A currency strap, also known as currency band or bill strap is a simple paper device designed to hold a specific denomination and number of banknotes. It can also refer to the bundle itself. In the United States, the American Bankers Association or ABA has a standard for both value and color, as shown below. Note that all bills greater than $1.00 only come in straps of 100 count. The colors allow for quick accounting, even when the bills are stacked, such as in a vault. Special striped bands are used for straps containing only star notes. == History == Bundling money together with a simple elastic...

The flag of Russia is a tricolor flag consisting of three equal horizontal fields; white on the top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. The flag was first used as an ensign for Russian merchant ships and became official as the flag of the Tsardom of Russia in 1696. It remained in use until the establishment of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic in 1917. It was re-introduced as the flag of the Russian Federation in 1991. == Origin == There are two accounts of the flag's origin, both connecting it to the tricolour used by the Dutch Republic (the flag of the Netherlands). The...