered 24 Bills worth $105 ( LOL - I don't get out to shop or ATM much since surgery!!!)
Bills with hits: 1 Total hits: 1
Hit rate: 4.17% Slugging Percentage: 4.17% (total hits/total bills)
George Score: 247.59
Your rank (based on George Score) is #22,154
(out of 51,711 current users with a George Score. [57.2 Percentile])
There are about a dozen tables of denominations: which Fed Res Bank it's/they're out of, etc.
_____________________________
What's MOST thrilling is to find one 'marked' and look up its History. Here's the only one I've ever found:
One Dollar Bill, Serial# G5197---5G Series: 2003A
This bill has travelled 1,905 Miles in 74 Days, 19 Hrs, 42 Mins at an average of 25 Miles per day.
It is now 1,611 Miles from its starting location.
This list is in reverse-chronological order
07-Dec-07 02:04 PM Scottsdale, AZ 24 Days, 18 Hrs, 16 Mins 1,421 57
User's Note i got it as a tip at the bar i work in and its in good condition
12-Nov-07 08:48 PM Elmhurst, IL 50 Days, 1 Hr, 26 Mins 484 9.7
User's Note [Edit] IN CHANGE AT A STARBUCK'S IN SUBURBAN CHICAGO
23-Sep-07 09:22 PM Pigeon Forge, TN Initial Entry n/a n/a
User's Note Welcome to Where's George!
Thank you for finding and entering this bill...
...which I will spend while "out and about"...
Please tell us where you found it!
[edgst] "Bill #195,343"
________________________________
This $1 bill started in TN, my DIL (who finds all the Wheaties for me!) got it at the Starbuck's she manages here in suburban Chicago, I took it to AZ with me in Nov and spent it and a Georger in Scottsdale got it in change at a bar. (No I did not spend it in a bar!)
I LOVE this stuff!!! (doesn't take much to excite me!!)
***Now the man who started this movement was interviewed on the program: of course one of the first questions he ALWAYS gets is "Isn't it illegal to deface our currency?"
So when he thought this up, he called the Treasury Dept, who passed him on to the Secret Service, who asked him what he wanted to write on the paper currencies. He said, "A tracking program url, to track where our money travels to and the speed, distance, etc." They said "That's not against the present law."
Their OFFICIAL statement is that the Constitution or wherever this law is written, states that "One may write or imprint on the bills face as long as it does not advertise anything (commercial business link) or render it unusable (torn, cut...) So he said "Thank you very much!" and the movement began.
If any of you would like to see this for yourself, or have EVER come across a bill that had those words on it, you can check it out at:
George Says We Have
Bills 124,279,865
Totaling $682,169,646 (Almost SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND $$$ in marked bills are being spent, and tracked, and spent....!!
and/or
Willy Says We Have
Bills 2,541,842
Totaling $38,169,050
And just who IS Willy - cute 'Statesman-like Eyes!
Posts: 280Hi Bobbie! I'm a "wheatie" collector too! I have no idea how many I have. My hubby's grandmother collected them and we ended up with her collection. She had some other old coins as well, some very old, which are very interesting.
I didn't see the program about tracking the bills, but the premise is fascinating.
Thanks for the heads up!
Luann
Patsy Lake BearsI guess "wheatie's" are something akin to USA?? Bobbie George or Willie sounds fun, I read a book many many years ago The return of the bad penny. Which is a story about a penny and its ventures and travels. I have often wondered how far money travels and who's hands it passes through. I can imagine how exciting it would be to get one that had been marked and reading about it online.
q.D.paToOtieSBobbie,
My husband is a "Where's George" fanatic! I don't know how many dollar bills he's logged and tracked but it's quite a few. I know he has about 80 in his stockpile to log but taxes are calling him right now.
I bought him Turbo Tax and actually it's made life *more* complicated for him - can you believe it? 
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Ah HA!! I KNEW there were other Georgers and Wheatie collectors out there!!
Patsy, yes, it's a US thing - the reverse side of our pennies:
Wikipedia: The Lincoln Wheat Ears Cent (sometimes referred to as a Wheat penny, a Wheatback, a Wheat Head, or a Wheatie) was a United States one-cent coin produced from 1909 to 1958.
I know he has about 80 in his stockpile to log but taxes are calling him right now.
I was online last night, while on the phone waiting to input my mail order drugs and uploaded about 25. I tend to let them stack up too, and get different ones rather than let un-logged in ones pass out of my hands...
And, your DH's more disciplined than I am Luann: the tax paperwork is sitting here - "JUST as soon as I finish today's mail.... and work out... I've been saying that for 3 weeks and now we're down to clinch time!
Hehehe, this is so cool. I entered what money I have on me.. but nothing came up.. still very cool though to see what just might show up!
Hugs!
Melanie
