TT

One of the many things that has fascinated me about this culture is their currency. Trinidad has some of the most beautifully designed and printed money I think I have ever seen. It is called TT and it comes in a variety of colors with many different images - and I don't just mean architecture or a bunch of dead white guys. There are images that are staples of Trinidad's history and prosperity: people buying fresh fruit, oil refineries, the shipping docks, and my personal favorite, steel pans. That's right, they have a musical instrument proudly displayed on their 20 dollar bill. Now it was invented here and so it is the national instrument...
but still...
lets get with it America!

The money is also decorated with a myriad of different birds on each bill. They appear many times both stylized and as realistic rendering. I'm not in to Ornithology, but it's still fascinating.

The conversion rate is roughly 1 USD = 6 TT (thank you iPhone!). Needless to say, I have been getting very good at my 6 times tables. Particularly the division aspect. As I said before about the maxi taxi - when I ride it for 30 minutes and it costs 4 TT - that's not even one US dollar. Now, I haven't been in a taxi in Chicago in a while, but I'm pretty sure they click something on the meter before you even shut the door that charges you well over a dollar - and you haven't even told them where you want to go yet. Ridiculous.

Here is a picture. So strange. I feel like I've seen this somewhere before....




ooohh yeaaah....



P.S. - Another reason I became interested in currency and it's artwork is thanks to a fantastic printmaker/ teacher/ friend I met in college. His name is Curtis Readel. Google his name and check out his series Famous Dead White Guys from American History. It's quite fantastic. As well as his work with shredded money.