Practice Area - Philadelphia Counterfeiting Defense
Counterfeiting
What is counterfeiting?
Counterfeiting is the act of manufacturing fake or altering genuine
currency. The practice dates back to the Civil War, when a third of all
U.S. currency was believed to be counterfeit. Counterfeit currency was
especially difficult to catch during the 19th century, when more than
1,600 banks were permitted to manufacture their collective 7,000 kinds
of coins.
Although instances of counterfeiting decreased dramatically after currency
was nationalized in 1863, ever-advancing technology—such as high-resolution
printers and copiers—has made it easy for even unskilled counterfeiters
to forge counterfeit currency.
How can counterfeit currency be detected?
According to the United States Secret Service—established in 1865
to combat counterfeiting—the simplest way to identify counterfeit
currency is to compare a suspect note with a genuine note, carefully
observing the portrait, Federal Reserve and Treasury seals, border, serial
numbers, and paper of the bills.
Counterfeit Bills
- Portrait
While a genuine portrait is lifelike, appears to be two-dimensional,
and stands out from the background, a counterfeit portrait is often
dull and flat. Details are typically not distinct, and colors appear
to be muddled and dark.
- Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals
Genuine Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals are sharp-pointed, bright,
and uniform, but counterfeit seals are uneven, blunt or broken.
- Border
The borderlines on official currency are clear and solid, while lines
on counterfeit bills may be blurred, disjoined, or indistinct.
- Serial Numbers
Serial numbers on genuine bills are evenly spaced, printed in a unique
font, and the same color as the Treasury Seal; on counterfeit bills,
serial numbers tend to be a shade lighter or darker than the Treasury
Seal, less uniformly spaced, and not properly aligned.
- Paper
Genuine currency paper has red and blue fibers carefully threaded through
it; the fibers are not raised and are clearly embedded. Counterfeit
currency paper often has what appear to be red and blue fibers woven
through it, but those fibers are actually ink lines printed directly
onto the surface of the paper.
Counterfeit Coins
While counterfeit bills are used primarily as currency, counterfeit coins
are intended to fool collectors by simulating old, rare pieces. Sometimes,
counterfeiters might alter the dates of genuine coins, making them
appear older or more rare than they actually are. Other times, counterfeiters
mold fake coins by pouring liquid metal into casts. Authentic coins
are stamped out on official machinery that ensures uniformity, but
counterfeit coins usually lack uniformly ridged edges and may have
dye marks or cracks.
Contact the the Philadelphia Law Offices of Attorney William Spade
Return to
Previous Page |
