A security thread and micro printing are introduced to deter counterfeiting by advanced copiers and printers. The features first appear in Series 1990 $100 notes. By Series 1993, the features appeared on all denominations except $1 and $2 notes.
Security threads, which now run the width of the currency, are not a new invention. In some early versions of paper currency, thin security threads were added to paper. In these currencies, the number of threads in the paper represented a specific denomination.
Security threads help prevent counterfeiters from raising notes—bleaching out the paper of a low denomination and printing a higher denomination onto the authentic paper. The new threads were first added to U.S. currency in 1990 and have recently been improved.
In the redesigned notes, a security thread will appear in a different location depending on the denomination. The thread for the new $100 bill carries the words "USA 100" and can only be seen with transmitted light, which makes photocopying impossible. In addition, the new security threads glow red when held over ultraviolet light.
By tracing our currency back to the colonial era, we can explore how U.S. history has helped shape the way we design, issue, and process modern U.S. banknotes.
Tip! According to the most recent Secret Service data, there is nearly $9 million in counterfeit money circulating in the US. With the rise of digital printing, it is getting easier and easier to produce counterfeit bills that will fool the average cashier or business owner – not to mention most consumers.
If you and your employees are not educated, your business could lose hundreds or thousands in profit by accepting counterfeit bills. Here are 8 ways to tell if a bill is fake shared by Fitsmallbusiness.com.