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.
The worldwide increase in the incidence of the production of counterfeit currency is taking place owing to the availability and advent of new technology in the form of powerful consumer image editing software, high-resolution scanners and other necessary computer equipment at very low prices. Such technology has made it very easy for the counterfeiters to prepare duplications of the designs and images imprinted on the modern currency. Taking up the challenge of tackling the growing threat of counterfeit currency very seriously, the Governments around the globe are taking firm steps to both control as well as prevent such duplication. Here, we talk about some such measures that are being undertaken 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.
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.
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, then, are some of the latest security measures in practice in the United States to control the rising incidence of counterfeit US currency. However, this battle is far from over, as the counterfeiters keep on finding new and better ways to ensure the continuation of their illegal trade with the help of the latest technology. Keeping this in mind, we shall continue our research in this direction in order to keep you posted about the fresher challenges faced by the US Government in this battle and how they measure up to the efforts of the counterfeiters in ensuring the victory of the genuine US 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.