Not only were they beautiful examples of the engravers' art (I particularly like the fiver), but were actually worth something in those days. You could exchange your intrinsically valueless paper at any time for silver.
There was a cartoon drawing in the later 1920s, showing the old large currency as a matron (think Margaret Dumont) and the new smaller bill as a flapper.
The slang term for the old notes was "horseblankets," which is pretty fitting when you see one in person. When the new money came in in 1928, it was called "Phillipines style," because it was patterned after the currency used on the Phillipine islands.
Interesting. I was told that the bigger bills were also called bedsheets by some folks. I can see why they called them horseblankets also. The art work on those old bills are great.
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