I'm sorry. I know it's none of my business. I'm an American, so the only currency I deal with on a daily basis is the dollar. And, though it pains me to admit it, I'm not actually well-enough informed about global economics to know whether or not having all of Europe adopt the same currency is a good thing. I'm not interested in getting into a political discussion about the ups and downs of a stronger EU.
But this isn't the first time the same coin was legal tender all over Europe. I realize the need to embrace your European-ness, but wouldn't some term from history make you feel better connected to your home continent? How about the "florin"? Or the "guilder"? Or the "denarius"? "Euro" sounds more like a derogatory term for "European" than a currency. Is that really a word you can look at and feel proud of?
If it is, then I'll shut up. Like I said, it's none of my business anyway.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Yes, because dollar sounds so great
Oddly, I don't get any of the same vibes off of Euro as you do. Plus, its one of the few terms they could get most of the countries to agree on, and one of the few terms they could choose which reflects a pan-european quality.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
"Dollar" came from the German "Thaler", from a word that means "valley", and refers to a rich silver mine in a Bohemian valley. It's a word with history and distinction. Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
What ever happened to using teeth as currency? Down with Economy! Up with Dentistry!
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Ooooh, I agree with "florin". If I ever found a country, we're going to have florins.
*throws florins*
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Euro gets pronounced so differently from country to country, too:
YOO-roe in England, of course. E-oo-ro in Spain and Portugal. OY-ro in Germany - if memory serves. And, of course, MOO-lah in Brooklyn.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Not only is it a lackluster name, but the currency itself is ugly. Have you seen paper Euros? They're almost as bland as the US greenback, and they have the advantage of using multiple colors. They didn't want to be too specific, so they decorated them with Roman arches. Whoop-de-doo. We used to get to buy things in France with the Little Prince and a bare breasted Liberty Leading the People. Now it's an arch.
It's OK, though. Switzerland still has pretty money.
*moves to Switzerland*
Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
Yeah, I remember the Little Prince on the francs went I went to France in '98. I thought it was adorable that they'd just put that on their money like that. European money used to be so cool.
Posted by Princess Leah (Member # 6026) on :
It's also the most expensive money to print. As if that country needs to spend MORE money on money. But, okay, it is pretty and multicolored. So I forgive them.
Yay for the Swiss. *salutes ancestors*
Posted by Princess Leah (Member # 6026) on :
What about all the poor foreign coin collectors? What will they do now? They pick up a shiny round thing on the sidewalk and check a solid chunk of Europe off their list.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
the coins are pretty.
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
Actually, the coin collecters can stop to cry : only one side of the coin is the same everywhere, the other is different for each country. About the Little Prince... Honestly, I found that shocking to use such a cute image for money.
[ April 29, 2005, 03:19 AM: Message edited by: Anna ]
Posted by Choobak (Member # 7083) on :
The name is not the most beautiful, right... But it's the only name accepted by all European country. It's very hard to find a name who sound well into all languages of Europe. Personnally i was attached with Franc. Because of his story, because of the fact i always know it (like the pope JP II). But Changeover is the life : all have a begin and an end.
Nevertheless, i hate the use of this changeover by companies. Our life cost rise up, but not our payment.
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
The first name for the euro was ecu, and I found it considerably more ridiculous.
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
quote: What about all the poor foreign coin collectors? What will they do now? They pick up a shiny round thing on the sidewalk and check a solid chunk of Europe off their list.
Actually, no. The Italian-made Euro coins'n notes are different from the French, the German and the Polish (etc., etc.). The French would never print the Colloseum on the back of their coins, and the Germans probably have the... umm... *searching for German landmark* Gedechnichtkirchie (sp???), or something like that.
JH
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
except there are no Polish Euro coins Posted by Choobak (Member # 7083) on :
Right ! But soon, there will be...
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
So they have the French'n German ones recycled there? Haven't been in "Czechy" for a while, but when's the Euro coming in?
