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Artistic Checks - More than Simply Money

Since the beginning of modern banking, financial transactions have been recorded on checks and notes and various other types of paper documents. Besides the obvious transfer of money between two parties, there is another easily overlooked, aspect to these important pieces of paper. They have an artistic and historical value that can be, at times, even more valuable than the financial record. In this article we'll take a look at the value of artistic checks and see how it has changed over time.

The History of Artistic Checks

Money has been decorated with art since currencies first came into wide use. Cultures around the globe have commissioned artwork to emblazon their coins, treasury notes and bank checks with symbols of beauty and meaning.

An excellent example would be the famous check used by the United States to pay Russia for the purchase of the state of Alaska in 1869. Featuring two stunning hand cut lithographs this artistic check is now a valuable piece of history in it's own right. It's doubtful whether any of our modern electronic fund transfers will be as useful in providing such a beautiful glimpse of history.

Increased Perceived Value with Art on Checks

Why bother create checks with art on them? There is actually a very practical reason: artistic checks are instilled with a higher sense of value. Can you imagine a large banking transaction being transcribed onto a piece of ordinary blank paper? There would be a lack of trust due to the lack of perceived value. Artistic checks, and money in general, create a sense of value.

Decorating money and checks with art is actually quite necessary. With the exception of gold and silver coins, money doesn't have any real value. Artwork, symbols and decoration are used to create a feeling of trust in the value of the individual or institution that is backing the check or note.

Artistic Checks as Fraud Protection

Fraud protection is another important aspect of artistic checks. Banks use artistic markings to make checks and other financial notes much more difficult to reproduce or forge. Three important security features are:

1. Watermarks are best viewed by holding a check up to the light and feature everything from an artist's rendition of the bank's central office, to the president of a country.

2. Holograms are a recent security innovation placed on checks with a piece of metallic foil, often containing an artistic 3-dimensional image.

3. The third technique is micro printing. A special check inking technique that embeds words that are invisible to the naked eye into the lines that make up the images on an artistic check. These words cannot be read without the use of a magnifying glass.

Modern Artistic Checks

In the past few years artistic checks have undergone a transformation. Rather than the banks and institutions dictating the styles and decorations on the checks, now these decisions are being made by consumers. Modern check printing companies offer thousands of artistic check designs and an almost endless ability to customize check printing.

I hope you'll see that artistic checks and decorative money have a rich history and provide value beyond the simple notation of money moving between accounts. They demonstrate personal expression, beauty and the link between your deeper values and your money.

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

Well versed in many aspects of personal finance, William Gordon writes about artistic checks and many other types of deluxe checks for a variety of online publications.

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