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How to catch a counterfeit

December 22, 2003

Rolando Gonzalez, CEO of AccuBANKER

There are currently millions of fake bills that circulate the world on a daily basis. Do you know how to spot them?

The crime of counterfeiting is as old as our civilization. There is proof that in the Greco Roman era, before the times of Christ, counterfeit coins were already being fabricated. This is no myth or legend, samples of these Hellenic coins are on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

Even though coins where the first form of currency to be counterfeited and still are found in huge quantities, bills are the most counterfeited. This article’s aim it to help protect others against this fraud. It is first necessary to understand that Counterfeiting is not a uniformed art. There are as many qualities of counterfeits as there are counterfeiters, and their recourses vary greatly. From a young delinquent who counterfeits from the privacy of his/her bedroom using a basic computer, scanner and high resolution printer, to a government of an terrorist country, who can use its enormous resources like industrial equipment and graphic experts to boycott the economy of the country they wish to harm. An example of such aggression can bee seen during World War II when Hitler ordered the counterfeiting of millions of British Pound notes in order to damage the UK economically.

The U.S. Treasury Department, like the majority of the Central Banks that emit currencies around the world, are taking measures to protect their notes with multiple security features. By applying these security measures, the task of determining if the bill that you are receiving is counterfeit or not becomes easier.

Don’t be fooled! Know your currency’s security measures and avoid being a victim of fraud, or even worse, providing the counterfeiter with your hard work, valuables and services in exchange for a piece of paper with no value.

Most common security features in modern bills:

The paper authentic money is printed on is normally made with 75% cotton and 25% linen. This texture and color is very different than normal paper, that is made with wood pulp and has high starch content. Upon analyzing it, feel it, feel the texture and wrinkle it. Normal paper tears easily unlike monetary paper. Upon wrinkling the bill energetically, a distinct metallic sound is produced, unique to monetary paper. Verify if the paper has color fibers that are incrusted in the paper, not only printed on it which would be a sign of a counterfeit.

Printing Quality:

The printing process for legitimate bills is highly sophisticated. The printing is always clear, with lines that are very defined, and distinct details of impeccable printing. The face and the eyes of the portrait are of high definition. It is important to analyze the visually the integrity of the bill and the general quality of impression. Using a magnifying glass of magnifying power > 5X, make sure that the lines that form the decorative edges of the bills are continuous, and that the details are clear. Real bills should not have any printing errors, while fake bills almost always do.

In the case of the US Dollar and an many other currencies the governments mints use a printing with high relief known as “Intaglio”, which produces a printing area with raised ink and can be easily detected by only touching the front surface of the bills. Notice the thick and raised ink. Generally counterfeiters do not possess this prohibitively expensive printing technology.

Micro-Printing:

Because of the smallness of the text printed at a micrometric scale these security features are extremely difficult to reproduce. This technique is used widely as a security feature in order to prevent reproduction through photocopiers. The letters are too small, and the lines are too thin to reproduce. It is important to use a magnifying glass and verify that the micro-printing and fine lines are parallel or en a web that contains the bill being analyzed, be they solid or interrupted.

Security Thread:

Verify that the polyester strip is incrusted in the bill, and that the thread runs vertically with the pertinent text legibly printed on the strip. In the case of the US $50 dollar note “USA 50” should be legible printed. The security tread should also appear as fluorescent line when placed under a UV lamp. The colors for the security strip are: $5 in blue, $10 in orange, $20 in green, $50 in yellow, and $100 in red.

Portrait:

This image is distinguished by its fine quality and high definition. For example, in the US dollars printed in 1996 and afterwards, the Bust of the Presidents are printed larger, with more details, making its recognition easier and making its counterfeiting more difficult. This is an easy method for the public to distinguish the new design from the old. The portrait has been moved from the center of the bill to leave more space for the watermarks and the security threads in each denomination.

Visual Aid:

These large characters that are printed on the bills face and back are used to facilitate identifying bills by those visually impaired.

Water Mark:

The water mark is an integral part of the paper itself, and is normally identical to the portrait and principle motive of the bill. Place the bill to a light, identify and examine the quality of the watermark. The image can be seen by both sides of the bills.

Color Shifting Ink “OVI”:

Observe the Number printed in “OVI”. When tilting the bill up and down, the ink changes color. This type of ink, optically variable, is increasing in its popularity on new bill design.

Magnetic Inks:

Many currencies also utilize magnetic charges in specific areas of the bills for greater protection: The Unites States, European Union, UK, Brazil, Russia and many more. To detect float these areas on a detector with a magnetic ink sensor, and check for an audible sound and/ or illuminating indicator, to indicate the presence or not of magnetic inks.

Fluorescent Marks:

To view these marks place the bill under a UV lamp and the view the fluorescent marks of the security thread, color fibers, seals, numeric denominations and other marcs. This is one of the most common methods used to protect users from counterfeit bills.

Infrared Markings:

This is one of the most secure and difficult to replicate security features. Upon exposing the bill to a infrared camera, the screen will demonstrate the presence of secret infrared image. In the case of the US dollar the $5, $10, and $20 denominations printed in1996 and after and the $50 and the $100 printed after 1999 all include secret infrared barcode images. In the Euros half of the bill disappears when the face of the bill is placed under the camera, and only the numerical denomination appears on the back of the bill. Canadian dollars only demonstrate the bills serial # as well as other partial images depending on the denomination. Each country uses distinct secret markings, but till date there this remains one of the strongest security measures, and the most reliable method of checking suspect bills. Only compare the image of the suspect bill with that of a bill you are certain that is authentic, and in less than one second you will spot the counterfeit.

Motives of Coincidence:

In many bills, for example the Euro and the Mexican Peso, a figure is printed on the face of the bill and another is the back on the back. When the bill is observed while lit from behind a clear perfectly matching complete image is obvious. The perfection of positioning of these marks on the bills requires sophisticated technologies that complicated tremendously the work of the counterfeiter and thus makes this a good security measure.

Iridescent Strips and Markings:

By moving the bill in different directions these marks reflect the distinct tones and colors that are printed with this purpose in mind, adding to the security of the bill.

Intangible Marks:

These marks are used to help the detection of counterfeits by only feeling the bills for high relief printed areas, and can help determine where a bill is a counterfeit or not when these features are not present.

Chemical Pen Detection:

These pens utilize a substance that reacts chemically to the starch in regular paper. If the mark is dark then the bill can be considered suspect, if the mark is light or nonvisible then the bill can be considered authentic.

Use the chemical pen in conjunction with other counterfeit detection systems, because counterfeiters have been known to bleach out a low denomination bill to print out high valued ones, in which case the chemical pen alone would not be able to detect the counterfeit.

Hologram:

The technique of using laser holograms is relatively new and of great help to the population. The inclusion of these strips and stamps on the back of bills, make counterfeiting all the more difficult, and easier to detect. By only visually inspecting these holograms and tilting the bill, it can be determined whether a bill s counterfeit or not. The Euros include this security feature in all of its denominations.


Although there are an infinite amount of security features that can be used to protect the public from counterfeiters, we have covered the most used by the central banks and emitting mints of the world. It is important to know the characteristics of the bill that you receive and be able to verify if they are authentic and not counterfeits.

The use of equipment and instruments, with magnifying lenses, magnetic ink detectors, chemical pens, watermark lights, infrared cameras and UV lamps are highly recommended. It is only with these tools that we can truly know if the bill being examined contains the security features that are placed to protect us and that the bill is authentic. Protect yourself, and don’t leave yourself open to fraud!