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
whenever the country is ready. For us, the plans are either 2007 or 2010. i forget.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
The name ECU couldn't work for the European coin because the ecu has a longstanding tie to France as its basic currency unit. With nationalism barely tamed, putting a French (or any other nationality's) name/stamp on the European common currency would only stir up resentment, and strengthen nationalistic resistance to the unionization of European nations.
[ April 29, 2005, 07:52 AM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
The ECU, or European Currency Unit, was just an acronym for an easy way of expressing exchange rates in ERM (Exchange Rate Mechanism).
It wasn't a currency.
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
I agree that ecu has never been a currency - only it was the name we called "European common currency" before it exists, and everybody thought that it would be the name of the currency when it would exist. But they changed for "euro".
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I propose eliminating the dollar and creating the Amero. Maybe we could combine with Canada's currency.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
The coins are cool. Much like our quarters with the states on the back, they all have a different country on the back. Germany is an Eagle emblem, if I recall correctly. Ireland has the coolest designs, I think. I was there in 2002, right after the switchover, and not many coins with other countries had migrated into France yet, so we were always excited when we found one.
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Lyrhawn, Combine with the Canadians? Don't you think the dollar has fallen far enough? Maybe we should combine our currency with Mexico's also. Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Yes, but it wouldn't be the dollar anymore would it? Now it's the Amero.
Get on board!
Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
Let's join the currencies of all the countries in the Americas. But I don't like the name "Amero". Let's call 'em "Vespuccis". Posted by ProverbialSunrise (Member # 7771) on :
Has Britain adopted the Euro yet? I lived there for a while and they hadn't.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
I think the Brits are waiting for Elizabeth to die before they change over to the Euro. And then, it'll just be to keep Charles' mug off the currency.
I like the idea of an pan-American currency. I don't know what we should call it, but I can think of several interesting images we could put on it. The Panama Canal. Inca and Mayan Temples. Aztec calendar. The St. Lawrence Seaway. Pan American Highway. Hoover Dam
Or natural wonders like the Great Lakes, various volcanoes. Niagra falls. The altiplano. The Amazon river.
Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
And on the "heads" side, various great figures from pan-American history. George Washington. Simon Bolivar. Benito Juarez.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Mmm...what did the Romans call their currency? Was it "denarius"? I'd say go with that since all of Europe has that common heritage.
Posted by Pelegius (Member # 7868) on :
The Romans had several coins, all made of precious metals or bronze. The various Emperors were always devaluing the curency, leading to economic promblems. So, maybe the Romans weren't the guardians of fiscal security they wanted as role models.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
quote:And on the "heads" side, various great figures from pan-American history. George Washington. Simon Bolivar. Benito Juarez.
.... Juan Valdez, Paul Bunyan....
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
Moreover, saying that 'all of Europe' shares that heritage was a bit of an exaggeration even before the recent expansion of the EU. Germany (and points east) were never conquered by the Romans, nor was Scandinavia. In the Balkans they essentially stopped at the Danube.
Posted by Taberah (Member # 4014) on :
There is already a common currency throughout most of the Americas. If you ever travel around in Central or South America, you find that most of them recognize and are delighted to accept the dollar. One of the Central American nations (I'm not sure which) has actually adopted the American dollar outright as their currency. Other countries, like Argentina, have the value of their currency pegged (or partially pegged, now) to the value of the dollar. Most of the nations realize that American money is much more stable than their own, and that faith goes a long way.
The dollar is not in great shape right now, but its tremendous recognition factor and the political stability of the American government will make it a force to be reckoned in any international market for a long time to come.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Unfortunately, low inflation is not always good in a currency. Sometimes a country wants its currency to devalue in order to stimulate foreign investment.
For countries with similar economic situations and close economic ties, such as many of those in the EU, pegged exchange rates (or sharing currencies) can work out pretty well, but its not always a good idea for less developed countries to peg to more developed ones.
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Right ! But soon, there will be...