As a result of a thesis prepared by American designer Travis Purrington for the Basel School of Design in Switzerland, U.S. currency has received an overdue facelift. The European-influenced look of Purrington’s bank notes is an example of what our dollars would look like if we removed the founding fathers. The redesigned bank notes feature American themes of exploration, science, and architecture.
The updates are as follows, according to Slate:
For the $5 bill, Abraham Lincoln is replaced by images of neural activity in the brain, the $10 bill removes Alexander Hamilton in place of a tribute to nanotechnology, while the $20 alludes to human anatomy in place of Andrew Jackson. The $50 bill does away with Ulysses S. Grant to incorporate circuit board-inspired visuals and a reference to outer space endeavors, and finally – no longer is it all about the Benjamins – Mr. Franklin leaves the $100 note and becomes a tribute to the astounding universe we live in.
In addition to the updates, there are also phrases from the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the National Anthem embedded within the new notes.
