Big Headed Bills

My dad seemed to think this piece of trivia was worth a post.

When traveling in Africa and parts of Asia, there are a fair number of countries where ATMs either don't exist or aren't reliable and credit cards aren't really a thing either. Enter large sums of cash (I don't even want to hear about travelers checks-- if they still exist, they shouldn't). Sometimes for business trips I have to reimburse people, pay hotel rooms, and even purchase internal flights entirely in cash.

So the thing is, not just any cash will do. In order to be able to change dollars into local currency in banks, at hotels, or even on the black market (how are they allowed to be picky?) the dollars have to have big heads. They have the be the post 1996 bills with the giant presidents' heads in the center. They also cannot have any marks on them, any notable creases, or look like more than 2 people have every touched them. Pristine, mint-condition (literally) bills are the only form of currency in these situations. So I'm the jerk at the bank who asked to withdraw 4000 dollars in cash, and then picks through every one of the bills to check for big heads and then asks for new ones anytime I find those stinking little heads. I try to alternate banks so they don't hate me too violently.

And yes it is terrifying walking around with lots of cash (I pretty much sprint home from the bank, hyper aware of everything in my peripheral vision).


UPDATE: Apparently head-size is insufficient. I was just told at the money changer that I would get a better rate if the big-headed bills were post-2006.