How would you like to design a bitcoin banknote?

[casascius]

The thing I really like about this background, that I never really thought about until after I saw it, is the fact that color transitions are a common feature of cash, and this mimics that.  I realize that cash uses transitions of special ink colors as a security feature and this won't mimic the security aspect of it, this background nevertheless does a great job of invoking cash.

[unclemantis]

What about people with just black and white ink jet printers AND single color toner laser printers?

[BitPay Business Solutions]

Yep, Leonardo Da Vinci. 

Here's an update with a little addition from Albert Einstein

[unclemantis]

Yep, Leonardo Da Vinci. 

Here's an update with a little addition from Albert Einstein

Would be neat to have a different quote from a long list of quotations. Maybe perhaps a picture of a different famous person in science or math history that would randomly be printed.

Maybe start a collect-ability series? Funded note is worth more to a collector than a spent note?

This has potential!

Thoughts?

[unclemantis]

Random color
Random quotation
Random picture
Initial seed value?

[rjk]

What does the binary border say?

[BitPay Business Solutions]

What does the binary border say?

nothing, I just typed random numbers.  But it would be easy to encode a binary message, great idea!!

[unclemantis]

http://tech.karbassi.com/2008/01/15/futurama-benders-big-score-binary-joke/

[casascius]

Would the private and public key need to be spelled out or are we just assuming that QR-Codes will be the norm.

The private and public key need to be human-readable.

The total size of the private and public key can be reduced by using the 30-char mini private key, which will cut 21 characters off versus using a full private key.

[BitPay Business Solutions]

With QR and human readable codes.  the LOAD image includes the bitcoin: URI for all mobile wallets that support it.

[ErebusBat]

With QR and human readable codes

[IMG:https://dl.dropbox.com/u/52611567/btc-note5.png[/img]

I like this, but think it would look better with the corner logos squared off instead of tilted. Maybe even two diagonally opposing corners for the denomination.

[Mushroomized]

I like the blue ones, they are neat. I think that they should all be like that, but the background fractal art should vary depending on blockcount at time of printing. (for extra coolness)

[artisbigshirts]

Here is my take on the BTC note:


With the key off and on the edge:


The central image would be customizable, and I would also add that maybe they should be able to choose from a variety of BTC symbols:
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin_symbol

I will come up with something for myself for the central image shortly.

[ErebusBat]

I think the keys (text and QR) should not be at the very edge. This is the most likley area to receive damage.

[casascius]

I think the keys (text and QR) should not be at the very edge. This is the most likley area to receive damage.

As long as the private key is either readable or scannable, everything else is redundant and recoverable.  This concern may be addressed just by making sure at least one of the copies of the private key doesn't involve the edge.

[BitPay Business Solutions]

here's another option with a Fibonacci seashell background.  Mike am I getting closer?



and when printed in black-and-white only

[unclemantis]

here's another option with a Fibonacci seashell background.  Mike am I getting closer?



and when printed in black-and-white only

Awesome! I'll take it!

[bg002h]

here's another option with a Fibonacci seashell background.  Mike am I getting closer?



and when printed in black-and-white only

Awesome! I'll take it!

I like this design...Anyone know anything about archival quality printing? A laminated version of this on archival stock/ink would be cool.

[casascius]

here's another option with a Fibonacci seashell background.  Mike am I getting closer?

Yes on all counts.  I might have to end up declaring more than one winner - it is perfectly fine to have more than one "kind" of banknote (and as Bitcoin gets popular, they almost could be like collectible baseball or phone cards).

If I can make subjective suggestions for this one:

* The solid color B's and the border look ink-intensive. I think the BTC's would look better straight up and down, rather than tilting like the logo.  I am also not sure about the color orange if the background isn't orange as well.
* Da Vinci is cool, I would put his name on it.  The first impression of this portrait not knowing who he is is that this is Dungeons and Dragons money and that this guy is the wizard.
* This particular background image - is it available in high resolution?  If raster images are to be used, having very high resolution images is something I see as a must (mainly because cash features very high resolution features as well - the goal being use all the resolution a user's printer has to offer)
* I normally love rounded features, but on this note to me they invoke the idea of a gift certificate more so than a bank note.  I would suggest simple squares much like the blue banknote also being discussed in this thread.

[BitPay Business Solutions]

Yes, the image is available in hi-res but I have to buy it.  This is just the free preview.

I thought of one more design criteria.

The design should, when folded in half, not place the QR or the plain text codes along the crease.  This would cause degradation of the information.

When folded in half, for carrying in a wallet, for example.

or, when folded in half long-ways, for sliding into a garter, for example.  

With that in mind, here is version 7.