This Odd Lots podcast episode provides a behind-the-scenes tour of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank's cash operations. The hosts, along with the Chicago Fed president and cash operations staff, detail the process of receiving, processing, and distributing physical currency, including security measures and the high-speed machinery used. They highlight the surprisingly large amount of cash still in circulation and the lifecycle of a dollar bill, from printing to eventual shredding and recycling. A key takeaway is the sheer scale of the operation, processing millions of bills daily and handling hundreds of millions of dollars. The episode offers a unique look at a rarely seen aspect of the Federal Reserve system.
