The perfect banknote

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