Counterfeit Prevention Measures in World Currency Today

Over the past few decades, the international phenomenon of counterfeiting of modern currency has slowly acquired such alarming proportions that it has turned into a serious problem for Governments the world over. In order to control this international criminal activity and protect the currencies of their respective countries, Governments around the world have been effecting changes in their currency notes from time to time.

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.

One such step taken by the US Government during the 1980s, was to issue bills of 20, 50 and 100-dollar denominations along with a security strip that was located on them from their top to bottom. These bills had their denominations clearly written on this security strip that was made of fluorescent plastic. It was quite easy to read the printed matter on this strip by holding the bills under a fluorescent light bulb. Despite this fact, however, the clearly written denominations turned out to be a hindrance for the counterfeiters in their efforts to 'upgrade' bills of lower denominations to those of higher denominations, something that they did by 'washing' the ink from the paper. On this paper, they reprinted the graphics of the bill with the help of the dye sub or laser printers.

Another method that the United States government has implemented is watermarking. The latest bills that have been issued by the treasury have images embedded in the currency’s paper. You can view this watermarked image by holding up the bill to a light source. The image in the watermark should match the image of the president on the bill. The $100 bill, for example, features the likeness of Benjamin Franklin in both the standard image and the watermark.

It is noteworthy to mention that some counterfeit currency has been circulated in which $5 bills have been re-printed with $100 bill images. Although this counterfeit currency looks and feels like the genuine article, when the watermark (which CANNOT be bleached out like the surface images) is held to scrutiny, it will be noted that Lincoln’s face appears in the watermark (as he should on a $5 bill).

Finally, one of the latest counterfeit prevention technologies that have been put into use is special inks that appear to be different colors at different angles. When viewed from the left, for example the color may appear to the eye to be a light green, but as the viewer shifts over to the right, the color changes to black. These color changing inks are very difficult to reproduce as they use a special compound that is very difficult for counterfeiters 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 strives to help people seeking information about all types of currency issues. Why not go to his web site at: Fone Currency, to see the information sources available to you. Visit: www.fonecurrency.com
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