Counterfeiting

Counterfeiting of money is one of the oldest crimes in history. In the United States, for example, it was a serious problem in the past, when each bank issued its own currency. Therefore they adopted a national currency in 1863. But it did not solve the counterfeiting problem. The national currency, or the dollar, was soon counterfeited so widely, that it beca­me necessary for the U.S. Government to take special mea­sures. In 1865 the United States Secret Service was esta­blished to suppress counterfeiting. It curtailed counterfeiting to a certain extent but this crime still exists. The U.S. dollar is now the most counterfeited currency in the world.

Modern photographic and printing devices, colour copiers, laser scanners have made the production of counterfeit money relatively easy.

A lot of special security features are usually used in making banknotes of every country.

In making American dollars, for example, the following security features are used: red and blue fibers embedded in the paper the intaglio printing of some features and many others. Besides, not long ago, a few more new security features
were added to U.S. dollars. These features are as follows: invisible thread embedded in the paper microprinting, and others.

These new features appeared first in banknotes of certain denominations only. Other denominations will be gradually made with the same security features.