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Monday, July 5, 2010

Snow White Disney Dollars

Disney Dollars are a form of currency that can be used at Disney theme parks and the Disney store. Backed up by real money, each Disney dollar is the equivalent to a US dollar. Printing quality is very near real US currency and each has its own unique serial number. Guests at the parks can use the bills like cash or keep them as souvenirs. The Disney Dollar was the brain child of Harry Brice, a silhouette cutter on Main Street in Disneyland.

Every year tends to bring several new Disney Dollar bill designs although the vast majority have tended to feature Mickey Mouse or other members of the Fab Five. But in 2002, a change occurred with the the release of the Snow White five dollar bill. Printed in celebration of the 100 Years of Magic, this was the first of the Disney Dollars to feature a princess.

The Snow White bill has a 10-digit serial number.



Snow White Collector Note: At the time of this writing, the 2002 Disney Dollar five dollar bill featuring the first princess has been going for around $35-50 on ebay.


In 2006, Cinderella followed, appearing on a one dollar bill.



In 2007 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the inception of the Disney dollar, Cinderella returned to grace the ten dollar bill. Joining her were Aurora on the five dollar bill and Ariel on the one.





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Villionaire Dollars: In October of 2001 Disney announced a new online game called Who Wants to be a Villionaire patterned after the popular game show at the time. Each game had a different villain host, 13 in all, and each with its own downloadable bill. The Evil Queen is seen below on her One Villion Dollars. The bill, however, has no monetary value, except now as a collectible item.



Also released in 2001 was the El Capitan Disney Dollar, a currency that could only be redeemed at the Disney-owned El Capitain Theater in Hollywood. Snow White is featured on the back of the bill along with Dumbo and four out of the five "Fabs".

All images courtesy of DisneyDollars.net (except the Snow White five dollar bill)


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A short blurb appeared in the 1987 Disney News magazine which mentions the introduction of Disney Dollars at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World.



Also read about Matt Mew--one of the Disney Dollars artists--in The Disneyana Collector newsletter from Summer 1987.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Robert,

    I just came across your blog and wanted to say thanks for profiling the Snow White Disney Dollar that I designed. During my tenure at the Walt Disney Co, it fell on me to design the character art for DDs for three years and it was a great project. I loved getting SW on a bill as well as some of the other characters that I added on the back. I was also the illustrator for the USPS on "The Art of Disney" stamps. There is a great story regarding the Snow White stamp. Contact me if you like and I will tell you about it.

    Thanks again,

    Peter

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  2. Peter...I'd definitely like to hear about your earlier projects, i.e. more about the details of your Snow White pursuits on the DD and the USPS stamp.

    I have plans for an upcoming post on SW postage stamps and would like to include your work and any anecdotes you'd like to share.

    Please feel free to email me.

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  3. These are gorgeous, Peter, thank you for such amazing work! Thank you Robert also, for profiling them here.

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