CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: INTERNET PLACE FOR DOLLARS AND CENTS

I don't know about you, but I'm fascinated by money. Maybe it's because there's never enough to go around.

The new quarters that represent each state have made a real hit in my house. It gives my kids another excuse to dig through my purse.

It's also intriguing when the change you get back is something out of the ordinary: like a $2 bill from a local movie theater or Susan B. Anthony dollar coins from the post office stamp machine. It made me stop and think. Are these still in circulation?

www.usmint.gov

I found some answers at the official site of the U.S. Mint.

Although the Susan B. Anthony coin was minted from 1979-81, it's still around. I always found that its size -- not much bigger than a quarter -- made it confusing. I wasn't alone.

The new dollar coin won't be any bigger, but it will be golden in color with grooved edging. It will feature the image of Sacagawea, who played a critical role in the Lewis and Clark expedition. I found it interesting that at the time, the Indian interpreter and guide was but 15 and pregnant. She continued to help the explorers while caring for her infant son. The mint observes she was a working mother. Hmmm.

You can see the design yourself at the site. Its debut will coincide with the depletion of the remaining inventory of Susan B. Anthony coins at the U.S. Mint and the Federal Reserve next year.

You can also learn more about the new 50-state quarters. Five will be released each year for 10 years, in the order of each state's admittance to the union. I have seen Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Georgia and Connecticut will be out soon. Missouri and Illinois won't debut until 2003.

There's also a neat kids area, called Hip Pocket Change. Hey, even I had fun there and learned more about coins. There's more than six games with numerous versions of each one. There's good information here for teachers. You can also download screensavers free of charge.

But what about $2 bills? We'll have to visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to learn more. I like their web address.

www.moneyfactory.com

There are some interesting facts and figures here: Did you know it takes 490 pieces of paper currency to make a pound? The law also prohibits any living people from appearing on paper money. What about mutilated money? More than one-half of the original bill must remain for redemption.

You can also learn about the history of paper money. The Massachusetts Bay Colony issued the first paper money in the colonies in 1690. The first dollar dates back to 1785. The most recent redesign -- you know the ones with the big faces -- was introduced in 1998.

If you want to know more about paper money, the Bureau of Engraving links you off to New York's Federal Reserve Bank.

www.ny.frb.org/pihome/fedpoint/fed01.html

Here we learn there's about $500 billion in U.S. currency -- both paper and coins -- in circulation, and the majority is held outside the U.S.

The 12 federal reserve banks, including one in St. Louis, distribute new money from the U.S. Treasury Department. The advent of the ATM machines has driven up the demand for cash by banks, according to this site. The federal reserve also says many banks would rather have good quality used bills than new because they work better in an ATM machine.

You can also compare the "life span" of a one dollar bill (1.5 years) to a $50 bill (nine years).

The Treasury Department, which oversees U.S. currency, also has some interesting information.

www.treas.gov/currency

Who's on the front of a $10 bill? (No peeking.) It's Andrew Jackson. You can find out who graces the front and back of each bill, and more history about the individual. Here's the $2 bill with all the rest.

What does a $10,000 bill look like? This site will tell you it's graced by an engraving of Salmon Chase, the 25th Treasury Secretary. You can also see an example of the bill's back, with a big $10,000. (If you got it, flaunt it.)

There's also links to the history of money, currency fun facts, and even short video clips of money "hot off the press" and making money.

Sorry about the length of these upcoming web site addresses. If you like them, bookmark them so you won't have to type them in again. Or visit the Southeast Missourian Web site. My column is hotlinked directly to the sites.

woodrow.mpls.frb.fed.us/economy/calc/cpihome.html

What's a dollar worth? The Federal Reserve of Minneapolis has an interesting calculator that translates dollars from 1913 to 1999 and everything in between. It factors the worth using the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

For example, if in 1925 you bought goods and services worth $10, in 1999 the same goods and services would cost $94.97. That's amazing.

www.si.edu/organiza/museums/nmah/csr/cadnnc.htm

If you want to learn more about money around the world, you might check out the Smithsonian Institute, which has one of the largest numismatic collections in the world.

This collection is huge: more than 400,000 coins and more than 555,000 pieces of paper money from around the world.

You can view some virtual exhibitions, read some interesting FAQ and link off to other money sites. Many of these sites are well worth the visit.

What's your favorite money site? E-mail me at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

~Joni Adams is managing editor of the Southeast Missourian.