The thread is embedded in (not printed on) the paper and runs vertically through the clear field to the left of the Federal Reserve Seal. On authentic bills, this should be easily visible against a light source. The printing should say “USA” followed by the denomination of the bill, which is spelled out for $10 and $20 bills but presented in numerals on the $5, $50 and $100 bills. These threads are placed in different places on each denomination to prevent lower-denomination bills being bleached and reprinted as higher denominations. You should be able to read the inscriptions from both the front or back of the note. Also, it should only be visible against a light source.
The $5 dollar bill should glow blue; the $10 bill should glow orange; the $20 bill should glow green; the $50 bill should glow yellow; the $100 bill should glow pink. If your bill remains white under a black light, it is likely a counterfeit.
Hold the bill up to a light to check for a watermark. A watermark bearing the image of the person whose portrait is on the bill can be found on all $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills series 1996 and later, and on $5 bills series 1999 to 2006. For $5 bills series 2006 and latter, the watermark is of a 5 instead of Lincoln’s portrait. The watermark is embedded in the paper to the right of the portrait and should be visible from both sides of the bill.
Color-shifting ink can be found on $100, $50 and $20 dollar bills series 1996 and later, and on $10 dollar bills series 1999 and later. $5 and lower bills do not yet have this feature. The color originally appeared to change from green to black, but it goes from copper to green in recent redesigns of the bills.
Beginning in 1990, very tiny printing was added to certain places (which have periodically been changed since then) on $5 and higher denomination bills. Don’t worry about a specific location. Since micro-printing is hard to duplicate, counterfeits usually tend not to have any. Counterfeits with micro-printing tend to have blurred letters or numbers. On a genuine bill, the micro-printing will be crisp and clear.
Real U. S. bills are printed using techniques that regular offset printing and digital printing (the most popular tools for common counterfeiters) cannot replicate. Look for blurry areas, especially in fine details such as around the borders. Look for colored fibers in the paper. All U. S. bills have tiny red and blue fibers embedded in the paper. Counterfeiters sometimes try to reproduce these by printing or drawing these fibers onto the paper. As a result, the blue and red fibers will appear to be printed on the paper instead of being part of the paper itself.
On Federal Reserve and Treasury seals, the saw-tooth points of the borders should be sharp and well-defined on genuine bills. Seals on a counterfeit bill often have uneven, blunt, or broken saw-tooth points. Look for bleeding ink. Because of the difference in printing methods between real and fake bills, the border ink can sometimes bleed on a fake.
Portraits in fake bills may appear dull, blurred, and flat, while in real currency, the portraits are sharp and contain very fine detailing. On a real bill, the portrait tends to stand out from the background. On counterfeit bills, the portrait’s coloring tends to blend too much with the bill. Use a magnifying glass to closely observe the rim of the portrait. There should be the phrase “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” repeated along the sides of the portrait. This will look like a solid line to the naked eye. This feature is especially hard to replicate using office machine copiers or printers due to its size and detail.
Look at the color of the serial numbers on the bill and compare it to the color of the Treasury Seal. If they do not match, the bill is likely a fake. Fake bills may have serial numbers that are not evenly spaced or that are not perfectly aligned in a row. If you receive multiple suspicious bills, see if the serial numbers are the same on across all bills. Counterfeiters often neglect to change serial numbers on fake bills. If they are the same, then they are counterfeit notes. [2] X Research source
Authentic money is made from cotton and linen fibers. This differs significantly from normal paper, which is made from trees. Real money is made to be more durable and should feel crisp despite its age; normal paper becomes torn and soft when worn. The paper that banknotes are printed on is not sold commercially. Also, the chemical composition of the paper and ink is confidential. Even if you do not have much experience in spotting a counterfeit, you should notice a clear difference in texture. Genuine currency has slightly raised ink that is produced in the intaglio printing process. You should be able to feel the texture of this ink, especially if you are holding a new dollar bill. Run your fingernail over the portrait’s vest of the bill. You should feel distinctive ridges. Counterfeiters cannot reproduce this.
The process for making money involves applying thousands of pounds of pressure during the printing process. As a result, real money should feel thinner and crisper than regular paper. [3] X Research source The only option available to most counterfeiters is to use thin rag paper, which can be purchased at most office supply stores. Still, this paper should feel thicker than authentic money.
If you are still suspicious about the quality of a bill, holding it next to a bill you know is authentic may help you feel a difference. All denominations, except the $1 and $2, have been redesigned at least once since 1990, so it is best to compare the suspect bill to one in the same series, or date. While the look of money has changed over the years, the distinctive feel has been left largely unchanged. The feel of a bill made 50 years ago should feel similar to a brand new dollar bill.
If it is passed to you, do not pass the counterfeit currency on to anyone other by following these instructions. Inspect bills the moment you are suspicious. Remember who gave you which bills. If you acquire a counterfeit banknote, you must turn it into the Secret Service. Not reporting counterfeit banknotes makes you vulnerable to someone else turning you in for counterfeit banknotes.
The person who gives you counterfeit money might not be the original counterfeiter. They too might be an innocent civilian duped into using fake money. It might be impossible to match each passer to each specific bill, so many people inspect bills the moment they are handed to them. For example, many cashiers at general stores will inspect large denomination bills before accepting them as payment. This way, the cashier in the moment can link any potential passer to any potentially counterfeit bill.
Once a note is handed in with this form, it is considered counterfeit unless proven otherwise. Fill out 1 form for each suspected banknote. This form is geared towards banks who catch counterfeit money, but individuals should use it as well. If you found the counterfeit bill at a bank and you are an employee of the bank, contact your manager and fill out this form regarding your employer.
You will not be financially reimbursed for handing in counterfeit money. This is to prevent individuals from receiving money for free, just because they counterfeited money.
