Counterfeit Corner

Welcome to ‘Kerre’s Counterfeit Corner’. This new monthly column will cover many aspects of counterfeit banknotes and periodically include interesting counterfeit examples.

There are many terms used to describe counterfeit banknotes; so without getting into the legal definitions which varies from country to country, here is a quick summary: 

Counterfeit – an imitation of a genuine banknote – It doesn’t have to be a good one!

Bleached – the ink is removed from a genuine banknote (usually of a lower denomination) and reprinted in a higher denomination, keeping the genuine substrate and it’s security features.

Simulation – a counterfeit banknote is a simulation of a genuine, but this term usually refers to the imitation of security features.

Harvested – a genuine security feature is removed and adhered to a counterfeit banknote.