The so-called “small face” dollars are those that were printed in the United States until 1996. On the $100 bill, Benjamin Franklin is inside an oval frame and, in terms of dimensions, it is smaller compared to later printed versions.
The caves in the City of Buenos Aires pay less for these tickets and also sell them cheaper. Although they are totally legal tender, savers reject them. You get to pay 2% and 4% less because in theory they are “more difficult to move.”
“Consumers around the world are advised that there is no need to exchange $100 bills from the old design for the new ones. It is the policy of the US Government that all US coin designs remain legal tender regardless of when they are issued,” the Fed announced in 2013, the last time they renewed ticket design.
The most recent version of the US banknote is the one with a blue band running through it and Franklin’s face appears in the foreground, without the oval. That is the bill called “big head”, and the blue band is an additional security measure that seeks to prevent counterfeiting.
Although there are no “legal” reasons, the “little trees” take the old $100 bills at a discount. The same is true for lower denomination dollars.
In banks, the problem arises when withdrawing, because savers prefer “big face” bills. This is not the case for deposits, since entities have the obligation to accept any type of legal tender.
The solution for the old bills is to send them to the US to be replaced by the new ones, but this operation is hampered by the pandemic.
What to do if I have dollar face girl
Beyond the fact that legally they are worth the same, but that does not happen in the market, there is a way to use the “small face” dollars without being given less for their value.
The main alternative is to resort to banks, not to sell but to deposit. I know in detail.
Deposit in savings account
Ideally, leave the old bills in the machines that are in the branches and wait a few days for them to be returned to you. The bank, for its part, has the obligation to accept them and in general when they replace them they deliver new bills.
It’s important to put attention on, in case of going to the window, this option may fail. It may happen that a bank rejects this type of version.
Another way is to use the debit card and spend the foreign currency. Of course, it is necessary to ask the bank beforehand to cover the consumption with funds from the savings bank in dollars,
Change in the USA
If you are traveling in your country of origin, we advise you to change them there. the same ones accept without distinctionas it is legal tender according to current federal regulations.
A common practice is to go to a casino, buy tokens as if you had the intention of betting, but then redeem them once more for tickets, which will probably be of newer series. But also buy in stores, they will not make you any problem with it.
Buy abroad
If you like to buy toys, clothes and technological items, this way is for you.
If you are in Argentina and buy in a foreign virtual store, you can pay with your credit card. In this way, in the next summary you will see the amount reflected in dollars, so you can pay at the bank and deliver the “small face” dollarswhich will be taken at full value.
Transfer payments
In an operation, for example real estate, that gets stuck because the buyer only has “small face” dollars and the seller does not want to accept them, or asks for compensation, a solution is bank the payment.
