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Governments all over the world are protecting their currency from counterfeits by revising it frequently. Counterfeiting has become a serious problem in the past few decades. With the advent of powerful consumer image editing software, cheap high resolution scanners, and low priced computer equipment it becomes easier and easier every year for counterfeiters to duplicate the designs and images found on modern currency. The threat of counterfeit currency is no laughing matter to the governments of the world, who have taken measures to ensure that their money is as difficult to replicate as possible. In this article we will discuss a few of the methods they have used to undermine the efforts of counterfeiters worldwide. In the late 80s the United States government issued 20, 50 and 100 dollar denominations that included a “security strip” inside the bill. This security strip is made of fluorescent plastic and is embedded in the bill itself. The strip runs from the top to the bottom of these bills and can be easily read when held under a fluorescent light bulb. The denomination of the bill is clearly written on the strip, which can help prevent counterfeiters from “upgrading” lower denominations of bill to higher denominations by “washing” the ink from the paper and reprinting the graphics of the bill using dye sub or laser printers. Watermarking is another method that can prevent the counterfeiting of currency. This method is being used in the United States wherein the latest bills issued by the treasury contain images designed into the paper itself. These watermarked images on bills of different denominations match the images of different US Presidents. For example, the $100-bill bears the likeness of the former US President Benjamin Franklin with respect to the standard image as well as the watermark. These images can be seen quite easily when we hold the bills against a source of light. The image in the watermark should match the image of the president on the bill. The $100 bill has Benjamin Franklin as the standard and the watermark image. Some currency notes such as the $5 bills have been counterfeited to $100 bills. This bill is a carbon copy of the genuine one, but under scrutiny, the watermark image will reveal Lincoln's face as per the $5 bills and the true colors of the fake currency. The third example of one of the latest preventive measures used internationally to control the production of counterfeit currency, is the use of special inks in printing the actual currency. Such inks help to show up different colours in the genuine currency notes when they are viewed from different angles. For instance, the same currency note that appears to be light green in colour when looked at from the left angle, seems to acquire a blackish hue instead of the earlier greenish one, when we look at it from the right angle. What makes this latest printing method extremely difficult to replicate for the counterfeiters, is the use of a special compound that they soon realize, is very hard to manufacture. These are just a few security features that have been used to secure the Modern United States currency. So be prepared for more new methods and technology to maintain the integrity of the almighty dollar. Copyright 2006, Devon Valenta, All Rights Reserved. This article may be published on web sites or in newsletters provided this notice and the resource box is included without ammendment.
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Devon Valenta provides a range of resources at his web site: Fone Currency, where you will find information that will help you on many currency related issues. Why not take a look: www.fonecurrency.com Click here for other unique currency articles.
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