The perfect banknote

I haven't had a gripe for ages in The Jakarta Post. How about this one.

It continually amazes me how U.S. currency, whatever the denomination, is viewed with extra careful scrutiny at any bank or money changer in Jakarta.

Every banknote is examined closely as if it had some awful disease and, if not up to the "required standard", promptly returned to the customer unchanged.

This required standard is extremely high. Notes must be new, not torn or stained with any pen mark, however small; all are reasons for elimination and rejection.

I've always been under the impression that if the two relevant numbers of a bank note correctly correspond, and contain the relevant water mark, it's acceptable as legal tender.

Even "squeaky clean" Singapore adopts a liberal attitude to currency changing, providing notes are legitimate -- Why not Jakarta?

Imagine changing rupiah notes in the U.S./UK and adopting the same strong attitude which exists here!

So I ask myself. Why this phobia of obtaining the "perfect banknote"?

It would be of interest to have an explanation of this by an Indonesian monetary expert to ease my bewildered mind.

JOHN R. KERR

Jakarta