Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Free LA Fed tour (Coin Collecting merit badge)

Dear Boy Scout Leaders:

I would like to invite your Boy Scout troop(s) to visit the LA Fed for a free tour.

As you are probably aware, the Federal Reserve Bank tour fulfills a requirement of the Boy Scouts of America Coin Collecting Merit Badge.


Tours are offered to groups of 8-30 people in 9th grade or above by appointment only, Monday through Thursday, excluding federal holidays. By prior approval confirmed in advance with me, we could also accommodate up to 50 scouts including at least three parent chaperones. Depending on available numbers of parent chaperones, we may be able to accommodate Cub Scouts as well.

The Bank is located in downtown Los Angeles, within walking distance of the 7th Street Metro station.

During the tour, your group will witness our cash operations and see the coin and cash supply for Las Vegas, Southern California, and Arizona. Visitors also get to try their hand at identifying counterfeit bills, see historic banknotes, and watch us shred the nation's unfit currency (up to $29 million per day).

What can people expect to see?

Visitors to the LA Branch will experience the second largest cash vault in the United States. Visitors can usually witness millions in deposits being dropped off by armored couriers on behalf of Southern California and Las Vegas banks and credit unions, counted by our vault workers and processed by high speed machines, shredded by highly sensitive lasers, and stored in our vault. The LA Branch's interactive lobby exhibit, "Fed Gallery: Your Central Bank in Focus" is a permanent installation that uses interactive technology, vivid graphics, and thought-provoking displays to highlight the Fed's role in the United States economy. The Fed's friendly tour leaders can provide tours in seven languages besides English (by prior arrangement only), so feel free to inquire.

What is the most unusual thing people can see on a tour?

Crowd favorites on a tour of the San Francisco Fed's Los Angeles Branch include a Vegas-style money wheel that asks visitors to identify counterfeit currency, a t-shirt dyed with shredded U.S. currency, an uncut sheet of $20 notes, and a map of the Twelfth Federal Reserve District featuring magnified State Quarters. Also very popular is the Branch's historic currency collection featuring notables including an 1899 $5 note featuring Sioux Chief Running Antelope; $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 notes; and fractional currency (paper coins) used during the Civil War.

Please feel welcome to contact me if you like more information. I would be happy to assist you or mail you a brochure. You can learn more about the tour at the self-service reservation web site.

We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Kind regards,
Andrea Abrams
Education Coordinator
Economic Education
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Los Angeles Branch
(213) 683-2353
(213) 683-2481 fax
E-mail: Andrea.Abrams@sf.frb.org

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