Posted on Saturday, 29th November 2008 by Jeff
Some of the best internet startups, in my opinion, are ones that are simple but ingenious. The reason I came across this startup was because their web address was stamped on a 1 dollar bill that I got back in change from Burger King. Having no idea what the website was about, I decided to check it out when I got home. To my surprise, it was actually a website that allows you to track where your bills go. Basically, you put a stamp on a bill of your choice that says “WheresGeorge.com” after entering the serial number on the website. Write the serial number down in your Notepad or on a piece of paper for future reference. If the next person who receives the bill visits the website and enters the serial number, they can figure out where the bill was when the last person entered it. If every single person who receives that bill enters it into the website, then you’ll be able to see every single place its traveled over time! Now if you check the bill a few months after you had it, make sure to choose “No” under “Do you have this bill right now?”. If you choose “Yes”, then the system will record that the bill is currently where you’re at which won’t be accurate.
I’m a little uncertain about the legality of marking U.S. currency with a web address. But because the bills are voluntarily marked by individuals and not the website itself, I don’t think anybody can be held liable for this. If you are the person who stamps a bill and puts it back into circulation, only do 2 or 3 bills (preferably 1 dollar bills) to be on the safe side. The fact that 1 dollar bills don’t have any obvious security features means that they’ll stay in circulation much longer. However, some banks might trade marked bills in for newer ones.
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