How to Check if Cash is a Forgery
The United States Treasury Department has been fighting forgery since they first started printing paper money in the 1860s. Modern computer technology, in the hands of criminals, makes spotting counterfeit cash difficult, but the Treasury Department has been adding more security features every seven to 10 years to help you spot a fake. Note: most of these security features are only in the $5, $10, $20 and $50 bills. The $1 bill has not been redesigned since 1963, and, as of 2009, the $100 bill has only the 1990 updates.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Hold the cash up to a strong light. You should see a watermark (which is built into the paper) from both the front and back of the bill. Watermarks were added to currency in 1990. See Resources for examples of the various watermarks.
-
2
Check for the security thread, which runs from top to bottom all bills printed since 1990. The thread says "USA 5" on a $5 bill, "USA 20" on a $20 bill and so forth for all denominations, except the $1 bill.
-
-
3
The $10, $20 and $50 bills all use color shifting ink on the number in the lower right-hand corner of the front of the bill. The number (10, 20 or 50) should shift from copper to green when tilted.
-
4
Use a magnifying glass to examine the cash for micro printing. Micro printing is so fine that it is difficult to see with the naked eye and nearly impossible to copy without sophisticated equipment. For example: the $5 has "FIVE DOLLARS" micro printed in the left and right borders; the $10 has "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "TEN DOLLARS on the left and right borders; the $20 has "TWENTY USA" printed in the bottom border, to the left of Hamilton; and the $50 has "FIFTY" micro printed in the right and left borders.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you find a counterfeit bill, call the police or the Secret Service. Do not handle the bill; place it in a plastic bag to protect the evidence.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Tracy O/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tracy_olson/61056391
