Counterfeit Corner

This month I would like to discuss the proliferation of novelty notes, which are purchased online and used in exchange for goods and services.

What are novelty notes? Movie money, prop money, Chinese training notes, Disney dollars, notes with political figures – hell, all banknotes all fall under the novelty category!

In essence, these notes are banknotes that resemble genuine currency, but have a ‘disclaimer’ on the banknote that indicates it is not genuine. Unfortunately, the warnings on the note have become quite small and difficult to identify for the public. A banknote with a Mickey Mouse portrait is easy to detect; a $100 imprinted with the word ‘COPY’ is not.

These notes are commonly produced on a commercial offset printer using process colours (CMYK), which usually creates a better-quality printed image than inkjet or toner printers. Security features are not usually simulated on novelty notes, they are just ink on paper (or polymer).