Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Funny Money? New Bills Are Being Printed

New security features have been added to the change of five denominations of bills by the U.S. Government.

The United States has been issuing currency with different security features since 1996. This is to make the bills easier to recognize and harder to counterfeit, even with today's computer technology.

The denominations being changed are the $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.

This isn't news to anyone who has seen any of the new bills. The first thing noticed is the face on the bill is much larger than they used to be and is set off center.

More details have been added to the portraits to make it harder to duplicate, and a watermark, set off to one side, is another of the security features.

The watermark can be seen by holding a bill up to the light. It can be found to the right of the portrait and is visible from both side of the bill. This makes it hard to counterfeit as well.

One of the toughest measures for counterfeiters to beat is the security thread running through each bill. A polymer thread is imbedded vertically in the paper in different locations. Where the thread is located also indicates the value of the bill.

From the security thread the U.S. government added fine line printing patterns behind the portrait to give those planning to try and duplicate the money a real challenge.

In addition, there are various locations on these bills with microprinting. This, too, makes it difficult to duplicate the money.

On the $10, $20, $50 and $100 the seal is made of color-shifting ink. This means it changes color from green to black when viewed at different angles. This feature is not on the $5.

The back of the bills have a low-vision feature with a high-contrast numeral in the lower right corner for those with poor eyesight. It's also a distinguishing characteristic of the bills.

A universal seal represents the entire Federal Reserve System. The letter and number beneath the left serial number identify which Federal Reserve Bank issued it.

Serial numbers appear twice, in 11 number and letter combinations on the front of the notes.

In addition to these changes on the different bills, there is a new addition to the coins  a new gold $1 denomination with the imprint of Sacagawea and her child on the front.

Sacagawea was the Shoshone Indian woman who, along with her infant son, helped guide the Lewis and Clark expedition to the American Northwest.

This coin succeeds the Susan B. Anthony dollar, minted from 1979-81 and again in 1999.

The paper $1 bill will not be affected by the issuance of this coin and will continue to be available and accepted.

Future plans for this bill include the incorporation of the same security devices, without redesigning the bill.

To help guard against counterfeiting, check any suspicious bills.

First, look for the color shifting ink on all but the $5 bill. If it doesn't change between black and green, it's fake.

Next check the watermark by holding the bill toward the light. Because the watermark is in the paper itself and not printed on it, it can be seen from both sides of the bill.

Then look for the security thread. This is a thin strip running from the top of the bill to the bottom of it. This strip is actually plastic embedded into the money and not printed on the paper.

This thread is only visible when held to the light, or scanned under ultraviolet light.

Take a look at the fine line printing patterns. If they appear to be smudged, uneven or composed of dots, the bill is counterfeit.

It's also a good idea to check a suspected bill against a bill known to be good and look for these differences.

But, for those who suspect a counterfeit bill, don't do anything rash or foolish.

Make sure the bill is not returned to the person who passed it along, and delay them, if possible, with some excuse without risking harm.

Take note of what this person looks like. Look for any distinguishing marks, without staring, notice how tall they are, gender, race, hair and eye color. Also do this for anyone who may be with them.

If possible, get the license number of the vehicle they leave in.

The next step is to call the police or the U.S. Secret Service.

On an unprinted part of the bill, initial it and don't handle it any more than necessary. Place the phony money in a protective envelope and give it to properly identified law enforcement officers or members of the Secret Service.