A long time ago, I heard about a currency tracking project called Where’s George. The idea is pretty simple, really. Someone in posession of United States paper currency enters the serial number of that currency into the site and then spends it. Eventually, someone else who comes in contact with that bill will enter it into the site and add their own note about where they got it or where it’s going. To speed the process up, someone writes “wheresgeorge.com” on it, prompting the next owner to participate.
How does it work?
1. Go to the site and log in. If you don’t have an account, create one.
2. Select the denomination of the bill ($1, $5, $10, etc.)
3. Select the series the bill is in (2003, 2003A, 2006, etc)
4. Enter the serial number like the one above.
5. Enter your zip code if not already filled in.
6. Enter a note. Most people just state where they got the bill and where they might spend it.
7. (optional) Add a note to the bill asking people to participate (see the example below)
8. Spend it somewhere so others can join in.
I get it, but why?
The best place to find your answers about the site is their FAQ, but I can tell you why I not only participate, but decided to write about it. For as long as I can remember, I’ve heard things like “you don’t know where that’s BEEN”. When I was younger, it was an often response to coin money entering my mouth, and usually followed by me choking on said coin money. As an adult, I’ve heard people speculate on where their bills came from. Several times, friends have wondered if their singles were once nestled in a stripper’s G-string. Well, now I’m just a little closer to finding out. These days, I don’t put money in my mouth anymore, but it’s still nice to happen upon a bill that the site tells me has been across the country a couple times.
Your Challenge
Open up your wallet or purse and pull out all the U.S. or Canadian paper money and enter it into the site. The note should say “Entered in contest at JoeTech.com”. Then come back here and post the tracking URL to the bill into the comments below. Do as many as you like. When I return from BlogWorld next Monday, I’ll pick a random winner, who will get the bill pictured above (which started out in Hawaii, by the way) and $20 via PayPal.
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on September 16th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
I’m the Georger who originally entered this bill. Mahalo for the hit! (AZ #417)
You can’t believe them all, but some of these bills have indeed claimed to have been involved with g-strings or some kind of adult or illicit activity. Some have been scatological – hopefully those weren’t true. At least I’m unlikely to ever see them again either way. Still, I’m conscientious of washing thoroughly after handling money now.
Also, after sadly passing from this world back in June, the WG’s creator and administrator, Hank Eskin, revealed that George Carlin was a secret celebrity Georger. Hank said, “Many times people have asked me if any celebrities are WG users. I have said that there was one such user, but he requested that not to be publicized. I can now let you all know that George Carlin was that user. As far as I know now, there are no other celebrity users of WG (yet).”
http://forums.wheresgeorge.com/showthread.php?t=114255
George on!
on September 17th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
bifyu: Glad you stopped by! So now that you’ve found the article, I’m hoping you can fill in the details a bit. Do you remember where you got this bill or where you spent it? I found it in a stack of 50 one dollar bills I got from the bank.
on September 17th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Hmm, I almost certainly got the bill directly from the bank in a strap with 99 of his closest friends to support my WG habit, err.. hobby. I get a few unmarked bill in the course of making or receiving change but that probably accounts for <0.1% of the bills that pass through my hands.
Since I began Georging, I tend to use cash where I can, so it’s difficult to say where he was spent. Odds are good though that he either paid for a meal, bought groceries, or paid one of my utility bills.
bifyu’s last blog post..Famous George
on September 17th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Hmmm, I have heard that it is illegal to write on any bills…especially when it is like “free advertising”. Could you please confirm if this is illegal or not?
Thanks!!
on September 17th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I like your topic so i tried to join “wheresgeorge.com but its more “whereswilly” because i live here in Canada i registered one ten dollar bill and another 20 dollar bill bought Canadian currency but i am sorry i was not able to get the URL , my ID no. is 4901716. If theres still a need to get that i log again to get it.
on September 17th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Joan: You picture looks VERY familiar. =) From the WG FAQ: “#8 Is it legal to write on or mark currency?
Where’s George? does not encourage the defacement of U.S. Currency. The law defines ‘illegal’ defacement as defacement that renders bills unfit to be re-issued. For the legal details from the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, please Click Here” -> http://www.bep.treas.gov/document.cfm/18/104
So… It reads as if it’s only illegal if you deface a currency in such a way that it is unfit for reissue. Writing or stamping on it to the degree shown above, I imagine, would be an exclusion to the law. Additionally, someone’s gotta prove it was you. =) Really, unless you post a video to YouTube of you burning money or cutting out the serial number, etc. you should be OK.
on September 17th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
rodaflip: Thanks. I’ve got you in for two entries.
on September 17th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
http://www.wheresgeorge.com/report.php?key=7d4d265e52e7ed31e2d0a809d784c7c6f0a085cd1eabf3d4
http://www.wheresgeorge.com/report.php?key=03fcbf3bbb13fd7de0fa5be48322cce193389617a69d0894
http://www.wheresgeorge.com/report.php?key=6b2fc55e200048c8da055089f8a7c84d654347371fc0ea47
http://www.wheresgeorge.com/report.php?key=819017c44e4010df112a6f00fb46ebf8afb2727f2b25d304
A $5, two $1, and just to be cool =D a $2 bill.
Kristen’s last blog post..Moving
on September 18th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Kristen: Entries counted. Last night, I entered some of my do-not-spend bills, which include 22 $2 bills and a $10 star note : http://www.wheresgeorge.com/report.php?key=801027b5c70e39a4a93169eeb1d04a1d9b9d56a7766a4bb5
I’m tempted to spend the star note and see if it ever gets another hit, and I probably will throw a couple of these $2 bills back into circulation.
on September 18th, 2008 at 11:58 am
joan: re legality, title 18, section 333 of the US Code says,
“Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”
So I think any reasonable reading has to conclude that not only does the marking have to make the bill unfit to be reissued, that has to have been your intent as well. Georger’s want their bills to circulate as long as possible, so intent can be ruled out.
For me, my favorites are when George makes it out of the country. If you take a look at my WG profile, you can see examples of hits in over 45 foreign countries. My favorite, except for this JoeTech hit of course, is my antipodal hit that turned up in Maun, Botswana – almost exactly on the opposite side of the Earth from where it started. I have yet to get one from the Antarctic though.
bifyu’s last blog post..Famous George
on September 18th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I remember this site from way back when… Thanks for reminding me :)
nukeit’s last blog post..Analytics, Accuracy, and Advertising
on September 23rd, 2008 at 12:07 am
Congrats to Kristen for winning. The dollar bill shown plus $20 via PayPal!