Simple Test Reveals Fake Currency

An everyday object can test for counterfeit currency.

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Science writer reveals simple method to verify counterfeit currency.

Consumers are wary of receiving large denomination bills during the holiday season. Last week 4th graders from Gary, Indiana were caught with counterfeit currency produced on their personal printers. In the United States in 2002, $43 million in fake currency was circulated. When counterfeit currency is seized, neither consumers nor companies are compensated for the loss. So what can we do about it? Two things: Visual inspection and a little-know test to tell good currency from bad.

First look for these telltale signs:

1. The serial number is evenly spaced and is the same color as the Treasury seal.

2. The edge lines of the border on a genuine bill are sharp and unbroken

3. The paper on a genuine bill has tiny red and blue fibers embedded in it, not just printed on the surface.

The second way to verify paper currency is to test the ink. How? A legitimate U.S. bill has iron particles in the ink that are attracted to a magnet. A strong magnet is preferred for this test (some weak refrigerators magnets may not work). To verify a bill, fold it in half and lay it on a table so that half the bill stands up vertically. Point a magnet near the standing edge of the bill and it will move toward the magnet.

Whenever you doubt the authenticity of paper currency, simply pull out your magnet and perform the magnetic attraction test.

Cy Tymony, author of the new book "Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things" (Andrews McMeel Publishing), explains how to reuse everyday objects in unusual ways. A photo of this test can be viewed at Tymony's website Sneakyuses.com

Tymony's website also includes a free "Sneaky Toy Reuses" article." With a little knowledge, simple and high-tech toys - even damaged ones - can be used for amazing and educational purposes," Tymony says. "It costs next to nothing to do, so it's almost a crime to send reusable items to landfills." He suggests readers not overlook reusing other holiday staples around the house. "Milk can be turned into plastic or glue, bookmarks can be turned into boomerangs, a penny can be turned into a radio and walkie-talkies and other devices can be placed in clothing to make a 'gadget jacket.' Even gift-wrapping paper can substitute for air for 'inflating' a flat bicycle tire in a pinch," Tymony says.

A Minneapolis school has recently developed resourcefulness courses based on Cy's bestselling "Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things." book. "There are lots of items in a home that can be used to teach youngsters how things work and resourcefulness, " the author explains.

About Cy Tymony:

Cy Tymony has been creating useful high-and low-tech inventions all his life. By reading comic books as a kid and studying scientific techniques, he bridged science and fiction to amaze his friends.

He's authored four books and more than a dozen articles on science and computer science. Cy has been interviewed on over 100 radio shows and his technical wizardry has landed him on CNN Headline News, CBS's Morning News Chicago, KTLA Morning News Los Angeles, FOX 5 Las Vegas and featured in U.S. News & World Report. He lives in Los Angeles.

bttt

A fool and his magnet are soon parted.

That would explain why a bill will heat up so quickly in a microwave oven.

Thanks 'Sneaky'. . .good post. . .

At the cafeteria at my workplace, every time I give the cashier one of the newer $20 bills, she takes what looks like a dull yellow highlighter pen and makes a mark on the bill. I wonder if that's some special pen that's supposed to show something when she marks the bill. I've seen those a couple other places, but have never known what they are.

}:-)4

Looking for the watermark is usually easier,
and doesn't require a magnet.

Home-printed bills cannot dupe the wm,
nor the color-shifting ink.

FR is not meant for advertisements.

That also explains how a dollar bill acceptor in a vending machine works. It literally uses a tape recorder head to "read" the bill as it passes by.

BTTT

That would explain why a bill will heat up so quickly in a microwave oven.

I'm sorry, but I can't see any reason to put money in a microwave oven. Why are you microwaving your money?

Good idea, and it does work, but it is impractical for money changing hands quickly and efficiently in a retail environment (i.e., at a cash register).

The pens sold at office supply stores are a much quicker way to tell if a bill is real.

If one wanted to use a magnet though, the ones you can take out of an old hard drive are very strong, and would work well for this testing of bills.

Try using a vending machine with wet sweaty money.

Another test is to take a dollar bill and rub it against another piece of paper. Some of the ink will be transferred from the bill to the paper. The ink on US currency is never dry.

Try using a vending machine with wet sweaty money.

I don't think I want to know why your money is getting all wet and sweaty.

Nope. I'll definitely pass on this one. %-)

It is called hard work outside under the sun in summertime. I take it you have an office job.

I take it you have an office job.

I've had plenty of jobs over the years, from construction to hazardous waste to computer tech. I've worked in West Texas in the summer in a tyvek suit, and I've sweated so much that I had to stop every so often to pour the sweat out of my rubber boots and rubber gloves.

The only way that I can think of for money to get all wet and sweaty is if somebody put their money in the bottom of their shoe while they were working. I prefer to keep my money in my pockets, not my socks. But, hey, power to you.

Misleading headline.

A test that takes a dozen paragraphs to describe isn't simple.

"That would explain why a bill will heat up so quickly in a microwave oven."

It might also explain why money seems to burn a hole in everyones pocket these days too! :)

Yes, it is a special pen.

I think you can buy them at OffficeMax and places like that. There's something in the ink that makes it turn dark if the bill is fake.