Put my money back together again.
February 2, 2008 5:59 AM   Subscribe

Accidentally split a twenty dollar bill in half. What's the best way to put it back together?
posted by dkleinst to Work & Money (17 answers total)
 
Stickytape has always worked for me.
posted by goo at 6:00 AM on February 2, 2008


Transparent Scotch tape. Or alien spit. Either works for me.
posted by dbiedny at 6:02 AM on February 2, 2008


You could just bring it to the bank and they'll replace it for you.
posted by Shebear at 6:05 AM on February 2, 2008


yeah, scotch tape very much gets the job done
posted by gcat at 6:08 AM on February 2, 2008


Response by poster: I should mention that I am abroad. Will foreign...asian....south asian...banks replace it?
posted by dkleinst at 6:19 AM on February 2, 2008


If you're abroad... stick it in your pocket until you return...... or use scotch tape on it and see what they do.

I have to admit that I find this to me an interesting question... with only one obvious answer that nearly anyone would think of... I would guess that all of us have ripped a bill, and all of us have either taped the bugger back together or taken it to the bank..... I'm going to come back to see if anyone can suggest a way OTHER than scotch tape.... Welding, nails, molten glass, sewing it together, superglue the edges....
posted by HuronBob at 6:24 AM on February 2, 2008 [1 favorite]


I should mention that I am abroad. Will foreign...asian....south asian...banks replace it?

Unlikely. Most currency exchanges I've dealth with will only accept bills that are in good condition.
posted by nathan_teske at 6:33 AM on February 2, 2008


I should mention that I am abroad. Will foreign...asian....south asian...banks replace it?

Unlikely. Most currency exchanges I've dealth with will only accept bills that are in good condition.


But stickytape should be readily available.
posted by goo at 6:49 AM on February 2, 2008


But stickytape should be readily available.

Yes but a foreign bank or currency exchange is unlikely to accept the note.
posted by nathan_teske at 7:00 AM on February 2, 2008


You have nothing to lose by taping it back together and trying to exchange it. I think you'll have a lot of trouble, it may depend where you are exactly. Moneychangers in Singapore, for instance, are less concerned with note quality than some other places (but even here I'm not sure they'd take a taped note). On the other hand, there are some places (e.g. Myanmar) where you can't use a note that is creased heavily, let alone torn completely in half. Your best bet is to find an American or someone who is going to the US soon, and ask them to buy the note from you.
posted by blue mustard at 7:25 AM on February 2, 2008


From the horse's mouth.

And I mean 'horse' in the nicest possible way.
posted by dmd at 7:27 AM on February 2, 2008


I'm going to come back to see if anyone can suggest a way OTHER than scotch tape....

I recently received in change, and then spent, a note that had been torn in half and was held together with a bunch of staples... got a funny look from the guy at the 7-11 where I spent it, but otherwise no problem... as I understand it (in Australia at least) as long as the note is pretty much all there, and both serial #s are present, the banks will take it...

I wouldn't suggest the OP try this though, particularly if it's foreign currency to the folks he's hoping to give it to - scotch tape all the way there...
posted by russm at 8:13 AM on February 2, 2008


Take it to the bank; they'll replace it.
posted by uncballzer at 9:25 AM on February 2, 2008


Oh, the serial #'s--as long as there's one full # and at least 1/2 of the other the bank will replace it.
posted by uncballzer at 9:26 AM on February 2, 2008


Even if the bank won't replace it, keep trying to spend it at various stores until one accepts it.
posted by astrochimp at 11:37 AM on February 2, 2008


The "bank," if it's not in America (and it's not) is going to to replace it. And a foreign bank could care less about the serial numbers being present or not. It's also unlikely he can "spend" it if he's in a country in Asia.

What I've done in this situation is to carefully align the two halves, and tape it up on the back side, cutting any excess tape (as opposed to curling it over to the front.) And then I hope for the best. If you present all your bills "face up" at a currency exchange, they may not notice it. Obviously, stick it in the middle of a bunch of bills.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 2:01 PM on February 2, 2008


It's also unlikely he can "spend" it if he's in a country in Asia

It's actually very likely he can spend it - USD are accepted in a lot of unlikely places, particularly in the developing world - but I think Dee Xtrovert has the answer with trying to hide it in a pile of notes with the tear at the rear. Good luck!
posted by goo at 2:23 AM on February 4, 2008


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