Tips for telling counterfeit money from the real thing

I don’t know about you, but about the only time I come across a hundred dollar bill is just watching it pass through my hands to someone else. It seldom pauses long in my possession. Every time I do handle one though, I am reminded of the fact that it is the most frequently counterfeited bill issued by the United States. That is because it is the largest denomination bill in routine circulation. Anything larger is very noticeable and people tend to remember the person that passed it to them. Anything smaller and it isn’t normally worth the time of the counterfeiter to mess with it, although there are instances where it happens.

The main concern to the honest citizen that encounters a fake bill of any denomination is that if they are the victim of possessing one, they don’t get prosecuted criminally but they are stuck financially with the loss. Once it is identified as fake, and the possessor is deemed to lack any knowledge of that fact, the literal buck stops with them. For a business particularly, who may get a whole series of fakes, the loss can be quite costly. So how do you tell if the bill is genuine or fake?

The U.S. government has initiated a substantial number of measures to thwart counterfeiters. Some of those methods are published while others remain secret. The ones made public are done so in the hopes that people will be less likely to become victimized. Here are some of the features to look for to avoid accepting a fake $100 bill.

The first is a watermark. Hold a $100 bill up to any light source and from either side you can see an image of Ben Franklin off to the side of the visible portrait. Another security feature is color shifting ink in the lower right hand corner of the bill. Tilt the bill 45 degrees and the color will shift from copper to green, or vice versa. All denominations have this feature, except the $5 bill. The third major feature is the embedded security thread. It is a small strip of polyester thread embedded vertically in the paper, just to the left of the portrait when looking at the front side of the bill. When held up to UV light it will glow a unique color. On a $100 bill it will glow reddish/pink. On a $50 bill it will glow yellow, on a $20 it will be green, orange on a $10 and blue on a $5. It will also have the denomination of the bill micro-printed repeatedly on it. There is also micro-printing in various places around the portrait. Use a magnifying glass and you will find a lot of interesting reading in a very, very tiny size.

One thing you often see a business do is take a special marking pen and mark across the bill. The mark only inidcates one thing – that the paper on which the bill is printed is genuine. Interestingly, duplicating the paper is one of the easiest things for counterfeiters. Even though it is actually a blend of cloth, not paper per se, it can be duplicated.

There is one security feature however that so far, the counterfeiters haven’t been able to duplicate. It is knowledge available to the general public, and while many people know about some of the features noted above, many do not know about this one. It is quite simple and ingenious. If you run your finger lightly across the face on the portrait, you should feel a slightly rough, raised surface. It is barely noticeable and you may have to do it several times before you feel it. It helps to lay the bill down on a flat surface and then rub your finger across the portrait. If you feel a rough surface it is most likely a genuine bill. If it is smooth, it is fake. Learn this simple test, and practice it. Each time you are handed a $100 bill make it a habit of performing this test and you can help prevent becoming a victim.

As noted, these are not all of the security features for U.S. currency. There are other published features not mentioned here, but there are a number of other features known only to law enforcement.

The United States Secret Service is the Federal agency tasked with the investigation of counterfeiting. To learn more about money and the many interesting security features they contain, go to their website, www.secretservice.gov. Look for the link that says “Know Your Money.” There you will find the above information and more about the currency we all use every day.

You can also go to www.newmoney.gov to see what is coming in terms of new security features. It is a neat site, with interactive quizzes and other information about currency. Finally, if you suspect that you have a counterfeit bill, you can call 210-308-6220. Press “0” or “1” to get a representative and they will walk you through a series of tests to determine if you have a counterfeit bill.

Stay informed and stay safe.

One thing you often see a business do is take a special marking pen and mark across the bill. The mark only inidcates one thing – that the paper on which the bill is printed is genuine. Interestingly, duplicating the paper is one of the easiest things for counterfeiters. Even though it is actually a blend of cloth, not paper per se, it can be duplicated.

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