
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 14, 1990                   TAG: 9003143033
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WHAT CAN SAFELY BE DONE TO GREENBACK?

THE GREENBACK has been the foundation for our country's currency and the second currency for many other countries for an extended time. The time for change may be now, due to the age of modern technology and all of the toys that come with it. There are many routes to choose from in deciding what will happen to our dollar.

One aspect is to run a strip of metal through the bill. This method would be very time-consuming to the person who wanted to forge a bill. Another would be to use a special ink that could be seen when the bill was photocopied, but no other time.

Many changes can be made to U.S. currency, but will the people accept it? If the bill is changed too much, thousands of people will not be willing to use it. This could lead to some very serious economic problems.

The questions still have not changed. Will we be able to protect the monetary system while keeping the traditional look of the greenback?\ WARREN GARDNER\ GOODVIEW

by CNB